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When it comes to those frigid Ohio winters, having a well-maintained heat pump in your home is the perfect way to keep your family warm; however, these devices work a bit differently than traditional HVAC systems. Below are a few facts about how heat pumps work, as well as when to use your emergency heating setting.

A Guide to Heat Pumps 

How does the heat pump provide heat in the winter?

If you've ever walked past a window air conditioner running in the summer, you felt warm air coming out of the unit.  Now, suppose you took out the air conditioner and put it into the window backwards.  Now when it runs, the warm air is blown into the home, while the cold air is blown outside.  This is exactly what a heat pump does.  Valves are installed in the refrigerant lines that essentially flips the air conditioner around so that the warm air blows into the house and the cold air blows outside.  

Oh no! There's "SMOKE" coming from my heat pump and the fan isn't running.

As we described above, the heat pump is blowing cold air outside.  To do this, the outdoor coil must be colder than the air.  Moisture will condense on this coil, but because it’s cold, it will freeze there.  In order to operate properly, this coil must defrost itself. This defrost period lasts about 5-10 minutes and during that time, the ice melts and vaporizes.  It's not really smoke, but water vapor, just like when we see our breath on cold winter days.  

In Cold Weather, Heat Pumps Need Help 

Since heat pumps are designed to extract heat from outdoors, in particularly cold weather, they need a backup heat source to keep up with your thermostat. Many heat pumps are designed with electric coils to give them this boost. 

Emergency Heating Setting Is Only for Emergencies 

Most heat pump thermostats have an emergency heating setting. This setting completely turns off your heat pump and switches on the backup heating coils instead. While this setting will heat a home more quickly, it also causes high utility bills. The emergency heat setting is designed to be used when the heat pump will not operate properly, and only until a technician can correct the problem. 

 

If you have a malfunctioning pump, contact a heating contractor. The professionals from Baker, Bauer & Fish Cooling & Heating in Cincinnati, OH, will be happy to help you troubleshoot the issue and apply a personalized solution. Call (513) 542-2770 to schedule a service appointment, and visit them online for a closer look at their heating and AC repair services. 

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