During the winter months it is best to allow your heat pump to run at a lower fan setting and spread heat out more evenly over a longer period of time. The reason for this is two fold: Maintaining temperature over a longer period of time is more efficient than getting a room to temperature quickly.
For the winter months I would recommend Auto if you want the warm air to blow only when the system is running. If you want the warm air blowing non stop then I would recommend on. for my personal opinion I would suggest Auto. Just because it's more efficent and it does not bring in as much humidity.
It's natural to think "AUTO" mode would be a more efficient setting. But if you use it, your unit runs the risk of toggling unnecessarily between heating and cooling. Your heat pump will run most efficiently when set to "HEAT" in winter and "COOL" in summer. Note: "AUTO FAN" is a separate setting, and fine to use.
Set it and forget it. Heat pumps operate most efficiently when holding a steady temperature. Turning heat pumps down when you're away or asleep may actually use more energy than leaving them on. The reason is that they have to work harder to come back to the desired temperature than they do to maintain it.
Should it be set between 20 and 22 degrees, According to the Energy Department, 68°F is the adorable spot that balances comfort and energy efficiency during the fall and winter months.
During the winter months it is best to allow your heat pump to run at a lower fan setting and spread heat out more evenly over a longer period of time. The reason for this is two fold: Maintaining temperature over a longer period of time is more efficient than getting a room to temperature quickly.
People do not need to turn their heat pumps off. Residents should make sure their supplemental home heating systems are on and operating. Set the thermostats to a degree or two lower than heat pumps.
In general, heat pumps can run continuously in winter without wasting energy. They can maintain a consistent indoor temperature efficiently.
The standard air conditioner's temperature should be set around 18 to 22 degrees under Heat Mode for heating in winter. This is to ensure maximum energy efficiency from your unit. The Fan speed of the AC should be kept between Low to Medium.
Understanding the Fan Mode
It activates the unit's fan to circulate the existing air in the room without engaging the cooling mechanism.
Generally speaking with heat pumps we would aim for a DT of 5-7°c and for gas boilers a DT of 20°c, turn up the pump if the DT is too wide and down if too narrow. Many modulating boilers automatically adjust the pump speed to target dT20, these can be quickly checked, and many have settings for refinement.
Choose "AUTO" for energy savings and "ON" if you want constant air circulation or improved air filtration. Temperatures can soar or plummet depending on the time of year. Throughout the year, it is important to have reliable heating and cooling systems in order to keep your home supplied with cool or warm air.
Using the “Auto” Setting
This setting offers benefits including: Increased energy efficiency by running the fan only when needed. Extended filter life as the fan operates less frequently. Lower energy bills due to reduced electricity usage.
The outdoor fan for a heat pump should spin constantly during normal operation. It may even start spinning during the defrost cycle. If the fan won't move at all, there is a problem.
If the fan is on low or quiet setting, you will only get about 1/4 of the heat the heat pump is capable of delivering. Make sure the Fan setting is on “Auto” or “high”. Check that the Mode setting is on the “Heat” setting. If the outside temperatures are very low sometimes the heat pump will go into defrost mode.
For winter heating, aim for the lowest comfortable setting, around 68-70°F when occupied. Recommended configuration includes: Set the system to “heat” or “auto” and increase the temperature to 68-70°F during occupied hours. Program the thermostat to lower temperatures to around 62-65°F when away or asleep.
A heat pump is an electrical appliance, so running one will add to your electrical use. In many cases, however, that additional electrical use is offset by savings elsewhere. You may also decide that the increased comfort is worth the additional energy costs.
Most standard heat pumps will function at 100% efficiency until the outside temperature reaches about 40° F. However, when the temperature dips below this, most heat pumps are not able to maintain efficiency. They become much less effective at temperatures between 20° F to 30° F.
For this reason, heat pumps start to lose efficiency at around 40 degrees F and become less efficient than furnaces at around 25 degrees F. Heat pumps continue to be effective at cooling the indoors, even at high temperatures. In the South, it rarely gets below 25 degrees.
Know your temperatures
There is a middle point that'll help you with both. Set your heat pump temperature to 18 degrees or above to help fight damp and mould, but below 21 degrees to save on power. The higher the temperature, the more energy the heat pump will use, so anywhere between 18 and 21 is the sweet spot.
Short answer: No. Switching your thermostat to emergency heat or “em heat” just because it's cold outside will just raise your energy bills like crazy. Don't use emergency heat mode unless your heat pump stops heating your home altogether. If that happens, contact a professional heat pump repairman for help.
With a typical operation of a hybrid heating system, the heat pump will operate with ambient temperatures above 32 degrees. When temperatures are below 32 degrees, the gas furnace will operate.
And turning off your heat pump is actually really good for the system so it can take a break. That doesn't mean you have to turn the unit off when it's the hottest outside. Instead, you can turn off the system for a period of time at night while your family is asleep.