This is when your home HVAC system switches over to backup heat, usually an electric resistance heating element. This happens sometimes when it’s colder than average and on the verge of extreme temperature drop like Nashville experienced this last spring. When this happens, the auxiliary heat inside turns on. Short for auxiliary heat, this system is designed to heat your home up quickly instead of waiting for the cold heat pump on the exterior of your home. In this mode, the back-up or secondary heat strips will also be activated to provide additional heating when the thermostat detects the dropping of temperature. #3 is the most likely answer. What is the difference between auxiliary heat and emergency heat? When your heat pump can no longer pull the necessary heat from the outdoors, your auxiliary heat will automatically jump in to help. If the temperature for example is very cold outside a room or house for example, the standard heat output generated by heat pumps may not be enough to provide even heating. Heat pumps normally have a set temperature for heating and this can be regulated through a thermostat control system. Auxiliary heat is the electric heat strip in your air handler that is supplemental heat. In this way, the set temperature will be reached and stabilized. Does the outside unit run when heat is on? , cherran When a heat pump system with back up heat strips is properly controlled, only the amount of energy necessary to provide heat for the demand is utilized. , Comment Closed, September 20, 2016 This heat setting should only kick on when the heat pump can’t produce enough heat to warm your home or if your heat pump goes into defrost mode. November 19, 2014 Are auxiliary fuel tanks legal in California? In most heat pumps, the auxiliary heating system is activated automatically once the temperature set goes lower than 2 degrees Fahrenheit. The built-in heat strips of the heating pumps or machines will then provide additional heating to the standard heat source. To understand why this is a bad thing, you have to know a little about heating efficiency. Shut Down Your AC at the Thermostat. Auxiliary heat/ Emergency heat help the heat pump keep up when cold outside or the temperature differential on the thermostat is large. Emergency heat is the same thing as auxiliary heat. Auxiliary heating refers to a secondary heating source for various heat pumps or machines that are used during winter time. Asked By: Aris Oetges | Last Updated: 4th January, 2020. During freezing weather, the outdoor heat pump will be too cold to quickly heat your home, which is when the auxiliary heating system would kick on. , Emily H, No Comment, June 30, 2016 Using a heat pump for cooling and heat down to about 40ºF works well but when the weather gets colder a back up auxiliary system -- preferably gas or oil -- … The heat pump runs until it becomes ineffective or freezes. If the heat pump ices over, AUX heat will kick in more often, in order to compensate and raise the temperature to the desired levels. Note that auxiliary heating is not the same thing emergency heating (displayed as “EM HEAT” or “EMER” on most thermostats). How to minimize the use of auxiliary heat with a heat-pump on your ecobee thermostat Question: We have a heat pump and recently installed an ecobee thermostat. The “AUX Heat” mode is usually an indicator that it's freezing outside, and your is heat pump is using a secondary backup heat source – your auxiliary heat—to keep your home at your set temperature. Unfortunately, using the auxiliary heat is significantly more expensive than using your heat pump. When this set temperature drops to more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit for example, most heat pumps will then activate the auxiliary heating system. Auixiliary Heat will turn on automatically when heat can no longer efficiently transfer heat from the outside air to heat pump. This secondary heat source … Emergency Heat must be turned on manually while Nest thermostats can use Auxiliary Heat automatically as needed. Should I leave my heat pump on all the time? Auxiliary heat refers to your heat pump’s backup electric resistance heating. This means your heat pump is still working hard to get that heat, but it just needs a boost, which is where the word supplement comes in. This section usually has a electric resistance heating coils or finned electric heating elements, but it is also possible to purchase a heat pump with an oil furnace … Now I keep on getting alerts that the Aux heat is running. Select “Heat Pump”. Reset the Circuit Breaker for Your AC Unit. I guess the only difference is that AUX is an ‘indicator’ on your thermostat that you are running the heat strips when the switch is set to HEAT. Turning your thermostat to “heat” came with an unexpected “AUX” function appearing. Why does auxiliary heat come on on a heat pump? The Auxiliary heat gets automatically turned on by your HVAC system to supplement the heat pump output when your system can’t keep up. , Comment Closed, February 7, 2015 In this particular scenario, auxiliary heating may be needed and automatically activated. Change to the desired value. Remember the primary condition; if your heat pump is compatible with aux heat, then only the selection should be like this. , cherran , Comments Off on What is auxiliary heating? Why Does My Honeywell thermostat say auxiliary heat? This is down with a heat pump thermostat. Reply: Anon, The requirement for backup heat for a heat pump system depends on where you live and what cold weather temperatures you can anticipate. Also Know, what temp should AUX heat come on? First “Auxiliary Heat”, “Strip Heat”, “Emergency Heat”, “Radiant Heat” are all used to reference the same heating mechanism; your electric heat strips that come with a heat pump. If it’s 30 degrees outside, it is unreasonable to expect the system to maintain an indoor temperature of 78 without using the heat strips. One may also ask, why does my thermostat say auxiliary heat? RTH111 will only work with a stand alone heat pump and will not work with heat pumps with auxiliary/backup heat. The “AUX Heat” mode is usually an indicator that it’s freezing outside, and your is heat pump is using a secondary backup heat source – your auxiliary heat—to keep your home at your set temperature. It may be more effective, but it comes with a specific cost that you might not be anticipating. Exchange the thermostat for one that is heat pump/auxiliary heat compatible. But here’s the trick: in many heat pumps, this point is programmed in, which means that it may be set too high. If the temperature for example is very cold outside a room or house