How much heat comes out of a heat pump/Air conditioning unit? (house, bill)

[kbrkr]

We're pretty much freezing with these cold temperatures. I keep hearing from friends and family to not expect large amounts of heat from our Florida heat pump/air conditioning system as opposed to what we used to get from our northern home Oil fired furnace.

How true is this? I'm trying to determine if my system is defective. I set the thermostat on 70 and it runs for hours and never gets above 65 degrees? It seems the air is only lukewarm at best.

[CrowGirl]

I would get your unit inspected and tuned up. I have a heat pump set at 67 and it comes on from tie to time to keep it at that temperature. I can turn it up higher without any problem. It may not work the same way as an oil burning furnace, but it should still be able to heat your house to 70 degrees without having to be on all the time.

[Pragmaticus]

It's taking some time. I think it is normal given the temperature difference we have had these days. We also keep at 70 and seems to run a bit longer these days than I would remember for some time. Make sure that you change the filter, that's very important.

[algia]

If temps go under 40, your AC is USELESS in Florida anywhere! My house is a fridge! These units are NOT meant to handle temps under 40! I dread thinking about my next Ac bill right now...we had the Ac go all night and the temp went DOWN instead of UP. In the AM it is around 70! while it has been set for 78! ridiculous!

BTW Our AC unit is new, was replaced in 2008.

[kbrkr]

hmmm....seems like a 50/50 split between those who think my unit is malfunctioning and those who think its functioning normal; albeit not doing the job of a regular heating system.

We are supplementing our heat with some propane space heaters being careful not to run them too long because of Carbon Monoxide dangers.

I think its probably prudent to have the units checked by a professional.

Hopefully it will get nice and warm by weeks end!!!!

Thanks for replying everyone!!!

[Maggi07]

Yes, absolutely get it checked out. It can't hurt anything.

When we first moved into this house, the heat pump couldn't do anything but put out lukewarm air, which really didn't do much, if anything, to warm things up. When we had someone come and look at it, something was wired improperly. After that, it was much better. It could keep the temp up to where we set it.

The heat will never be as efficient as it is up north, but you should be able to be reasonably comfortable anyway.

[gypsychic]

Heat pumps will not do much to really heat your house if it is very cold. Mine just blows cold air - lol. I don't even turn my on in this cold weather, instead I like the small ceramic "cube" heaters which heat a room at a time.

That said, most heat pumps have auxiliary heat strips which come on to boost the heat in cold temps. If you use these, your bill will be VERY high, so keep that in mind.

[algia]

This is very true, ours switches to "auxiliary" it blows cold air and my bill is going to look very ugly!

Originally Posted by gypsychic

That said, most heat pumps have auxiliary heat strips which come on to boost the heat in cold temps. If you use these, your bill will be VERY high, so keep that in mind.

[FloridaKash]

I did some research on heat pumps since I was unfamiliar with them, I am only used to furnaces. Heat pumps lose efficiency the colder it gets, which is why heat pumps are only used in climates with mild winters. Since the temps have been so low, you'll get less heat from your heat pump.

There could be many factors. It could be your heat pump itself, so you should get that inspected. You could also have holes in your ducts allowing cold air to come into them, producing cold air. Your attic is cold with these temps. Cold air is more dense than hot air, meaning the cold air can easily get into your ducts, reducing the heat coming out of your vents.

Get your system inspected, I suspect something is wrong. Heat pumps put out warm air, but nothing like a furnace. Here is more info for your reading pleasure.

HowStuffWorks "How Heat Pumps Work"

[Keeper]

If the temp outside is below 20 degrees then you should use your aux heat because it runs using the heat strips not the compressor. The air will feel warmer than if you use the compressor. Be sure to turn it back to normal heat once the temp goes back up.

You should have it checked out. Maybe someone can recommend a good A/C company