Heat Pump Emergency Heat — When to Use It in Franklin, NC

Professional Heat Pump Emergency Heat — When to Use It in Franklin, NC

When you need heat pump emergency heat — when to use it in Franklin, NC, Quality Comfort Heating & Cooling is just 1 hour west from our Asheville headquarters — meaning fast response times and reliable service. We've been the NATE-certified team that Franklin area residents trust since 2005.

Quality Comfort extends our professional HVAC services west to Franklin and Macon County. Whether you need a new heat pump for your mountain home, emergency furnace repair, or routine AC maintenance, our team makes regular service trips to serve Franklin residents with the same reliability and expertise we deliver in Asheville.

Heating in Franklin comes with unique demands. At 2,113 feet elevation, winters are moderate but still require a reliable heating system. Franklin's location in the Little Tennessee River valley creates a moderate mountain climate, but the distance from major service centers means many homes go longer between HVAC maintenance visits. Macon County's mix of year-round residents and seasonal mountain homeowners creates varied demands — some systems sit idle for months, then must perform immediately. Natural gas availability is limited outside the town core, making propane and heat pump expertise essential. Our heating technicians factor in these Franklin-specific conditions for every repair and installation.

What Is Emergency Heat?

Every heat pump thermostat has an "Emergency Heat" or "Em Heat" setting, and most homeowners in Asheville and Western North Carolina have no idea when to use it — or what it actually does. Emergency heat bypasses your heat pump entirely and relies solely on your backup heating system, which is typically electric resistance heat strips built into your air handler. This backup system is less efficient (and more expensive to operate) than your heat pump, which is why it's labeled "emergency" — it's meant for situations where the heat pump itself cannot operate.

When to Switch to Emergency Heat

Use emergency heat only when your heat pump has physically failed and cannot run — for example, if the outdoor unit is damaged, the compressor has failed, or the unit is completely iced over and the defrost cycle isn't working. Emergency heat keeps your home warm while you wait for repair. Do NOT switch to emergency heat just because it's cold outside. Modern heat pumps, especially cold climate models, are designed to heat efficiently even in sub-freezing temperatures. Running on emergency heat when the heat pump is functional wastes enormous amounts of electricity.

The Cost of Running Emergency Heat

Electric resistance heat is roughly three times more expensive to operate than a heat pump per unit of heating. If your heat pump has a COP (coefficient of performance) of 3.0, it produces three units of heat for every unit of electricity consumed. Emergency heat strips have a COP of 1.0 — they convert electricity to heat at a 1:1 ratio. Running emergency heat for even a few days during a WNC winter can add $100 to $300 to your electric bill. This is why prompt heat pump repair is critical.

Call Us Instead of Staying on Emergency Heat

If you've had to switch to emergency heat because your heat pump isn't working, call Quality Comfort right away. We provide emergency heat pump repair across Western North Carolina. The sooner we get your heat pump running again, the sooner your energy bills return to normal.