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Does anyone know anything about electric heat pumps?

I have a Coleman heat pump that was put in 1987 and the emergency heat light came on and won't go off. It is giving us heat but through the emergency heat. What can we do about it? Thanks.

Public Comments

1. It is probably under 35 degrees F. The problem with an air-to-air heat pump is that while it will heat pretty efficiently in moderate weather, it can't pull enough heat out of the air when the temperature gets low (usually around 35F), and you are stuck with inefficient electric (emergency) heating when you have the most need for heating. For that reason, they are usually sold in Florida, South Texas, and California where the winters are generally mild. I doubt if there is anything wrong with your heat pump, and when the outside temperature warms up a bit, it will go back to reverse-cycle heating.
2. call a repair man
3. emergency heat is your back up heat most likely electric strip heat in your furnace...you need to get the heat pump (outdoor unit) serviced ...could be low on freon or have other issues
4. Heat pumps do this for several reasons : 1) if the temperature outside is too cold for the refrigerant system to heat the house, 2) if the unit is in a defrost mode, or 3) a possible problem with the refrigerant system in the heat mode. You may want to call a service person out to check it out for you, because the EM HEAT mode will definitely cause your electric bill to go up. Just consider the possible reasons for it happening first. Good Luck.
5. There could be several causes for the emergency light being on. If the unit has an outdoor thermostat, the temp may be low enough to keep the outdoor unit from operating. Another possibility is the outdoor unit malfunctioning. Or it could be a relay or thermostat problem. You can narrow it down with the step by step troubleshooting guide on the heat pump page at my source.