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ABOUT HEAT PUMPS...
A heat pump is a mechanical refrigeration system that operates in
two modes, heating and cooling. In cooling mode, the heat pump
takes indoor heat and pumps it outside, just like a standard air
conditioner. In heating mode, the process is reversed: the heat pump
takes outside heat and pumps it inside. Although it feels cold
outside, the air still has heat in it that the heat pump can use as a
source of heat. The fact that the heat pump moves heat from one
place to the other (as opposed to creating heat directly from
electricity or gas) is the key to it's remarkable efficiency. A heat
pump usually produces over 3 times more heat per watt of electricity
than standard electric heating.
While some heat pumps use outside air as their source of heat, others
use the heat available under the ground or in a water well. These are
called air-source, ground-source, or water-source heat pumps,
respectively. The RC-101 is capable of controlling all of these types
of heat pumps.
In extremely cold conditions, the heat pump may require assistance
from another source of heat, known as "auxiliary heating". Auxiliary
heating is less efficient than the heat pump, so it is best to use the
heat pump instead of the auxiliary heat.
For normal and most efficient operation, the RC-101 should be in
HEAT or AUTO mode so that it can properly control the auxiliary
heat. The heat pump is used first, auxiliary heat is used only if
necessary.
In EMERGENCY HEAT mode, the RC-101 will turn the heat pump
off and use the auxiliary heating only. This mode may be used if the
heat pump has failed.
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