I'm quite technically inclined but what is the first - Answered by a verified HVAC Technician We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. Does Auxiliary Heat Cost More to Run? Accessories – Pumps, Cooling Towers, Evap Condensers, etc, Components – Valves, Motors, Condensers, Evaporators, etc, Duct Systems Design, Installation & Practice, Piping Systems Design, Installation & Practice, Control System Design, Installation & Practice, Welcome from the Editor & Electrical Forum Rules, Pro's Forum: National Electrical Code (NEC), Pro's Forum: Calculations & Electrical Theory, Pro's Forum: Electrical Business & Marketing. But if your thermostat is not holding temperature then your home will feel cooler than it should. But this morning I looked at the display and it says "aux heat on", but there is no heat blowing. But to help you understand this switch better, let’s take a quick look at how a heat pump works... A brief explanation of how your heat pump works During the winter, your heat pump is basically an air conditioner in reverse. Aux on the thermostat stands for auxiliary heat. 1) Dirty outside unitIn heat mode, the heat pump’s outdoor unit uses liquid refrigerant to absorb heat from the air, and then transports that refrigerant inside to heat your home air.However, the outdoor unit struggles to absorb heat from the air if dust, leaves/grass or a fence block airflow over the unit’s refrigerant-filled coils.The fix? A technician will need to find the refrigerant leak and add a refrigerant charge.7) Return duct leakageReturn ductwork is the series of pathways that return the cold air from your home back to the heat pump to be heated. Too bad it’s failing spectacularly! Honeywell says aux heat on, but no heat, help? If the heat pump turns on when you want cool air, but not for heat, this is likely the cause. If you have an older furnace with a standing pilot light, it’s possible … Repair guy came out, said the drain tub from my fan, the nipple on the end was clogged. This is when the outside is around 35-40 degrees and the indoor temperature is around three degrees cooler than the thermostat setting. Meaning no hot air for you.The fix? Auxiliary heat is the electric heat strip in your air handler that is supplemental heat. If not, read the next section about common heat pump malfunctions.7 common reasons a heat pump blows cold airBEFORE READING FURTHER: Watch this video on how a heat pump works. 4) Auxiliary heat is malfunctioning Below 40 degrees, your heat pump struggles to heat your home. It generally takes 30 minutes for the defroster to do its job, but it needs air flow to do so. I tried resetting the Ecobee completely to no avail. When I have the heat on, the Ecobee indicates that the "running equipment" is the fan AND heat (even though the heat is not on). Yes... we are 20 years old. The fix? So it relies on an auxiliary (AUX) heat coil (like the ones you see in a toaster) or a furnace to heat your home. A technician will need to repair the reversing valve.6) Low refrigerant chargeTo warm your cold inside air, the heat pump’s outdoor unit uses liquid refrigerant to absorb heat from the outside air. Therefore, if it’s below 40 outside and the auxiliary heat isn’t working, then your heat pump will just blow lukewarm or cool air. Contractors call it “duct sealing”.Need a heat pump repair in Lawton, OK area? The furnace has a difficult time generating heat if there isn’t enough airflow into the unit. Need a heat pump repair in Lawton, OK area? If the valve is malfunctioning, your heat pump will only work like an air conditioner—just cooling. Your body is playing tricks on you (no, seriously). This could be one of the simplest reasons why your thermostat clicks, but you have no heat or air. Therefore, if it’s below 40 outside and the auxiliary heat isn’t working, then your heat pump will just blow lukewarm or cool air. As we mentioned above, AUX heat usually costs up to 50% more than heat transfer , which means if your system is running on AUX heat when it shouldn’t be, your heating bill is likely going to be a lot higher than you’d like it to be. 2) Covered in snow or iceAgain, the heat pump needs to absorb heat from the outdoor air. (Note: when doing my humidifier work, I … Suggestions? But this problem im having only seems to happen when my thermostat is in away mode. Auixiliary Heat will turn on automatically when heat can no longer efficiently transfer heat from the outside air to heat pump. Because AUX heat is so expensive, running the heat pump longer can be cheaper than using AUX heat. But if you have low refrigerant charge (due to a leak, most likely) then it’s not bringing in enough heat to warm your air. The AUX heat setting on an HVAC unit usually turns on when you need heat fast. It’s also possible that a … Favorite Answer Sounds like you have a heat pump system and your compressor is not working. Here, we list some of these causes, and offer repair tips to solve these no-heat issues. There are a few reasons a thermostat may not be maintaining its heat setting which can be … An ‘*’ should have moved from Auto to your new selection. 