Thermostat settings
Sensi heat pump settings
Sensi (Copeland) uses Balance Point for the compressor lockout and Aux Lockout for the aux/furnace lockout. It needs Wi-Fi and a heat pump configured with auxiliary heat; outdoor temperature comes from the Sensi outdoor sensor on Touch 2, or ZIP-code weather otherwise.
Where to find it
Touch 2: Menu → Advanced HVAC Settings → HVAC Equipment → Configure → Aux Heat Settings. Sensi Lite / Sensi smart: Menu → next to "AL" (aux lockout) and "bP" (balance point).
| Setting | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Balance Point (AUX Heat Only) | Compressor (heat pump) lockout. | −5 to 55 °F. |
| Aux Lockout (Disables AUX Heat) | Aux/furnace lockout. | −4 to 80 °F. Cannot be set below the Balance Point. |
How your heatpump.blue result maps onto this
heatpump.blue finds the outdoor temperature below which your furnace or other heat costs less than running the heat pump, for your weather, your model and your rates. On Sensi, that number goes into the setting below.
- Dual fuel or electric strips: set Balance Point to your heatpump.blue recommendation, and Aux Lockout at or above it — Sensi won't let you set Aux Lockout below the Balance Point, so the two can't end up contradicting each other.
Get your Sensi number
Enter your ZIP, your heat pump model and your rates, and get the lockout temperature that costs you least, with the range it is sensitive to.
Common mistakes
- Trying to set Aux Lockout below Balance Point — Sensi blocks this by design; raise the Balance Point or the Aux Lockout until they agree.
- Expecting outdoor-sensor accuracy without one — Touch 2 uses a wired outdoor sensor if installed, but Sensi Lite and Sensi smart fall back to ZIP-code weather, which can differ from your actual backyard temperature.
- Setting the aux/furnace lockout below the compressor lockout. That leaves a band of outdoor temperatures where nothing is allowed to run. Keep the aux/furnace lockout at or above the compressor lockout.
- Changing the setting without writing down the factory default first. These are installer menus; changing them is safe, but you may want to undo it.
- Assuming the factory default is the cheapest setting for your home. It is a generic default, not calculated for your climate, your model or your energy rates.
- Forgetting the setting needs an outdoor temperature source (a wired sensor, a communicating outdoor unit, or internet weather) to do anything at all.
Questions
- What is Sensi Balance Point?
- The outdoor temperature below which the heat pump compressor locks out and your furnace or other heat takes over, under Aux Heat Settings on Touch 2, or the "bP" field on Sensi Lite/smart.
- Why won't Sensi let me set Aux Lockout below Balance Point?
- Sensi enforces that rule itself, so the aux/furnace lockout can never sit below the compressor lockout — which would otherwise leave a band of outdoor temperatures where neither heat source is allowed to run.
Sources
Checked against the manufacturer’s own documents on 2026-10-08. Firmware and documents change; your model’s current installer manual wins over this page.