Heat Pumps and Electric Heating - slotman - Heatpump Emergency Heat

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm replacing my current upstairs nat gas furnace and ac. Our auto thermostat cuts heat back during the day from 70 to 62 since no one is home. If I went back with a heat pump instead of a gas furnace, could it recover from 62 to 70 degrees without going into "emergency strip heat"? Ive heard that a heat pump with gas back up is available but what would be the advantage of this over a straight gas furnace/ac system?

Heat pump are not really made for recovery. They are best to set it and forget it

However, you could do the set back if you really have to do it, but the savings are not there. You will need to get a high end t-stat like Honeywell IAQ stat with an outdoor sensor. That stat you can "Lock" out the Aux heat and only use the heat pump itself, but it's going to run hours on end to recover.

Gas or electric can be used, depends on your area's rate.

Thanks for the reply, which leads to another question. I was letting the programable thermostat drop the temp during the day thinking it was saving money. Are todays heat pump efficiency such, that they can maintain a set temp 24 hours a day just as efficiently as letting a 85% efficient nat gas furnace cut back during the day and then recover?

Yes, today's heat pump are much better now days, and will cost less than a 80% furnace. (There is no 85%)

so that's why we say your are best to set it and forget it.