What is emergency heat on my heat pump thermostat?

Emergency heat is a feature found on some heat pump thermostats. Should the outdoor unit (the heat pump) fail or otherwise give you concern then with the emergency heat mode you can turn it off and rely solely on the electric heat strips. Given the high cost of using only your electric heat strips you should repair the heat pump as soon as possible. In some cases I find that the emergency heat mode does not work due to improper wiring and other reasons. ... more