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Hi,
we're in northern VA and have had some cold nights (last night was in the 20's).
The temp inside is set at 67 and the auxilary heat (electric) comes on very frequently. stays on for about 5 minutes....then regular heat pump takes over for 3-4 minutes....then aux again....and on and on and on.
i'm a bit fearful of my electric bill!
is this normal? any thoughts?
ps. i have new efficient windows. a fireplace that i use sometimes (not really for heat of course). there are some inefficient 'holes' in our kitchen which i'm sure is contributing to the cold air getting in.....but anyway.....wanted to get your thoughts.
we're in northern VA and have had some cold nights (last night was in the 20's).
is this normal?
Pretty much.
No matter how efficient a HP may be at wringing therms out of thin air... when the temp of that thin air
gets below ___F (call it 35F) the system NEEDS the auxiliary heaters to make up the difference.
No matter how efficient a HP may be at wringing therms out of thin air... when the temp of that thin air
gets below ___F (call it 35F) the system NEEDS the auxiliary heaters to make up the difference.
thanks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kab0906
Same here in ky. The temperature has been in the teens at night causing the aux heat to run. I just lower the thermostat and get a blanket.
Yeah....i'd do that too....but we have a couple of 1 year olds.....so don't want them to be cold.
my question is this then: what about those who live in areas where the weather is -40F!!!!! Aux is probably on permanently! (Aux has probably got an Aux of its own! )
what about those who live in areas where the weather is -40F!!!!!
They don't have heat pumps.
You probably live in an area without natural gas service.
30+ years ago homes built out there had oil burner furnaces.
Today it's cheaper (for the builder) to use a HP.
Yeah....i'd do that too....but we have a couple of 1 year olds.....so don't want them to be cold.
my question is this then: what about those who live in areas where the weather is -40F!!!!! Aux is probably on permanently! (Aux has probably got an Aux of its own! )
MrRational already answered you, but Aux is really only required paired with a heat pump. If you have some form of a gas furnace, you don't have the same cut-off temperature issue.
That's right man, you can put your worries to death with a gas furnace, and it doesn't matter how cold it gets, the furnace keeps heating. No aux heat. The cheap builders at my new home, put a gas furnace in for the first floor (zone 1) , and a heat pump for the second in third floor (zone 2). If I had known, I would have asked for gas on the second and third floor for sure!! It costs a little too much to switch it out, but once your heat pump dies, get a gas furnace when you replace it!
It is quite possible that the OP's heat pump may be cycling between heating and defrost cycles. In a defrost cycle, the heat pump must switch to cooling mode to remove ice buildup on the outdoor coils. To compensate for this, many heat pump systems are set up to energize the auxiliary heating strips during defrost cycles to warm up the cold air entering the house.
It is quite possible that the OP's heat pump may be cycling between heating and defrost cycles. In a defrost cycle, the heat pump must switch to cooling mode to remove ice buildup on the outdoor coils. To compensate for this, many heat pump systems are set up to energize the auxiliary heating strips during defrost cycles to warm up the cold air entering the house.
interesting.
if this is the case, is it still normal then?
what i'm hearing is that i shouldn't really worry too much about it and just live with it.
what i'm hearing is that i shouldn't really worry too much about it and just live with it.
Assuming all the other common qualifiers like the initial sizing & engineering and subsequent annual maintenance
are all as they should be then having the aux heat come on when the outside air temp drops below X degrees F
**is within normal operating parameters for any HP**.
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