Getting the Most Out of Your Heat Pump
Many homeowners decide to install heat pumps because of their high efficiency and reliability. It’s important to maintain your system in order to get the most out of your heat pump. When you adjust the thermostat during the winter months , don’t make big jumps upward or downward in the temperature setting. Sudden upward adjustments can activate the backup heater, which is inefficient. Remember that heat pumps circulate air that will feel relatively cool coming out of the vent, but actually warm enough to heat the house. Unlike a gas furnace, which blasts hot air for a few minutes and then turns off, heat pumps actually run longer, but more efficiently. Further, setting the temperature back at night is not necessary for heat pumps with two-stage thermostats. That is because turning the heat back up in the morning could activate the backup resistance heater, which would wipe out any energy savings from turning it down overnight. If you want to turn the temperature down at night