How to stop auxiliary heat from coming on honeywell thermostat

How to stop auxiliary heat from coming on honeywell thermostat

Your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system keeps your home warm in two ways. By default, it heats your home with a heat pump without consuming too much electricity. However, when it needs a quick warm-up, it turns on auxiliary heating to provide heat.

This feature heats the house faster than a heat pump. However, it turns on automatically, which can be frustrating if you don't want it to. Many systems tell the auxiliary heater to turn on when the temperature drops two or three degrees below the set temperature.

The easiest way to prevent the auxiliary heater from turning on is to make sure the temperature doesn't drop too quickly. To do this, insulate your home better and close doors to unused rooms. Taking proper care of your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system will also help.

But this is just a summary of how to keep your AUX heater from catching fire. Read on for a closer look at the problem and what you can do to fix it.

The best way to keep your auxiliary heater from igniting

Unfortunately, there is no way to turn off the auxiliary heater manually. However, it will only turn on when your home needs to be heated quickly. Therefore, if you do not allow your home's temperature to drop quickly, it will not turn on.

The best strategy to solve this problem is therefore to focus on regulating the temperature of your home.

Insulating your home is an important first step. Things like windshields and modern windows will go a long way. They help retain more heat in your home.

Whenever possible, rooms should be heated by the sun. You can also consider using a fan heater. This can help keep the house warm without having to resort to additional heating.

Another good strategy is to close doors to rooms that are not in use. This reduces the area that needs to be heated by the heating and cooling system. This will reduce the frequency with which you need to use additional heating.

Maintenance of your HVAC system is also important. Clean your filters every 30 days and have them professionally inspected before winter. This will make your system more efficient, so you won't have to use your auxiliary heater as often.

My park heater won't stop turning, what is causing the park heater not to turn?

When the HVAC system is not working properly, the auxiliary heater may stay on longer than necessary. There are five main problems that can cause this.

Running out of coolant

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems require a constant supply of refrigerant to transfer heat throughout the home. When it runs out, the heat pump can no longer heat the home as efficiently as before.

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are designed so that this never happens. Therefore, if your system has run out of refrigerant, you may have a leak.

Problems with the condenser fan motor.

The condenser fan motor plays a critical role in the airflow of your HVAC system. If it is not working properly, your system will be less efficient.

When this happens, you will have to resort to additional heating more frequently. Therefore, sometimes cleaning the condenser fan motor or replacing it can solve the problem.

Faulty compressor

A faulty compressor can also cause the auxiliary heating to stay on. This part is vital to the heat transfer capability of the air conditioning system.

If it fails, the system will have to rely on the auxiliary heat more frequently to heat your home.

Defrost Control Unit Problems

When the air conditioning system is in defrost mode, the auxiliary heat is automatically turned on. This setting is controlled by the defrost control unit.

If the defrost control is not working properly, it may turn on the AUX heater unnecessarily.

In addition, a defective defrost control can cause frost to build up on the condenser. This reduces the efficiency of the heat pump and, therefore, the auxiliary heater must be turned on more frequently.

Defective reversing valves

The reversing valve changes the direction of refrigerant flow in the HVAC system. It allows the system to heat and cool the house.

If the reversing valve is defective, it can cause cold air to flow out of the vents in winter. To counteract this, the auxiliary heating is turned on.

It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes. And in most cases, it doesn't take that long.

If you experience any of these situations, it's time to call a professional to take a look at your HVAC system.

The AUX takes longer than 30 minutes to heat up.

AUX heating activates every time the system is turned on.

The AUX heater runs all day without shutting off.

Unfortunately, the cost of using auxiliary heating is much higher than using a heat pump. Even if it is more efficient, its price is unpredictable. If the heat pump is kept on for supplemental heating, expect higher electricity bills.

See: What is supplemental heat? An informative guide for homeowners

How do I turn off supplemental heat on my Honeywell thermostat?

To control it, simply set the thermostat between sixty and sixty-eight degrees. It is best to keep the temperature below eighty degrees so that the Honeywell thermostat does not switch to auxiliary heating.

Often, the auxiliary heat comes on because the house is too warm. You may feel more comfortable in the seventies, but the air outside is below freezing. It is unlikely that your outside heat pump will do this. In this case, you need the help of your companion: the auxiliary heater.

Is there a system that allows you to simply turn off the auxiliary heater?

No. Unfortunately, there is no thermostat that can be used to manually turn off the auxiliary heater. Therefore, it is important to maintain the system properly so that the AUX heater does not have to be on all the time.

If you really don't want auxiliary heating, look for an air conditioning system that does not use auxiliary heating. For systems without a heat pump, auxiliary heating should be omitted.

Then it is time to consult a professional.

With outdoor temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, additional heating is rarely needed. This is because, above this temperature, the heat pump should be able to heat your home on its own.

If you notice that the AUX heater turns on above 40 degrees, you may have a problem in the system.

Pay close attention to when and how often your thermostat shows the auxiliary setting. Sometimes the auxiliary heater may come on every time the furnace is turned on.

If the heat pump is in defrost mode, use your auxiliary heater.

Another common situation is when the thermostat asks to raise the temperature three degrees. If you raise the thermostat temperature by three degrees, the auxiliary heater must come on to meet the new demand.

If your auxiliary heater is running consistently and these conditions are not present, then it may be time to troubleshoot the problem. It is clear that your auxiliary heater may not be functioning properly and professional help is needed.

Auxiliary heating vs. emergency heating: the most important difference you need to know.

Depending on the type of thermostat you have, you may see an emergency heat setting. This allows you to turn on auxiliary heating at will. But it changes the operation of your system.

When the auxiliary heating is turned on, the heat pump turns off completely. This means that the air conditioning system will only provide auxiliary heating for your home.

You should never do this, as it is extremely energy inefficient. Therefore, use your emergency heating sparingly. And be sure to turn it off as soon as you're done.

Is it a good idea to turn on emergency heating?

It's not a good idea to turn on emergency heating unless the heat pump stops working. Otherwise, you risk getting a very high electricity bill.

This is because the emergency heating setting changes the operation of the HVAC system. It changes from an energy-efficient heat pump system to a type of electric furnace.

Electric furnaces require much more energy to operate. Therefore, the emergency heating setting should only be used if no other means of heating is available.

Even then, it should only be used until a technician comes to service the heat pump. This is not a long-term solution for heating your home.

Do all Honeywell thermostats have auxiliary heating?

Not all Honeywell thermostats have an auxiliary heating feature. In fact, this feature is only used in air conditioning systems that use heat pumps. Not all Honeywell models use this technology.

For example, if you have a furnace or boiler, it may not have an auxiliary heating feature.

If you are not sure if this is the case with your system, you can check the thermostat to find out. If your system has an auxiliary heater, you will see a light that says "AUX".

How to avoid AUX heater problems

Problems with your AUX heater can be difficult to troubleshoot. If this happens to you, you should take precautions so it doesn't happen again.

Here are the best strategies for avoiding problems with your auxiliary heater.

Have your HVAC system inspected by a professional every six months.

Clean the air filters every 30 days.

Clean the area around your system consistently.

Make sure you are not blocking any vents or ducts.

Use your emergency heater only when necessary.