I have to Honeywell VisionPro thermostats, wired to a Honeywell zoning panel, which is wired to the GeoMax 2 GSHP.

After running some tests and experiencing some cooler than I think it should be in the house days, (and posting about them - see "How much aux heat is enough?"), I think I'm narrowing down the problem.  But could use a little help.  I did put a call into my installer guy but haven't heard back yet.

The problem seems to be that when the thermostat calls for Aux Heat, the heat package IS NOT going on.  I've tested this by setting the thermostat to 80 F, the aux heat indicator comes on, and at the zoning panel, the proper voltage appears across the thermostat wires...basically, the thermostat is sending the call for aux heat to the zoning panel correctly.  I *think* it's wired to the right spot on the zoning panel.

However, when I put a multimeter across the wires that activate the aux heat relays, there is NO voltage (should be 24 VAC) (Common to stage 1 - no voltage, common to stage 2 - no voltage).

When I activate EMERGENCY HEAT on the zoning panel, the aux heat DOES come on properly, voltage appears across the aux heat relay wires, and the duct temp goes up VERY QUICKLY. 

But when the thermostat is set to normal heating, but shows Aux Heat On, no resistive heat comes on.

I also tried setting the thermostat to Emergency Heat - that WORKS! There is voltage across the relays and the duct temp goes up very quickly.

Basically, then when the thermostat is calling for aux heat, no aux heat.  Only in Emergency Heat Mode (either thermostat setting or zoning panel setting) does the resistive heat go on. 

System is 3 stage heat (2 compressor levels + aux) 2 cool, if that makes any difference.  Is there a wiring diagram on the web that I can check against?  I looked at all the manuals that came with the system and it *seems* to be right.

Is there a way I can check the wires from the zoning panel to the heat pump to make sure the call for aux heat is being sent from zoning panel to heat pump (and to relays)?

I'm hoping to hear back from my installer guy, but until then, any advice/things I can check would be great.

Thanks.

I'm not a pro, but here are some things to check for. Did you ever get the outdoor temperature sensor and engage aux lockout? With all power off, also check the DIP switches. Our Envision units have a dip switch that disables aux, but allows emergency heat to go on. If you have a 1-6 Ton HTV/HTD unit, the manual that I pulled up indicates that your Tap Settings for Aux/Emerg Heat are located on SW5 and SW6 (pages 21 & 22).

Nope, never got around to hooking up the outdoor/lockout, so that's not it (thanks for remembering, though!).
No DIP switches that I can see that disable aux heat but allow emergency heat.

I did get into a test mode on the zoning panel HZ TrueZone 432 and when I manually test Stage 3 heat, the resistive heat does come on. For some reason, though, the zoning panel isn't telling the heat pump to go into stage 3 resistive when the aux heat signal from the thermostat comes in, only when the emergency heat signal comes in.

One cool thing we have with our zone system (Jackson controls). We have the visionpro stats too. Our zone controller is configured so that if a single zone is calling for heat stage 2 will not kick in. If 2 or more zones are calling then stage 2 heat will activate. It works pretty well, maybe something to ask your installer.

Fixed :-) The HVAC guy spend hours on the phone with Honeywell and Heat Controller. He ended up connecting the aux heat call and emergency heat call to the 3rd stage heat (rather than the emergency heat) connection of the zoning panel then connecting the "output" of the zoning panel stage 3 heat call to the emergency heat input on the heat pump. System works great now, and yes, by golly, if I crank up the thermo more than a couple degrees, the electric comes on, but it works the way it should. Electric is there if needed, as with any heat pump.

The difference between aux heat and emergency heat is aux heat runs with the compressor and emergency heat runs without the compressor. Third stage heat is compressor + strip heat (aux heat).
Nobody wants to run strip heat alone unless they have to hence the term "emergency heat".

Absolutely. Something was wired wrong somewhere along the line in that when the thermo called for the strips, they didn't come on. Ever. When we got back from a week vacation and turned the thermostat up (we'd set it back about 10 degrees while we were gone), the house took the entire day to warm up. As the weather stayed cold, the house would *never* reach temperature. I tracked the problem, using current-measuring tools and a very sensitive thermocouple, to the heat strips and discovered they never ever work. Since the house wouldn't reach temperature, I put Emergency Heat on, which shut down the compressors and used strips only. That worked....the strips went on and the house got very toasty very quickly.
He's since wired it (correctly) so that 3rd stage includes strips along with the compressor, but Emergency is strips only. I'm very happy and the house maintains temperature very easily. I may deactivate some of the strips (I have 10 kw on one breaker and 5 kw on another), just to experiment.

stuart, just make sure your blower is not on one of the circuits that you turn off. Our blower is on the same breaker as our 10kW heater (we have 15kW too split between 2 breakers). But, your wiring may not be done the same way as ours.  We normally have the breaker for the 5kW portion of our heat pack turned off (unless we go away).

Thanks. I checked...it's not. I actually have about 5 different circuits for the system...not sure why so many! I have to check the breaker box inside and see if the breakers labeled with a/c/heat pump/aux are all actually hooked up or just have left over labels from the old system (outside unit, etc.)