Heat Pump Emergency Heat — When to Use It
The 'Emergency Heat' setting on your thermostat has a specific purpose — and most WNC homeowners use it at the wrong time. Here is what you need to know.
Professional Heat Pump Emergency Heat — When to Use It in Asheville & Western NC
Emergency Heat Explained
Nearly every heat pump thermostat includes an "Emergency Heat" or "Em Heat" toggle, yet the majority of homeowners across Asheville and Western North Carolina are unsure what it does or when they should engage it. In short, emergency heat takes the heat pump completely out of the equation and runs your backup heating source alone — usually electric resistance strips inside the air handler. Because these backup strips consume far more electricity than the heat pump, the setting carries the "emergency" label — it exists strictly for situations in which the heat pump itself cannot operate.
When Emergency Heat Is Appropriate
Flip to emergency heat only when the heat pump has physically broken down and is unable to run — a damaged outdoor unit, a failed compressor, or a unit locked in solid ice that the defrost cycle cannot clear. The backup strips will keep your home warm while you arrange for repair. Do not engage emergency heat simply because outside temperatures are low. Today's heat pumps, particularly cold climate models, are engineered to produce efficient heat well below freezing. Using emergency heat while the heat pump is still functional burns through electricity at an alarming rate.
What Emergency Heat Costs You
Electric resistance strips consume roughly three times as much electricity as a heat pump to produce the same amount of warmth. A heat pump with a COP (coefficient of performance) of 3.0 generates three units of heat per unit of electricity; emergency heat strips have a COP of 1.0 — a straight one-to-one conversion. Even a few days on emergency heat during a WNC winter can inflate your electric bill by $100 to $300. This is precisely why getting a prompt heat pump repair matters so much.
Contact Quality Mechanical Promptly
If you have been forced onto emergency heat because the heat pump is down, call Quality Mechanical & Fireplaces without delay. We provide emergency heat pump repair throughout Western North Carolina. Every day the heat pump sits idle while backup strips run is money leaving your wallet — the faster we restore normal operation, the faster your energy costs stabilize.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Heat Pump Emergency Heat — When to Use It
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Heat Pump Emergency Heat — When to Use It Across Western North Carolina
Quality Mechanical provides heat pump emergency heat — when to use it services throughout Western NC. Our NATE-certified technicians serve homeowners and businesses in all of these communities from our Asheville headquarters.
Heat Pump Emergency Heat — When to Use It? We Can Help.
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