I believe the thermostat is inside the house, as thats the area with a supposedly set temperature. And while our insulation is not great, we do seem to be mostly immune to drafts.

I wonder if there IS an exterior thermostat. Some higher tech systems base some of what they do inside on what is happening outside. Just a thought

on the outside unit working?

So when it heats your house, it cools the outside. When it cools your house, it heats the outside.

Wind helps because it replaces the cooled outside air with warmer air. It's the same job the fan on the outside unit does, but wind moves a lot more air.

If the difference in performance is quite large, you may want to confirm that the fan on the outside unit is working, and that you aren't getting ice forming on the unit.

It makes sense, but I wondered if there was some other aspect I am missing

I went out to look around, the fan does seem to work. Ice, I dont know, but it should be able to defrost itself, according to the manual. Its only 6 months old.

The part that confuses me is that I could swear that its making the inside far warmer than the temperature I set it to, when the wind is blowing. We don't turn it above 62, But there have been nights I am kicking off the blankets and sometimes even the sheets.

Based on the house overheating. The unit will only do what the stat tells it do do. Get a thermometer. If your unit is still running when your house reaches the temp you set + or - a degree or so, the stat is bad. You can replace the stat yourself but when you remove the old stat make sure you write down which color wire goes to which terminal and replace them on the same terminal with the new stat. Also, be sure you turn off all the power th the system or you will fry your transformer.

Edited to add, check the temp right where your stat is. The stat only knows what the temp is at that exact spot. It has no idea what the temp is in, say, your kitchen. Also, make sure the new stat is for a heat pump. Stats are different for different systems.

on a thought quakerboy ,have you thought about calling the manufacturer 800 number and asking to speak to a tech, rep ? Because that is what I do when I am not certain.-it's just a thought.

Have your manual on hand .


give em a call.!