heat pump

[davemchine]

I have a heat pump and it runs ALOT now that it is cold. Recent lows have been in the 20's. I understand that when it is cold the heat pump has to work harder to warm the house but I also thought that at a certain point it would stop running and an electric backup heater would start. I should point out that mine is not a geothermal unit.

How can I tell if my system has an electric backup heater and if it is being used? At what temperature should it kick in?

Thanks for all the info.

Dave