Heat Pump Thermostats — When Used Correctly — Optimize Performance

Heat pumps are energy-efficient choices for year-round home comfort in Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan, using less energy than many other systems to both heat and cool your living spaces.

 

Their efficiency can be improved upon by using a heat pump thermostat with programmable options — and avoiding using a programmable thermostat designed for use with traditional furnaces and air conditioners.

 

In general, programmable thermostats let you create a program to set back the temperature at night or when everyone’s out of the house, according to your family’s schedule. You also can program them to return your home to your ideal comfort levels by the time everyone wakes up in the morning or arrives home in the evening. This significantly reduces your household’s energy use without sacrificing home comfort.

 

The problem with using traditional programmable thermostats in combination with heat pumps is that heat pumps take longer to recover from setback temperatures. That prompts the pumps’ backup heating or cooling source to kick in to reach your desired temperature in time. And, in many cases, that secondary source is so expensive to run it negates any savings gained by setting back the temperature.

 

However, digital thermostats designed specifically for use with heat pumps can automatically adjust your heating and cooling levels — without tapping the secondary source. This process, known as adaptive intelligent recovery, switches on the heat pump to heat or cool your home by the time you’ll be awake or home. Heat pump thermostats tell heat pumps to run constantly until the desired temperature is reached. This avoids using costly secondary heating and cooling sources while giving you the temperature control you need.

 

Contact the Home Comfort Experts to learn more about heat pump thermostats and how to use yours to get the best performance from your heat pump system. Our home-comfort advisers can help you sort through the options for keeping your family comfortable and your utility bills manageable.