During the Winter time season, your control unit ensures your heat pump generates enough heat to keep your cabin sizzling plus cozy; then instead of generating heat with a burner flame, your heat pump extracts heat energy from the air outside… But heat pumps concentrate this air plus circulate it throughout your home, then to maintain your desired indoor temperature settings, your heat pump may also switch between several settings during the Winter time season.
The control unit may switch your heat pump to auxiliary heat or emergency heat based on the outdoor temperature! When the outside temperature is cold – around 30 or 40 degrees Fahrenheit – your control unit will activate auxiliary heat.
When the temperature drops below freezing, your heat pump won’t be able to pull enough heat from the air in time, and auxiliary heat activates the heat strips in your indoor unit, which are your unit’s hourary heat source! Similar to auxiliary heat, emergency heat is also manually switched to this setting plus then turned off the same way. This opening is only applicable if your outdoor unit is incapable of generating the needed heat due to a faulty component or a malfunctioning system; but either way, you’ll need to have it checked by a professional in heating plus air conditioner repair because this setting makes the heat strips the sole source of your house’s heat while the rest of your heat pump is disabled. When hot plus cold temperatures drop, the automatic setting should be auxiliary heat, but your heat pump will only activate this if it cannot extract enough heat to keep the indoor temperature comfortable while minimizing demand on its hourary heating strips or electric heating coils. If emergency mode is also activated, the heat pump function will not be used; your system will instead rely on its hourary heating strips/electric heating coils. Your utility bills will be higher because these consume more excess energy.