Heating Cooling Systems Livonia

Is R-22 refrigerant being discontinued?

Yes. R-22 is banned in new equipment. R-22 is still manufactured because it is used by many existing residential air conditioner units. However, R-22 is slowly being phased away. R-22 production will drop by 99.5% beginning January 1, 2020. It will become difficult to find and more expensive. Consider switching to a different system if your current system uses R-22 refrigerant.

What can I do in case my system does not work properly in certain rooms?

Even if your thermostat is the only one, it's normal for there to be some variation in the temperature between rooms. It can also indicate a problem with your air filtration or poorly designed ducts. To identify the problem, we will offer solutions.

Is R-22 refrigerant being discontinued?

What can I do in case my system does not work properly in certain rooms?

What is Emergency Heat, exactly?

When should I use Emergency Heat?

What does Emergency Heat do?

Can Emergency Heat be more costly to run?

Why is the Emergency Heat Lamp on?

What is Emergency Heat, exactly?

Simply put, any Heat Pump operating in northern climates below 35°F will need to have a supplementary heating source. It is usually electric resistance heating that is used at the indoor unit. This is an allelectric Heat Pump. However it could also be a gas or oil backup-up system. You can also refer to this supplemental heat as second-stage (or back-up) heating. The Heat pump is only the first-stage. Your emergency heat is the heat that you get from your supplemental heat (2ndstage), without having to use your heatpump (1ststage). Different thermostats and systems will have different ways of determining the time when the second-stage heat kicks in to heat the heat pump. However, it is always done automatically. The two stages can work together in winter months. You don't have to change your thermostat for Emergency Heat. We know now that Emergency Heat refers to when you turn off your supplemental heat.

Heating Cooling Systems Livonia

When should I use Emergency Heat?

It is only useful in emergency situations, as the name implies. It is used in emergency situations when first-stage heating (the heat pump) is failing. You can switch to Emergency Heat if you notice that your house has become cold and is not heating properly. If you look at the below picture, this Heat Pump is a block made of ice by a malfunction. At this point, the Heat Pump can't provide heat. To get service, simply turn the thermostat on Emergency Heat. Make it a habit to check your outdoor heat pump in winter. Examine the heat pump regularly for signs that excessive ice or snow have built up. The heat pump in the picture was actually damaged by the ice buildup. If the problem was detected sooner, it may have required a minor repair rather than an expensive replacement.

What does Emergency Heat do?

The red light will blink when Emergency Heat has been switched on. It will stay on until Emergency Heat is disabled. This will let you know that your emergency mode is activated. If you are calling for heat, the signal will not be sent to your outdoor Heat Pump. Only the indoor unit with back-up heat and the outdoor Heat Pump will run. If you have an all-electric system, this will provide enough heat until the Heat Pump repairs can be made. This should provide ample heat for your Gas/Oil/Hot water system.

Can Emergency Heat be more costly to run?

If you have an electric heat pump, then yes! The cost of running your heat pump on emergency heat is higher. The Emergency Heat should only be used when your heat pump cannot be repaired, and as such, it should only ever be used. However, if you have Oil or gas heat as your backup system then the answer may not be clear. It depends on the price of your fuel, how efficient your heating system works, and what your electric rate is. However, it's likely that the price rise won't be as significant as for an allelectric system.