Aux heat is your heat pump’s backup when it needs a little extra assistance to keep your home warm. This guide explains everything you need to know about aux heat, including:
- The role of aux heat in a heating system
- Situations when aux heat turns on
- How aux heat differs from emergency heat
- Signs of excessive aux heat usage
- The importance of professional heating system care
Key Takeaways:
- Aux heat supports your heat pump when it needs extra power to operate.
- Aux heat isn’t the same as emergency heat, which operates instead of your heat pump.
- If your system relies on aux heat too frequently, it could be because the heat pump needs a repair.
If you’re worried about how frequently your heat pump relies on aux heat, reach out to a trusted expert for a diagnostic inspection.
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The Role of Aux Heat in a Heating System
Your heat pump doesn’t generate heat; it moves it. When the system is set to heating mode, it takes heat from outdoors (even when outside temperatures are low) and moves it indoors.
However, this mechanism leaves heat pumps vulnerable to extremely low temperatures. Rather than leaving homeowners freezing when temperatures drop below a heat pump’s efficient range, a second heating source is typically installed. This is known as the aux heat.
Auxiliary heat is necessary to support the heat pump by generating heat when it gets too cold out. It typically uses electric resistance heat strips or other heating methods, supporting the heat pump during unseasonably cold weather.
Situations When Aux Heat Turns On
Several situations can trigger your home’s aux heat to activate. Most commonly, this happens when outdoor temperatures drop beneath your heat pump’s efficient range. Modern heat pumps, thankfully, are effective in even cold temperatures and can be suitable even in freezing northern climates. They can usually handle San Antonio’s mild winters without an issue.
If you set your thermostat several degrees higher, the aux heat might also kick on to give the heat pump a helping hand. Keeping your temperatures relatively consistent can help avoid this. Aux heat demands more energy than the heat pump, so if it activates too much, it could raise your energy bill.
You might also notice the aux heat activate if the system enters defrost mode. Again, this isn’t particularly common in San Antonio, where temperatures rarely ever drop below freezing. However, if it happens, your heat pump has the backup to maintain your comfort indoors.
How Aux Heat Differs From Emergency Heat
Aux heat is commonly mistaken for emergency heat, but the two have some significant differences.
The aux heat automatically engages when it’s needed. It’s your heat pump’s backup and works in tandem with it.
Emergency heat, however, bypasses the heat pump entirely. It’s necessary if your heat pump completely fails. You also have to manually activate emergency heat, while your aux heat operates without your input.
Keep in mind that emergency heat is typically even costlier to run than the aux heat and heat pump working together. It should only be used sparingly if you absolutely need it to keep your energy bills manageable.
Signs of Excessive Aux Heat Usage
Aux heat is there to be used when it’s needed. However, it shouldn’t run all the time. An over-reliance on aux heat means there could be an issue with your heat pump or home.
Keep an eye out for signs of excessive aux heat usage, such as:
- Your energy bills seem higher than expected, despite you not changing your general
usage. - You notice that your thermostat display frequently shows “AUX,” indicating that the
aux heat is currently running. - Your heat pump runs longer than usual.
- You experience inconsistent heating or other performance issues.
This over-reliance can also be caused if your home has bad insulation and the heat pump has to work harder than necessary to maintain your chosen temperature. It could also be caused by a faulty thermostat.
The Importance of Professional Heating System Care
Maintaining your HVAC is key to keeping your aux heat use as efficient as possible because inefficiencies in your heat pump can create an over-reliance on your aux heat system. Ideally, you should have your heat pump inspected and tuned up annually. This will reveal and correct many minor issues to improve overall efficiency and reduce your energy bills.
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