- 97°FSpokane's August 2026 peak
- 88°FA typical summer high
- 26°FA typical winter low
- -10°FWhat severe winters can reach
Heat pump settings that work in a Spokane winter
A heat pump that is set up wrong will still heat the house, but it can lean on expensive backup heat far more than it needs to. A few settings make the difference between a low winter bill and a surprise.
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NBy Nell Bradshaw, HVAC Guides Editor · Updated September 2026
Quick answerFor a Spokane heat pump, keep setbacks to two or three degrees, make sure backup heat only comes on below a set outdoor temperature or when the heat pump truly cannot keep up, leave defrost alone, and on dual-fuel systems set a sensible changeover temperature. A thermostat set up for heat pump staging saves more than any single setting.
Why settings matter more here
Spokane temperatures run from about 26 to 88 degrees over a typical year, rarely dropping below 11, but severe winters can reach minus 10, and the city averages about 132 frosty nights a year. A heat pump spends a long season working in the cold, so how it decides when to call for backup heat has a big effect on the bill.
Backup heat in most all-electric systems is resistance strips in the air handler, which cost several times as much to run as the heat pump itself. Every hour they run when they do not need to is money spent for nothing.
Backup heat and lockout temperatures
Good systems use outdoor temperature to decide when backup heat is allowed. A lockout keeps the strips off above a set outdoor temperature, so a mild morning warm-up uses the heat pump alone. A balance point setting tells the system when the heat pump alone can no longer keep up.
The right values depend on the equipment and the house, which is why they should be set by whoever installed or serviced the system, and written down on the thermostat or the air handler for next time.
Keep setbacks small
Turning the heat down ten degrees overnight saves money with a furnace. With a heat pump, a big setback often backfires: when the house calls for a large jump in the morning, the thermostat brings on backup heat to recover quickly.
A setback of two or three degrees, or a thermostat with smart recovery that starts warming earlier using the heat pump alone, avoids that. A thermostat set up for heat pump staging handles this automatically.
Heat pump running up the bill? we can check the settings.
Call (509) 404-0016Defrost is normal
In cold, damp weather the outdoor coil frosts up, and the heat pump briefly reverses to melt it. You may see steam rising from the unit and hear a whoosh when it switches back. That is normal and usually lasts a few minutes.
What is not normal is a block of ice that never clears or a unit that stays iced for hours. Our guide on a heat pump that keeps icing up covers the causes.
Dual-fuel changeover
If your heat pump is paired with a gas furnace, the changeover setting decides the outdoor temperature at which the furnace takes over. Set too high, the furnace runs on days the heat pump could handle more cheaply; set too low, the heat pump struggles on cold nights and comfort drops.
The best changeover point depends on your gas and electric rates and the heat pump's cold-weather capacity, so it is worth reviewing when rates change.
Keep the outdoor unit clear
A heat pump needs air moving freely through the outdoor coil. Keep snow drifts, ice falling from the roof and plants away from it, and make sure it sits on a stand high enough to stay above the snow line.
Never chip ice off the coil with a tool. If the unit is buried or encased, switch to emergency heat and call.
- Clear snow from around and on top of the unit.
- Keep at least two feet of clearance on all sides.
- Check that the unit sits level on its stand.
- Change the indoor filter on schedule.
When to call
Call when the house cannot hold temperature on milder days, when backup heat seems to run all the time, when the unit stays iced, or when you hear grinding or loud banging. A heat pump repair visit checks refrigerant charge, defrost controls and the backup heat settings together.
More Spokane heating and cooling guides
Heat pump settings questions
Should I use emergency heat when it gets cold?
Only if the heat pump has failed or is buried in ice. Normal backup heat comes on by itself when needed.
Is it better to leave a heat pump at one temperature?
Mostly yes. Small, steady setpoints run the heat pump efficiently and avoid triggering backup heat.
Why is steam coming off my heat pump?
That is usually a defrost cycle melting frost off the coil, which is normal.
What is a good dual-fuel changeover temperature?
It depends on your energy rates and the heat pump's cold capacity. We set it per system and write it down.
Can a smart thermostat lower my heat pump bill?
Yes, if it is set up for heat pump staging so it does not bring on backup heat during recovery.
Want your heat pump set up right?
Call for heat pump service in Spokane, WA.
