If you have a heat pump, your thermostat probably has a setting labeled "Emergency Heat" or "EM Heat" — and it's one of the most misunderstood buttons in the house. Plenty of folks across Gaston and Lincoln counties flip it on the moment it gets cold, thinking it will heat the house faster. In reality, that's usually the last thing you want to do.
Emergency heat is exactly what it sounds like: a backup for emergencies. When you switch to EM heat, your system stops using the efficient heat pump entirely and runs only on its backup heat source — typically electric heat strips or a gas furnace. It will keep your home warm, but it does so using a lot more energy, which means noticeably higher power bills if you leave it on.
It helps to know the difference between "auxiliary" heat and "emergency" heat. Auxiliary (or "aux") heat turns on automatically to assist the heat pump on very cold days — you don't have to do a thing. Emergency heat is a manual setting that takes the heat pump out of the picture completely. So if your thermostat shows "aux heat" during a cold spell, that's normal and automatic; you don't need to switch to EM heat just because it's cold outside.
So when should you actually use it? Only when the heat pump itself isn't working — for example, if the outdoor unit is iced over, the fan has stopped, it's blowing cold air, or it was damaged in a storm. In that case, EM heat keeps your family warm until a technician can get there. Think of it as a temporary safety net, not a winter default.
If you find yourself reaching for emergency heat often, that's a sign your heat pump needs attention. Reinhardt Heating and Air serves homeowners across Lincoln, Gaston, Mecklenburg, and Catawba counties — call us and we'll get your heat pump back to doing the efficient work it's meant to do, so that EM Heat button can go back to gathering dust.