How Emergency Heat Works and When To Use It in Midway, Georgia

Here in Midway, we enjoy a mild climate for most of the year, but we do experience occasional days with chilly temperatures. On those days, you rely on your heat pump to keep your home toasty.

If you’ve ever looked closely at your heat pump, you may have noticed that it has two modes: the normal heating mode and an emergency heat function. How does the emergency heat work, and when should you use it?

Discover the answer below, then call us for HVAC services in Midway, GA.

Understanding the Basics of Your Heat Pump in Midway, Georgia

If you’re wondering how emergency heat works, it’s helpful to first understand how a heat pump warms your home. Unlike electric and gas furnaces, your system provides heat to your home without relying on fossil fuels. Instead, it takes warmth from the outdoor environment and moves that warmth into your home.

Heat pumps can provide cooling in the summer, too. When it’s hot outside, your unit reverses function and transfers heat outside to cool your home. This process is much more efficient than cooling your Midway home with an air conditioner, allowing you to save money on your energy bills.

How Does the Emergency Heat Work for Your Heat Pump?

The trouble with heat pumps is that they don’t work well in very cold temperatures. Because they rely on external warmth to provide heating, they can struggle to do their job when temperatures dip below freezing. To counteract this, many homeowners choose to install a backup heating system, such as a gas or electric furnace.

If you have such a backup system, you might see an “EM Heat” setting on your thermostat. This stands for emergency heat, and, as the name implies, it’s intended to be used in an emergency. For example, if your heat pump can’t provide enough warmth to adequately heat your home, you would use the EM Heat setting.

How does the emergency heat work? When your heat pump detects it’s too cold outside to warm your home properly, it should automatically switch over to emergency heat mode. Your backup system will kick on and provide heating until the heat pump can do its job again.

Note that you can activate the emergency heating function manually, as well. However, using emergency heat draws a significant amount of power, so experts only recommend using it if you are truly experiencing a heating emergency.

When Should You Use Emergency Heat in Cold Weather?

As mentioned above, your heat pump will automatically activate emergency heating when the temperature dips below a certain point, typically 25 degrees. Emergency heating might also activate if there’s a problem with the heat pump, such as frost on the coils or a mechanical failure.

You can turn on emergency heating yourself, but should you, and if so, when? It’s best to only use the EM setting if your heat pump is malfunctioning and won’t switch to this mode automatically. Using EM mode prevents the heat pump’s fan from spinning and can protect the system from further damage.

Keep in mind that when using emergency heat, you’re using electricity or gas to heat your home, and the costs for doing so can add up quickly. If you’d rather avoid a sky-high energy bill, it’s best to turn off EM mode as soon as you can.

Signs That You Need Emergency Heat Troubleshooting

Although your system “knows” when to use EM heat, there are times when the unit might activate this mode for what seems like no reason. If your heat pump activates EM mode even when outdoor temperatures are mild, it’s a sign that something is amiss with your system and its heating efficiency. You’ll need to call an HVAC expert for repairs.

You should also call a technician if you’re unable to turn off the emergency heat. Sometimes, heat pumps can get stuck in EM mode; if this happens, it can cost you a fortune in energy bills.