7 Benefits of a Heat Pump
Even in Idaho, heat pumps offer a host of benefits when you understand when and how to use them. If you’re unfamiliar with heat pumps, they use a refrigerant to transfer heat into your home, much like an air conditioner. Discover the different types of heat pumps available and the seven benefits you can expect when you switch to one.
Different Types of Heat Pumps
There are three different types of heat pumps available. The most common one is an air source heat pump, which pulls heat from the air outside and transfers it to the air inside. This heating and cooling system is most efficient when the temperature outside is above freezing, but a heat strip can be added to sufficiently warm your home in frigid weather.
The geothermal heat pumps, which include ground source and water source models, are even more effective throughout the year. Ground source heat pumps run refrigerant lines deep enough underground that they’re unaffected by the temperatures at the surface. This allows them to pull heat from the ground even when the arctic air blows into the area.
Water source heat pumps require a natural water source, such as a pond or lake, which acts as the heat transfer source. Closed-loop systems run the refrigerant lines out to the water source, similar to ground-source heat pumps. Open-loop systems draw water into the system to transfer the heat energy and then send it back to the water source.
1. More Efficient Heating
One of the primary benefits people appreciate is the efficient heating that heat pumps provide. Air source units transfer up to 300% more thermal energy than the electricity it consumes. Geothermal systems can transfer up to 400% more energy than they consume. Keep in mind the actual amount you save varies greatly based on the current cost of electricity.
2. Safer Heating Operation
Furnaces have intrinsic risks associated with them, including risks with the fuel they burn and the exhaust they produce. Being heat pumps don’t burn fuel, these risks don’t exist as they run. Additionally, they don’t run the same risk of causing a fire as electric or fuel-burning furnaces because they don’t actually create heat, just transfer it.
3. Less Environmental Impact
Fuel-burning furnaces have a significant environmental impact. This comes from both the direct burning of fuel in addition to the production of the fuel they burn. Heat pumps run entirely on electricity, so the only environmental impact is caused by producing the electricity.
4. Doubles As Air Conditioning
A key benefit of heat pumps is that one system pulls double duty, serving as both your heating and cooling system. This means that instead of two separate systems to plan to replace, you have only a single system. It also means that you don’t have to worry about two different systems that can break down, so when you repair it in one season, you shouldn’t have the same problem in the next.
5. Less Maintenance Required
If you have a heat pump installed, in addition to only having to make repairs on a single unit, you only have one system to maintain. You have a lot to keep track of with separate heating and cooling systems. Heat pumps require professional maintenance twice a year, similar to traditional HVAC systems. However, it is the same system, so you and your technician should know your equipment well.
6. Consistent Heating
A furnace heats your house by producing substantial heat and pushing it out into your home. Normal heating cycles run for 10 to 15 minutes, which causes a quick rise in temperature. It then slowly falls unit the next cycle starts. Heat pumps don’t put out as much heat at a single time but run longer cycles. This makes for a more consistent temperature at all times.
7. Quite
Furnaces can produce several noises as they run on top of the whirring of the circulating fan. In addition, heated air can cause the ducting to flex, producing banging sounds. On the other hand, the loudest part of the heat pump is the compressor, which usually sits outside your home, minimizing noise inside the house from your heating and cooling system.
Contact the Pros
People around Meridian have relied on [company_name] for over 60 years to keep their homes comfortable and families safe. Our highly-rated team provides air conditioning and heating installation, repair, and maintenance, along with indoor air quality solutions and a full range of electrical services. Call to schedule your heat pump consultation with one of our expert installers today.