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

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

When you need heat pump emergency heat — when to use it in Marion, NC, Quality Comfort Heating & Cooling is your local HVAC team. Located just 40 minutes east from our Asheville headquarters, we provide fast response times and the same NATE-certified service that Marion area residents have trusted since 2005.

Quality Comfort extends our professional HVAC services east to Marion and McDowell County. Whether you need emergency heating repair on a cold mountain night or a new high-efficiency AC system installed, our team is ready to serve Marion residents with the same quality workmanship we deliver in Asheville.

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.