Popular Posts

Friday, December 17, 2010

Heat Pump FAQ

In this blog I just wanted to address the most common questions we get here at Environmental Heating & Air in regards to heat pumps....

How exactly does a heat pump work?  An electric heat pump is a single unit that both heats and cools your home. A heat pump is the most efficient heating and cooling system available today because it generates less than one unit of heat for each unit of energy it consumes.  In summer, it moves heat from inside your house to the outside.  In winter, it moves heat from the air outside to inside your home.  This is done using the refrigerant that is pumped by the compressor through the indoor and outdoor coils.


Do I need a supplemental heating system with an electric heat pump?  An electric heat pump operates most efficiently at temperatures above the low 30's.  When temperatures dip below that, some supplemental heat is required.  Which is where the heat strips come in, these are spring like coils that are heated by electricity and are located by the blower.  Heat strips are used in a heat pump system to assist in heating when the temperatures drop to the lower 30's and below.

Is it true that heat pumps will not get my home as warm as a gas furnace?  Some people think this is true, but actually what a heat pump does is keep the room temperature more constant than a gas furnace, so you're more comfortable all the time.  With gas furnaces, a lot of people find themselves being too hot or too cold quite often, whereas a heat pump corrects this problem by maintaining a more constant temperature.

If it maintains a more constant temperature, doesn't that mean it runs more often than a gas furnace?  Yes a heat pump does tend to run more often but you have to realize that it produces two to three units of heat for each unit of energy it uses (compared to less than one unit of heat from a gas furnace), so you end up with significant savings at the end of the month.
 
Well if it runs longer and during the winter and summer months, doesn't it wear out sooner?  Not really, heat pumps have basically the same life expectancy as a regular air conditioner with a gas furnace.  The difference in service life is very little, if at all.  Even the Gas Research Institute admitted recently that "As the efficiency of heat pumps is increased, their anticipated life increases as well."


--Nickadeemus
919-535-8422
 







9 comments:

  1. It offers home owners comfort that is normally reserved for high-rise office buildings, five-star hotels and executive apartments.

    ReplyDelete
  2. We would like to pass our heartfelt gratitude to Heating Doctor Melbourne for providing round the clock support for hydronic heating system services. We called them home on a weekend and that too late at night. But you were right on time on just one call and solved a major fault in the system. Thank you so much for a quick and emergency service.

    ReplyDelete
  3. We have been using preventive maintenance program from 24 Hours Pluming for all our Hydronic system installation. We don’t have to keep a check on our systems as it is not our responsibility anymore. These guys keep checking our heating systems for leakages and any faults. We are very happy and we would love to continue with the same for a peaceful life.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks to My Choice Plumbers for installing our Servicing underfloor systems at our new home. We were delighted to have these people at home. The installation process was smooth like butter and we didn’t have to move an inch. Most importantly I would like to mention that these guys have really courteous staff. I am overall satisfied with the whole affair. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am really happy with the Flushing the Hydronic systems and floor coils offered by Plumbing Mastar S. They are professional, affordable, and are real quick in delivering everything in a perfect manner. I have recommended your services to my near and dear ones.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Excellent! Arrived on time, assessed the problem, advised solution and worked quickly and fixed all Heating problems. Truely professional hydronic systems specialist whom I thoroughly recommend.Very reasonably priced for perfect solution

    ReplyDelete
  7. I like Tip Top Cleaning the best for my Hydronic Heating Melbourne work. They are providing services to all the suburbs in Melbourne. The Heating company has great team of efficient professionals to do the job. I like them very much. Their work is awesome. I would love to recommend them to all my friends. They provide a cost effective services. You can trust Tip Top Cleaning with closed eyes. I am quite happy with their services. Thank you Tip Top Cleaning for your great help. You are skilled and well competent to perform the task.

    ReplyDelete
  8. After hiring many VIP Plumbers then finally i found and satisfied with their service. These guys are professionals in Reliable Hydronic Heating Services. They repair my old heating system and now it works totally well and good and i also recommend them to my friend and she also satisfied with their brilliant servide. Thanks to VIP plumbers Services Melbourne!

    ReplyDelete
  9. There are very few service providers KM Heating and Cooling Plumbers have a professional yet friendly staff. The technicians were way too polite and made every possible move to ensure we were satisfied with their service. The Natural Convector Hydronic Heating Systems has been properly serviced and has been working fine since then. Thank you for a nice experience.

    ReplyDelete