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. First, we look at what might have happened with the Honeywell thermostat itself. Auxiliary heat is when the secondary heat source turns on automatically. If this secondary heating system is constantly running, it may mean that the weather outside is very cold or that the thermostat is set higher than normal. If so, everything is fine. It will make all our explanations make way more sense. First of all, just check and make sure your unit was not accidentally switched to a/c mode. Aux heat comes from the same heat source as emergency heat, but aux heat works together with your heat pump, so it’s less expensive than emergency heat. Press right button to select. If your aux heat indicator is on, it means your heat pump needs a little help reaching its target temperature setting. However, if those ducts are leaky and travel through unconditioned areas, like the attic, they will pull in cold, dusty air, making it difficult for your heat pump to properly heat the air.The fix? The fix? ecobee3 Lite 2 Generation Smart Thermostat – The Budget Option. The problem occurs when the temperature drops below freezing at 32° F, as there isn’t enough heat in the air. Suggestions? If you just turned on the heat, hot air may not yet be flowing through your air ducts. POSSIBLE PROBLEM & DESCRIPTION Clogged Air Filter/Dirty Coil/Restricted Ductwork. Add a few layers to your outfit or sleep with an extra blanket to keep your furnace from working so hard. If the heat pump is unable to produce sufficient heat to satisfy the thermostat temperature setting, the auxiliary heat (2nd stage) is activated to work in conjunction with the heat pump. 661CJ036-C AUX heat light is on at thermostat and no heat from heat pump, light stays on only in heat mode. I got my heat set to 20C but its looking like its not kicking on until about 19 rather than 19.7 (threshold is set to .3). Aux heat not turning on during defrost cycle. I have a Trane single stage heat pump and an Ecobee 3. Heat Pump Balance can turn on the heat up to 5 hours before a scheduled temperature, if necessary. Auxiliary heat kicks on when your heat pump can’t produce enough heat to warm your home by itself. Post photos, respond to polls and access other special features. Clean the pilot ignitor Check the Standing Pilot. 207 SE D Avenue - Lawton, Oklahoma 73501 | 580-699-5660, © Copyright 2021, Pippin Brothers Home Services | Privacy Policy, 7 common reasons a heat pump blows cold air. A faulty thermostat, a broken heating system, power losses, damaged wiring, et al. Shovel away any snow that’s surrounding your heat pump's outdoor unit. The #1 question asked by NEW MEMBERS. When that happens, your system switches to emergency heat, … Components – Coils, Heaters, Motors, etc. As the name indicates, auxiliary heat, or emergency heat depending on your system, is just a secondary heat source. 11-26-2010, 10:48 PM #5. hedtedjr. Auxiliary heat/ Emergency heat helps the heat pump keep up when cold outside or the temperature differential on the thermostat is large. Heat Pump Balance can automatically turn the heat on early to reduce AUX heat use as much as possible and get to your target temperature on time. Sale. Problem. Invest a few dollars in new high-quality air filters before you try anything else. Watch this video on how a heat pump works, 11 Ways Pippin Brothers Can Help You Reduce Your Energy Bills. Unlike a furnace, a heat pump doesn’t create its own heat but takes heat from the outside air. A technician will need to repair the auxiliary heat. When my outside unit is defrosting on heat mode my inside unit is blowing air conditioned cold air into my house. It will also need to be replaced by a technician. The fix? The auxiliary heat (electric resistance heat, or