Heat pumps have grown in popularity in recent years, with more homeowners across Balzac, AB, and beyond looking for ways to cut down on heating and cooling costs. The technology has come a long way, but many people are still coming to terms with how heat pumps function.
One main area of confusion is around the function of the emergency heat on these systems. When does a heat pump switch to emergency heat? The leading providers of heat pump repair services in Balzac, AB, will provide in-depth answers in this post.
Understanding the Role of the Emergency Heat Function in a Heat Pump in Balzac, AB
Heat pumps do not generate heat. Instead, they extract heat from the air outside, moving it into your home. So, what happens when there isn’t enough heat in the outside air? The inventors of the technology thought about this, which is why they included the emergency heat option.
So basically, the emergency heat option is the backup heating source for when the temperature outside is too cold to allow the heat pump to function normally.
The backup heating source is electric resistance heating in many heat pumps. This method of heating works effectively but can consume a lot of energy quickly. Some hybrid systems use a gas furnace as the backup heating source.
Common Reasons for a Heat Pump to Switch into Emergency Heat Mode
When does a heat pump switch to emergency heat? We already mentioned that the system will automatically switch to emergency heat when there’s very little heat in the air outside. At what temperature does this happen?
Generally, heat pumps switch to emergency heat when the outside temperature drops to around 30 degrees. Since the winter temperatures in Balzac, AB, can drop to as low as 10 degrees on some days, you can expect your heat pump to switch to emergency heat from time to time throughout the season.
A heat pump can also enter emergency heat mode when the outdoor unit is frozen. In this scenario, the heat pump must first run a defrost cycle to melt all accumulated ice on the outdoor unit. It can’t supply heat to your home during this process, so the backup or emergency heat will kick in to keep you warm.
Some heat pumps may also enter emergency heat mode if there’s a lot of difference between the indoor temperatures and the temperature you’ve set on your thermostat.
What You Need to Know About Manually Activating the Emergency Heat
Many homeowners asking, “When does a heat pump switch to emergency heat?” often believe that they have to manually turn on the emergency heat mode for it to work. However, a heat pump in excellent shape doesn’t need your help to switch to emergency heat. It’s designed to automatically switch from emergency heat mode back to the standard heat pump function.
You should only turn on emergency heat manually when the heat pump compressor or any other critical component has broken down and you need to wait for a technician to arrive. You should never run the emergency heat for too long if you care about energy efficiency.
You should also keep in mind that the heat pump will shut down when you turn on the emergency heat mode manually. The manual activation overrides the system’s automatic function so the heat pump will not kick in again until you’ve turned off the emergency heat—even if the weather has improved significantly.
You will end up racking up higher heating bills and putting unnecessary strain on the system.
How to Prevent the Activation of Emergency Heat Due to Temperature Differences
We mentioned above that some heat pumps may trigger the emergency heat mode if there’s a significant difference between the ambient temperature and your desired temperatures. You can avoid this by doing the following:
- Adjust the temperature gradually. Don’t set the thermostat to 15 or 20 degrees higher than the ambient temperature; instead, gradually increase the heat by two or three degrees to allow the heat pump to catch up. A programmable thermostat with a set heating schedule can help with this.
- Implement zoned heating. This approach will allow you to heat specific parts of your home independently without creating large temperature disparities that can trigger your emergency heat.
Get Expert Guidance From Your Local Experts in Balzac, AB
We hope our post on “When does a heat pump switch to emergency heat?” has been enlightening. Do you have other questions? Do you need help with choosing affordable heat pumps?
Call the High Point Plumbing crew in Balzac, AB, today.