Transcript of a Q&A episode (Episode 52) of the Ask Derek Cole podcast where host Derek Cole and co-host Will discuss heat pump operation, identifying when auxiliary/emergency (strip) heat is running (thermostat indicators), the EMHT switch (immersion/auxiliary heat) and cost cautions, defrost cycles and visible steam on outdoor coils, maintenance importance to avoid high electric bills, troubleshooting signs of frost/ice and malfunction, and a short personal segment about superpowers.
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You ask your comfort and energy questions and they get answered. This is the Ask Derrick Cole Show.
How do I know if my electric heat is on when I'm using my heat pump?
One way to know that it's actually on is by going to your thermostat. It should indicate emergency heat with a red light or auxiliary heat should be on the digital version. If you have an old school thermostat, you see the auxiliary or emergency heat light on. That is one way to find out. Another thing to do, which I would recommend is to get the unit maintenance before it really starts the heating season that way because some people can get surprised that their heat or their AC is running with the strip heat and there's some kind of malfunction. It's working correctly, you're comfortable. But the power bill comes in, it's you know, four or five, 600 bucks. You're like, what in the world is going on? So I would get a maintenance done before the heating season, just like before the cooling season, get it checked out and make sure everything's working properly and make sure everything's good to go because you don't want to, you know, in the month get that large bill where it's been kind of mild, but the heat strips have been operating with the cooling or the heating and you didn't know about it and you're stuck with a $500 bill. So that's one thing I would recommend. I would also, you know, when your system is running, just kind of go back to thermostat, look at it, make sure auxiliary or emergency heat is not on. One thing I do at my house myself is when it gets starts eating really cold outside. I do have a set point of like 68 or whatever. So maybe in the morning when I get up, the emergency heat might be on. So I kind of kind of bump it down and turn it off because I'm fixed to take a shower. And if it's getting hot and it's fixing, you know, I don't need it at that point. That's just something I do. I'm kind of paranoid about keeping that emergency heat off whenever is possible. Now if it's 20 degrees outside and I want to be comfortable, you know it's going to run. So that is a tip I will give you.
What does the EMHT switch do?
That's the immersion heat we just talked about. So, you know, in the heating season it is a little different than the cooling season is that when you have a split heat pump, you can actually still get heat. Even though maybe your compressor is out or, you know, you have a refrigerant problem in the heat pump, the immersive heat or auxiliary heat will still work. So that switch is to switch it over if you want to do that. Whereas in the cooling season, you pretty much have to fix the problem to get cooling. Now, another warning is that it costs a lot of money to run strip emergency auxiliary heat that is going to make your electric bill skyrocket. So, yes, it will heat if you have something that's failed in the unit, but it's much more efficient or cheaper for you to get a problem fixed than to go all heating season running the strip heat. So don't think. Do not think that is the answer.
Okay, on real cold days, my heat pump sometimes has steam coming out of it. Why is that?