for example, the standard heat output generated by heat pumps may not be enough to provide even heating. The “AUX Heat” mode is usually an indicator that it's freezing outside, and your is heat pump is using a secondary backup heat source – your auxiliary heat—to keep your home at your set temperature. When the temperature level detects that more heat is necessary to fill up a certain room or space, the auxiliary heating mechanism will be automatically activated. Emergency Heat is just the switch setting that will turn off the heat pump and only run the auxiliary heat. Auxiliary Heat. May 28, 2014) Anonymous said: Thinking about purchasing air heat pump is it compulsory to have a back up heat source. What cars have the most expensive catalytic converters? Does Hermione die in Harry Potter and the cursed child? What's the difference between Koolaburra by UGG and UGG? Auxiliary Heat. When you go for shopping a thermostat, you will find some inexpensive yet intriguing products. This is when the outside is around 35-40 degrees and the indoor temperature is around three degrees cooler than the thermostat setting. Without the auxiliary heating system, the temperature inside a given room may drop even lower depending on the outside or external temperature. How do I know if my heat pump is working properly? Important: Emergency Heat and Auxiliary Heat are different types of backup heating and operate differently. But, I have come across the best thermostat for heat pump with aux heat, and it is the Emerson Sensi WIFI thermostat.. As the name indicates, it is the Wifi thermostat for heat pumps with auxiliary heat. Auxiliary heat is the electric heat strip in your air handler that is supplemental heat. Under normal conditions, heat pumps will run using standard power. Aux on the thermostat stands for auxiliary heat. Click to see full answer Correspondingly, what is auxiliary heat on a heat pump? While auxiliary heating indicates that your heat pump automatically switched from normal to auxiliary heating, emergency heating is a setting that allows you to manually set your system to auxiliary heating. But, the unit cannot keep up with demand, and the temperature in the structure drops. This is typically caused by one of three factors: when it’s below 35° outside, you’re trying to heat your home by 3° or more, or your heat pump is in defrost mode. Heat pumps have auxiliary heat. When your heat pump uses its backup auxiliary heat to help it heat your home, you won’t notice. , cherran, 2 Comments, The Difference Between Bolsheviks And Soviets, The Difference Between Creationism and Intelligent Design. In this mode, the heat pump continues extracting as much heat energy as possible, but also adds heat from a secondary source to make up the difference. Auxiliary heat/ Emergency heat helps the heat pump keep up when cold outside or the temperature differential on the thermostat is large. This happens around -15 to -20 degrees C. Where temperatures dip this low, we recommend that families have a backup heating system At this temperature level, standard heating systems will try to provide just the right amount of even heating to a space or room with the help of the auxiliary heating system. The heat pump is getting too cold outside and needs auxiliary to back it up 3. the Heat pump has gone into defrost mode, (cooling) to melt the ice of the outdoor coils. We know you have questions, so below we’ll go into more detail about: If you live in colder states with harsh winters, the outside temperature can mess with your heat pump. In most cases, the temperature for heating can be set at a specific temperature. Heat pump systems have two units - one outside the home and one inside the home. AUX heat refers to your heat pump’s “backup” electric resistance heating. Depending on the ther… So, it is mandatory to select a thermostat that supports heat pumps with aux heat. , cherran , Joan, 1 Comment, August 28, 2016 February 9, 2015 , Comment Closed, February 8, 2015 , cherran, No Comment, June 25, 2016 Auxiliary heat is automatically activated when there’s not enough outdoor heat. External Factors That Can Initiate AUX Heat. I guess the only difference is that AUX is an 'indicator' on your thermostat that you are running the heat strips when the switch is set to HEAT. The main difference is that the emergency heating mode in heat pumps is activated manually. Set up Emergency Heat. EM heat is an option on your thermostat that you can manually turn on to activate backup heating. Emergency Heat Indicator only when in Em. Of course, if your heat pump isn’t performing as described or if it needs servicing, you should call one of our professionals at Adams Heating & Cooling to assess the situation and correct it. How do I stop my auxiliary heat from coming on? In the store, you will find several thermostats that are helping a heat pump, but not suitable with an aux or emergency heat system. , cherran Auxiliary heating basically serves as a back-up or secondary source of extra heating when the need arises. What is an auxiliary contact on a contactor? To limit auxiliary heat and lower your heating costs, a critical first step is to set a lower indoor temperature. However, since heat pumps are dependent on extracting heat from the outside air in the winter months, there is a point at which there simply isn’t enough heat in the air to fully warm a home. Thinking about purchasing heat pump ..do I need back up. Copyright 2020 FindAnyAnswer All rights reserved. Occupied Period: The auxiliary output will provide 24 VAC, allowing the economizer to operate normally and be available for free cooling if outdoor conditions permit. Auxiliary heating basically serves as a back-up or secondary source of extra heating when the need arises. , Joan, 1 Comment, September 5, 2016 The same mechanism works with so-called emergency heating mode. Aux heat should only kick on when the heat pump can’t produce enough heat to warm your home on its own. First, systems with auxiliary heat have another section to the air-exchanger plenum right after the interior heat pump condenser. EM heat is NOT the same thing as AUX heat: AUX heat signifies that your heat pump has automatically switched over to backup heating because temperatures are too low. Aux on the thermostat stands for auxiliary heat. What temperature should I set my heat pump in the winter? Emerson Sensi Wifi Thermostat. The first step in resetting your AC thermostat is to turn it off at the AC unit. As the temperature outside drops and the outside unit loses its ability to provide heat, the thermostat ambient temperature reading drops. 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