back-up heat) is minimized since it is more expensive. Switched to emergency heat, still did not come on. Winter hit, and temps went into the 10s; auxiliary heat did not come on. Press down button (-) to go to Aux or Add Heat. Sign up for our newsletter to receive seasonal updates, news and tips. The last time I used the heat, on the honeywell screen, it displayed "heat on" and worked. I created this video with the YouTube Video Editor (http://www.youtube.com/editor) Check to see if your thermostat is set to ON or AUTO. AC worked fine all summer, but not the heat. For the most part, you can stop the auxiliary heat from coming on by making a few lifestyle changes in your daily routine. If not, your system may have a valve problem, a refrigerant charge issue, or a compressor problem. I double checked wiring and it is all as I left it. Sometimes thermostats will display “auxiliary heat” or “aux heat” on the wall display in your home when this occurs. The majority of the "no heat" calls with a heat pump, the auxiliary heaters have failed to operate. Check the breaker box to see if the outdoor unit’s circuit breaker was tripped. Participate in over 40 different forums and search/browse from nearly 3 million posts. Your heat pump has one job in winter: Keep you warm. Mastertherm Units do not have this function. Lockout is at 35. If that isn’t the problem, call a technician for help.4) Auxiliary heat is malfunctioningBelow 40 degrees, your heat pump struggles to heat your home. It becomes necessary once the temperature drops below a certain point. Emergency heat is when you turn on a secondary heat source manually. Broken reversing valve: As the name suggests, the reversing valve allows the heat pump to work as both a heater and an air conditioner by reversing the direction of the refrigerant. Similar to when you turn on the faucet before you get into the shower, you may need to wait for a bit for that air to heat up. When the heat pump can no longer maintain the desired temperature setting, then the auxiliary heat must come on to assist. AUX heat can also start if the pump can’t handle the outside heat on cold winter nights. Ask Our Pros-Owner Assistance - NO DIY advice will be given. The hot water cylinder should have the immersion heater wired independently, you should switch it on for hot water. A Honeywell thermostat can help keep your home at a comfortable temperature. So it relies on an auxiliary (AUX) heat coil (like the ones you see in a toaster) or a furnace to heat your home. 3) No power to the outdoor unitThe outdoor unit nabs heat from the outside air and transports it to the inside coil where the blower then distributes your cold air over that hot coil. ecobee3 Lite Smart … If so, reset it. This is different from a furnace, which can blast hot air over 100°F.Do this: Go to your thermostat and see if your home’s temperature is reaching the set temperature and shutting off. Your Fan Is On. Next, check your outdoor unit is not iced over (see Heat Pump Troubleshooting Problem #1). From what I have read the Aux heat strips are supposed to turn on when this happens so cold air isn't blowing into my house. When the weather is really cold (<35 degrees), the thermostat says "aux heat source" (or something like that) when the heat pump can't support the heating needs in the cold weather, as it's trying to use the aux heat source (gas), but the furnace does not kick on with gas heat. Mastertherm. Heat pump not heating Heat Pump Troubleshooting Problem #3: BLOWING COLD IN HEAT MODE. 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Clean the outside unit and ensure that you’re not surrounding it with a fence or cover. Your heat pump switches to AUX heat because it can no longer pull in heat from the outdoor air to warm your home. you possibly hooked it up wrong. Think of it like trying to pour a thimble of hot water on a glacier. Now let’s say it cools to 26 degrees outside. Let’s explain each of these.Why your body may be tricking youYour heat pump may be working fine, but the air just feels cool to lukewarm.Here’s why: The average body temperature is around 98.6 °F. And, in cold weather, heat pumps tend to blow warm air out at 95°F.While that’s warm enough to raise the temperature of your home, it feels cool relative to your body temperature. If you live in colder states with harsh winters, the outside temperature can mess with your heat pump. 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