How To Turn On Emergency Heat

At HVAC.com, our writers create solutions that put you in control of your HVAC system. Our product reviews and recommendations are researched and backed by real buyers and manufacture experts, not dictated by our partners.

Does your home feel chillier than normal, even with your thickest sweater on? Check your thermostat. If the temperature is significantly lower than it should be, it may be fourth dimension to plough on your emergency heat.

What does the emergency heat setting practise? Emergency heat is platonic for when the outside temperature is too cold for your heat pump to continue your abode warm. If the oestrus pump freezes over or becomes damaged, then you should switch to emergency estrus and telephone call an HVAC service provider.

Schedule an appointment with a local heating expert.

What is a heat pump?

A rut pump warms your home as it pulls in estrus from the outdoors, but it can too cool your home past expelling heat outside. Heat pumps utilize electricity and refrigerant to create a comfy habitation temperature. Refrigerant transfers oestrus from one place to another by flowing dorsum and along from an indoor unit (air handler) to a estrus pump compressor (outdoor unit of measurement).

If you live in an area with milder temperatures, oestrus pumps are great for saving money and energy. However, you should ever have a backup heating source for when temperatures drop too low and emergency heat becomes a necessity.

What is emergency heat on your thermostat?

When the conditions gets too cold, your heat pump isn't able to pull enough warmth from the outdoor air to rut your home to the desired temperature. A secondary heating source, like emergency rut, can exist used to go along you warm.

The heat pump emergency estrus setting is used when your estrus pump needs a break to avert organisation harm. Plus, information technology works well at warming your dwelling house in below-freezing temperatures.

The "em oestrus" setting on your thermostat indicates your emergency heat has been activated. Emergency heat mode volition continue to run until you manually plow it off.

How does emergency heat piece of work?

When emergency oestrus is turned on, your compressor and heat pump shut downward entirely, and your arrangement's fill-in heating system turns on. This brings in heat without dissentious your outdoor heat pump organization.

In near cases, emergency heat is electrical, only it tin can also run on natural gas or oil. When you manually set the emergency rut on your thermostat, your arrangement bypasses the heat pump and direct accesses either the electric heat strip or the gas or oil furnace. With electric systems, your air handler turns into an electric furnace.

If the temperature outside climbs to 40 degrees or in a higher place and your dwelling house still won't stay warm without using emergency heat, telephone call an HVAC service provider. Your heat pump may have frozen over or need repairs.

Schedule an date to repair your heat pump now.

When to use emergency oestrus

Emergency heat should only exist used in emergency situations, like your heat pump breaking down or icing over.

For instance, if a snowfall-heavy branch snaps and crashes into your oestrus pump, use emergency heat while you lot wait for repairs. If your heat pump shorts out during an ice tempest, go ahead and plough on your emergency heat. Then phone call for an HVAC service provider to restore your equipment and go dorsum to a normal heating cycle.

Emergency heat should not be used for long periods of time. Emergency heat can be taxing on your heating system. Past removing the heat pump from the equation, your system is solely relying on your secondary heating response. This puts a lot of strain on your backup heating element.

For all-electric systems, emergency heat should keep you warm until your heat pump can be fixed or thaws. In one case your system has been mended, plough off your emergency estrus to terminate the increased heating charge per unit on your electricity bill. Gas and oil furnace second-stage systems can terminal longer in emergency heat fashion without putting too much of a strain on your dwelling heating organisation.

Em heat vs. aux heat

You run into both functions on your thermostat, but what'southward the difference betwixt "aux heat" and "em heat"? The answer lies in the weather and your heat pump'due south condition.

Auxiliary heating is an automated office that turns on when the outdoor temperature takes a quick dip. Aux heat kicks in when the heat pump is working but there's a difference (typically 2 – 3 degrees) betwixt your thermostat setting and the actual indoor temperature. This supplemental heating typically only runs for up to a couple of hours. When auxiliary rut is activated, your heat pump energizes a heat strip within its organization for an added heating boost. If your oestrus pump freezes, the auxiliary estrus likewise becomes ineffective.

Emergency heat requires a manual switch and may need to run for hours or days, depending on your repair schedule. This secondary heating source does not work with your heat pump. As the name suggests, this part should be used in an emergency situation, and your heat pump should be shut off.

Y'all'll stay warm, simply the emergency heat mode tin dramatically elevate your electricity pecker. This type of heating uses a lot of energy and power, which means spending more coin than you normally would if your rut pump was working properly.

Dwelling house Inspection Insider provides a cost breakdown comparison the use of a oestrus pump to gainsay common cold weather versus emergency heat. Equally you can see, emergency heat dramatically increases your electrical bill.

	Normal rut pump at thirty degrees for 1 calendar week	Emergency heat at 10 degrees for 1 week
Watts per hour	3,000 watts	3,000 watts + 15,000 watts
Hours use per twenty-four hour period	12 hours	24 hours + 12 hours
Number of days	vii days	7 days
Total kWH	252 kWH	252 kWH + 1260 kWH
Cost per kWH	$0.13	$0.xiii
Total cost per week	$32.76	$196.56

How to tell your heat pump needs repair

Regular maintenance checks on your HVAC system are important to maintaining a comfortable home. If your oestrus pump suddenly breaks, you may be stuck running emergency estrus for a few days as you await on an HVAC service person.

In that location are a few DIY fixes that can save you lot money upfront, only keeping to a regular maintenance schedule will ultimately salvage you from future frustration. For safety, most repairs should exist completed by a professional person rut pump repair technician.

Scroll through the listing below to see if your heat pump problem is identified. If not, explore our common heat pump problems guide for more solutions.

Your oestrus pump runs without warming

A continuously running oestrus pump is normal as long as it is keeping your domicile warm. If the unit runs continuously but is unable to proceed up with the desired temperature, call an HVAC professional. Re-cheque the settings on your thermostat. Does the heat pump's air filter need to exist cleaned or replaced? If not, your compressor contactor may be cleaved.

Your heat pump doesn't turn on

Verify your heat pump is receiving power. Is your thermostat set to rut or did information technology get accidentally changed to some other setting? If neither of those suggestions helps, your rut pump capacitor may be broken.

Your estrus pump doesn't rut the home

If you've recently had a winter tempest, make certain your unit isn't blocked by snow, ice, or fallen shrubbery. It could also be time to modify or clean your air filter. If your filter and heat pump are gratis of debris, the issue could be with your reversing valve or depression refrigerant levels. Do not attempt to refill or recharge your refrigerant on your own. This should exist done by an EPA-certified HVAC professional for your safety.

Book a consultation with a heat pump technician.

Your heating emergency won't last forever

It can be stressful when the exterior temperatures begin to plummet and your heating arrangement isn't effectively warming your home. When needed, emergency heat is available and fix to be activated.

If your auxiliary heat hasn't automatically turned on to warm your abode, switch your thermostat to the "em heat" setting. Your home should heat upward presently, and you should make a call to your local HVAC skilful to inspect the oestrus pump. Your emergency heat should keep you and your family warm until they can arrive to ready any issues.

Emergency estrus FAQs

How practice you turn off emergency heat?

Turning off emergency heat is not recommended. If you turn it off, your heating system won't work once outdoor temperatures drop below a certain temperature, unremarkably 30 degrees Fahrenheit. You would need to cut power to the whole system and apply a different heating source, like a woods stove or pellet stove.

Why did my emergency rut setting kick on?

Your emergency heat setting automatically turns on when outside temperatures driblet below a certain temperature, commonly 30 degrees Fahrenheit. If you lot demand to manually plough it on, you should phone call an HVAC professional to go your estrus pump fixed.