Lets talk about my heater....again

I had this problem last year. It runs and runs and the house won't get warmer. So because the universe loves me so much, it does this in record frigid weather, 5 days before xmas.

Had someone come look at it today, they said there is a leak somewhere, a hole or something. We need a new unit which is 4-6k.

The unit is 6 years old.

I am by no means a professional, but this just seems bogus. If you dont' know what is wrong with it, how do you know we need a new unit?

in the meantime, we have to keep it on emergency heat. Which isn't great for the bill.
So if the emergency heat works, is the whole unit really bad?

What are your thoughts...thank you so much for your responses.

From your comment about emergency heat, I will assume it is a heat pump.

A heat pump uses the normal air conditioning system (evaporator, condenser, and compressor) in reverse to heat in the cool periods. That is because it is more efficient to use electricity to move heat inside than it is to use the electricity to produce heat it’s self.

If you are low on refrigerant, you will have no heating, or cooling via the refrigerant system.

Emergency heat setting turns on straight electrical resistance heating. That is normally used when it is too cold outside for the normal refrigerant system to produce the needed heat. It is basically the same heating system as a plug in space heater. Straight electric heat.

My serious advice to you is purchase room heaters.

They are not that expensive and they have a thermostat.

That is what I did about 4 years ago.

You will find out that you don't get colds and you only heat the places you are in.

reply to post by Mr Tranny


I think that is what is happening. WE have had record colds, and hasn't gone above freezing for weeks now. The system was running more and more, till it was running constantly.

I may get an electric fireplace or the space heaters.

Thanks for the advice!

Originally posted by nixie_nox
I may get an electric fireplace or the space heaters.

OR...you could do lots and lots of baking...cookies, brownies, cupcakes, pies, bread, pizza, cookies, cakes, cookies.

Just leave the oven door open. It might take a little longer to bake but you will be warm.

Oh and the top of the stove can be used to make fudge too...


dip the cookies in the fudge............oh my....