Heat pumps are all the rage for homeowners wanting to save some money on efficiency. Is a programmable thermostat heat pump suggested?

First a bit about programmable thermostats, how they work and what the advantages are. A thermostat that is programmable can be adjusted to turn the heating and cooling on and off on a particular schedule. As a result, the equipment is not being operated as much when it is not needed, such as when the building is empty or the occupants are sleeping. These thermostats and be set to change the temperature setting at various times during the day to a specific temperature. You can set it to be a specific temperature in the afternoon and an entirely different temperature in the cold early morning. These settings can be overridden to allow for changes in schedules and weather. When searching for a programmable thermostat it is recommended that you look for the Energy Star label. This ensures that the thermostat has been approved for efficiency by the government and may even entitle you to some refunds and savings.

Now that we have gone over the general concept of the programmable thermostat, we can talk about the concept of a programmable thermostat heat pump. Programmable thermostats are not typically recommended for equipment such as heat pumps. The reason for this is that in cooling mode, the heat pump is much like an air condition, therefore turning up the thermostat will save energy and money. However, when a heat pump is in the heating mode, attempting to set back the thermostat can make the unit operate very inefficiently. This basically voids out any savings that where accomplished by lowering the temperature setting. Keeping a medium setting is more cost-effective in general.

That having been said, in an effort to appease the desire for a programmable thermostat, there is a specially created programmable thermostat specifically created for heat pumps that is being sold by some professionals. These thermostats utilize particular algorithms to reduce the use of backup electric resistance heat systems.

So, when considering a programmable thermostat for a heat pump system you will want to speak with a company specializing in heat pumps to be sure that you are getting a thermostat that is intended for your unit. Otherwise, you will be destroying the efficiency you purchased the heat pump for in the first place.