Heat Pumps and Electric Heating - Can someone help me understand...

I started doing some research online about heat pumps and furnaces because I'm interested in installing a programmable thermostat in my apartment. After trying to get some info I've only ended up more confused than ever. Right now my thermostat is made by Trane and it also says "Weathertron" on it, so I assume that's the model. It also appears as though I have a heat pump, though I'm not really sure what that even is. I had a furnace repair guy out a month or so ago to check/clean the system and he mentioned something about a heat pump, but everything he said went way over my head. What I do know is that everything is electric (no gas at all in the apartment) and that my thermostat has a light that say "aux heat" and one that says "emergency heat" and a rocker switch to pick one or the other. Right now it's on "aux heat" and the light appears to turn on anytime I adjust the thermostat up to increase the temp. I really have no idea how any of this works, so am not sure if that light should be turning on or what it even means. I also have no idea when/if I should be using the emergency heat switch.

If someone wants to attempt to explain this to me it would be greatly appreciated. I've attempted to do some searching to look it up for myself, but once again it's all going over my head.

And finally, if someone could also tell me what I need to look for in a programmable thermostat that will work with my setup that would be great as well.

Thanks so much for everyone's patience and understanding. I apologize for my ignorance, but hopefully I won't stay that way for long :)

I'm interested in installing a programmable thermostat in my apartment.
Does the landlord allow you to do that?

Right now it's on "aux heat" and the light appears to turn on anytime I adjust the thermostat up to increase the temp. I really have no idea how any of this works, so am not sure if that light should be turning on or what it even means. I also have no idea when/if I should be using the emergency heat switch.
Is there just HEAT on the switch?

Aux is the electric heat strips coming on along with the heat pump. Heat pump are best to "Set it and forget it". That way you can rely on the heat pump to keep the temp, and advoid the costly heat strip comming on to heat the place.

Emergency is used if the heat pump itself has gone out, and it will only use the electric heat strips only.


And finally, if someone could also tell me what I need to look for in a programmable thermostat that will work with my setup that would be great as well.
IF you are allowed by the landlord to change this, and budget allows you, I'd look into the Honeywell FocusPro stat that is non-programmable.

Yes my landlord will allow me to do this, though if it's going to be a big hassle I may just pass. I'm not sure what you meant by your question of if there is just HEAT on the switch. My thermostat has three switches on it. One to switch between heat and cool, one to switch between auto and off, and one to switch between aux heat and emergency heat. The aux heat has a blue light below it, and the emergency heat has a red one. As I mentioned right now it is on aux heat, and I have never switched it to emergency in the two years I've been here.

From what I've read I'm wondering if it's normal for my aux light to come on anytime I adjust the thermostat above the current room temp. I don't do a lot of adjusting, but occassionaly I bump it up from 65ish to around 70 and the light always clicks on. Not sure how long it stays on since I don't stick around to watch.

I'm not sure what you meant by your question of if there is just HEAT on the switch. My thermostat has three switches on it. One to switch between heat and cool, one to switch between auto and off, and one to switch between aux heat and emergency heat.
Ok, that answered my question.

From what I've read I'm wondering if it's normal for my aux light to come on anytime I adjust the thermostat above the current room temp. I don't do a lot of adjusting, but occassionaly I bump it up from 65ish to around 70 and the light always clicks on. Not sure how long it stays on since I don't stick around to watch.
That is normal. Heat pump don't recover fast enough, so that why there is Aux (Electric heat) to help the temp come up faster. so as you said when you bump the temp up, the Aux will come on to help out. Once the temp gets near set point the Aux will turn off, and just only use the heat pump itself to recover.


So, that's why lot of us say "Set-it-and-forget-it" on heat pump. Running heat pump will give you more heat for every dollar spent to run it, where electric heat is 1 to 1.

Ok, I think I understand now. With all this in mind, does it still make sense to get a programmable thermostat? Everything I'm reading says to "set-it-and-forget-it", but the whole reason I was going to get a programmable thermostat was to lower the temp at night and during the day at work.

On a somewhat unrelated note, what are your opinions on running the fan all the time instead of having it on auto. I've always left it on to circulate the air (don't have any ceiling fans), but I just read somewhere that running the fan all the time can somehow mess with the pressure in the system and lower its efficiency. Sounds strange to me, is there any truth to this?

Ok, I think I understand now. With all this in mind, does it still make sense to get a programmable thermostat?
No, it don't make sense to gt one, unless your budget will allow you to get a high end from Honeywell that has an outdoor sensor that you can "Lock out" the electric heat in recovery.

Everything I'm reading says to "set-it-and-forget-it", but the whole reason I was going to get a programmable thermostat was to lower the temp at night and during the day at work.

You are not going to save anything by turning it down at night, cuz the electric heater has to come on every time the stat turns up to warm the house, an example, if you were driving your car, on the highway.. Will you save gas when you are in cruise, or drive 15 miles, pull off to the side of the road, stop.. then hit the gas to get up to speed again to drive another 15 miles????


On a somewhat unrelated note, what are your opinions on running the fan all the time instead of having it on auto. I've always left it on to circulate the air (don't have any ceiling fans), but I just read somewhere that running the fan all the time can somehow mess with the pressure in the system and lower its efficiency. Sounds strange to me, is there any truth to this?
????? YOu can run your fan 24/7, just keep up with the air filter since that is being used all the time. ONly time I don't run my fan is in the summer.. The humidity that was on the coil comes back into the air after the A/C outside shuts off.

Like said for sure with the heat pump just stay with the stat you have. Set it and forget it .;)

First, as you've read, HP's are best set it and forget it.

This is what happens if you set your stat on say 70 degrees and leave it.

When the temp gets down to 69 or maybe 68 the stat turns on the heat pump to get back to the 70 set temp. If the HP can't keep up and the temp drops further then AUX heat will come on to help out.

If you have a programable stat or the one you have and you or the stat changes set point from 65 to 70 just before you get home from work, aux heat will come on to help the HP recover.

The thinking is that it's cheaper to run the HP and Aux heat than to just run the HP to recover.

Em heat is the same heat as Aux heat. It has a differant name because of the differant job it does for you. Should your outdoor unit die in mid January when its cold as heck, you can put the stat in Em mode.

What this does is give you an elactric furnace. Any heat call will be handled by the electric heat and the HP is out of the picture until repairs ae made.