Heat Pumps

Is a heat pump right for your home?

Did you know that you can extract heat from chilly outside air and use it to heat your house? This feat is performed by the magic of a heat pump, an appliance that uses refrigeration technology rather than fuel combustion to provide warmth and cooling. Whether or not a heat pump will save you money on energy bills depends on a number of factors, including the type of fuel prevalent in your area, your climate and the amount of insulation and other energy efficient features built into your home.

If you have natural gas available, it probably makes sense for you to use for heating and cooling with a conventional air conditioning system. Natural gas is a more efficient, less expensive fuel than the electricity, needed for heat pumps. But in the Northeast or other regions where fuel-oil or resistance-electrical heat is more the norm, a heat pump can realize substantial savings. Although electrical-resistance heating is much less expensive to install than a heat pump, the heat pump can deliver 1 ½ to 2 ½ times more heat with the same amount of energy, depending on climate, the house and the particular system.

Heat pumps are most effective at saving energy when in the heating mode. The problem with an air-source heat pump in a cold climate, is that your household needs more heat as the temperature outside goes down, but the heat pump works less efficiently at lower outdoor temperatures. Below a temperature known as the “balance point,” normally from 30 to 45 degrees F, supplementary heat is required and that means expensive electrical heating kicks in.

The right way to decide the most appropriate form of heating and cooling for your home is to do an economic analysis, based on a system’s purchase cost and efficiency, the cost of your fuel and your home’s heating/cooling load requirements.

To estimate the efficiency of your current system or the efficiency of a new system, go to www.hvacopcost.com.