We get this question quite a bit, especially when it gets really cold. My unit's on fire, My unit's steaming. What's going on? So call somebody. And when you have a split heat pump, actually, it goes through a, what's called a defrost cycle, where it pulls as much heat as it can from outside before, you know, and the strip heaters come on and supplement that. So when it goes into a defrost cycle, those coals on the outside get really cold and get a little frosty. They shouldn't get, like blocks of ice on them. Then you have a problem. It should be a frost where you can kind of go out there and if you want to kind of ride it in it and, you know, should be a light frost. So. So when it goes into a defrost cycle, it is burning all that off of the unit. It's actually technically reversing back into AC mode. So now it's pushing the hot air back out of it, therefore burning it off, in other words, or melting it. So when that happens and it's 30 degrees outside, you'll see steam and things like that rising up. It's actually going to turn on your strip heat so you don't get cold inside. It reverses the AC mode, burns it off, turns the strip heat on, and then goes back into heating mode. So that's going to happen every 30, 60, 90 minutes, depending on where your seating is, and also depends on where that sensor is to switch it off. You can either have a timer or a sensor. The sensor is going to read that, okay, I need to go on a defrost cycle, and then it's going to flip it over. The timer is, you know, every 60 minutes, I want it to defrost while I'm in heating, just to make sure. So the steam is merely getting that frost off of the coil so you can keep heating and not using your emergency heat as much. So it's fine. The unit is not on fire. It is burning off the frost. Burning is probably kind of a strong word. It's. It's melting off the frost and therefore you're seeing the steam because of the temperatures and because it is warmer. So nothing to be alarmed about. Completely normal. Now, if you are there and there's a block of ice on your unit, you have a problem, you need to cause somebody and get checked out. You could have a problem with the board not signaling it that needs to go into defrost and therefore just frost keeps building up until it gets to ice. Or it could be a problem with the reversing valve. There could be a number of things could be wrong at that point. Could just be a sensor, it could just be a timer, it could be something very simple, it could be something very major. But when you see that you need to place a service call because the frost is just going to keep building up until it's a block of ice and it can't breathe and then the strippy is going to run. Therefore, you might not know that there's a problem if you didn't check it out or pay attention. And then all of a sudden, you know, you get another high electric bill because the emergency heat, so completely normal steam, it means it's working good, so that's good. And there's nothing to be alarmed about. So you're good to go. And remember too, the first time that strip heat comes on, if you hadn't had maintenance and there is dust buildup, so the first time that strip heat comes on, you cannot smell that dust burning smell. And then you look outside, you see the steam on the unit, you're like, oh, my goodness. Okay, what's happening is that's the first time you used your heat strips. So it's burning off the dust from the summertime. And then the unit is in defrost, so it's steaming. So that's kind of a bad combination. That's what we get. Quite a few phone calls of my units on fire because you smell that and then you see it and then you're like, oh, so just a warning that could be happening to you as well. So just, just kind of pay attention, watch it. You know, you should be okay and do maintenance. I mean, have a qualified technician come out, check everything out completely before you get in this situation where you have an issue. Because most of the things we saw in the summer, most of the things we see in the winter are maintenance related fixes. You know, if it's filter, if it's a dirty unit, if it's just, you know, a board not reading the right amps. And we can, you know, fix that before it becomes a major issue where you're without heat when it's 30 degrees out versus 75. So that is my advice.
Perfect.
That was a long answer, wasn't it? That's why you get that phone call. Because people smell and then they see and they're like, something's on fire. As Derek, cross your rules. Woo. All right. What's he going.
You want one more?
No, it should be okay. It should be long enough. No, what you got? Okay, personal question of the day. Here it comes. I don't even know what it is.
Okay, if you could have any superpower, any at all, what would it be?
Well, when I was younger, I would probably say X ray vision. Just because of, you know, being a young teenager. But I'm good with flying. If I could fly, if I could take flight and go somewhere, that'd be awesome.
How about you, Will?
Now, I probably wouldn't look good in the tights or anything, but a K.
Can fly without tights.
Mine would be invisibility. That goes back to being a teenager. Not me. I would use it in the office too.
I was just getting ready to say something, but then I could.
I could see him coming on camera to the office and I'd go invisible. That would be kind of cool. Cause then, you know, everybody's always wondering when you walk away from a conversation, what's being said after you walk away. So you can come back and be like, listen, I don't know though. I'm thinking with flying, I really want to fly. Yeah, I really, I really don't. I like driving, but at the same time, I don't like the time it takes to get to where I'm going. I'm very impatient. So if I have to go to Pinehurst, you know, I'd rather suit up and take off than, you know, drive on 501. That's just me. But if you asked me that question when I was like 16, I'd probably say X ray vision, invisible. But that was for different reasons, not what you said. All right, so that is. I'm letting you. This personal question. I'm trying to be honest.
You do.
All right. Episode 52 in the books, remember hashtag your questions. AskDerrick Cole. Home energy, heating, air conditioning, and we'll get him on the show. By.
