What is a Heat Pump, and is it a Good Investment for the Winter?
Our pocketbooks might be a little lighter in January after all the holiday spending over the past few months. And the temperatures outside continue to drop in the Tri-Cities as the winter season sets in. So it is more important than ever to capture all of the savings we can this winter. This is where we can pose the question, what is a heat pump and is it a good investment for the winter?
The question then becomes, what is a heat pump and is it a good investment for the winter?
A heat pump is a vital part of your home energy system. It can also play a major role in keeping your home warm and comfortable this winter while potentially keeping your utility bills from skyrocketing with the heavy usage.
How Heat Pumps Work
An air source heat pump is a dual-purpose system that provides highly efficient air treatment year-round. It acts as an air conditioner during the summer and a heating source in the winter. They operate on electricity, and they are able to work in conjunction with your existing ductwork or even in a ductless system.
During the summer, your heat pump works just like an air conditioner, as it draws heat from inside your home and transfers it to the outdoor air. In the colder winter months, the process reverses. It is able to ultimately collect heat from the air outside and funnels it into your home.
Despite the outdoor air being quite cold, it does still contain a certain amount of heat. In the unusual circumstance that there is insufficient warm air outside, the electric heater supplements the outdoor air to heat your home.
This is a very efficient process, as your heat pump produces two to three times more heat than the energy it uses.
3 Reasons Why a Heat Pump is a Good Investment for Winter
Heat Pumps Can Both Heat & Cool Your Home
As mentioned above, heat pumps address your comfort levels both ways – heating your home in the winter and cooling your home during the summer months. As a result, you don’t have to purchase a separate heater, such as a furnace, in addition to an air conditioner.
it also conserves space and offers a convenience you can’t find in other systems.
A heat pump can also be a viable add-on option to use along with your existing gas furnace.
With the dual-fuel option, the two systems share the heating load, but they don’t function simultaneously. Instead, each system operates when it is most cost-effective. The heat can serve as the primary heating and cooling system.
Heat Pumps Are Extremely Energy Efficient & Save You Money
It may seem difficult to believe that a modern heat pump is able to extract heat from cold air during the winter, and do so efficiently, but it can. Pumps continue to be a source of energy efficiency, even during the frigid temperatures we can experience in the Tri-Cities.
The energy efficiency of these air-to-air pumps translates into substantial savings on your utility bills, too. In fact, on average, these heat pumps are able to generate 3 kilowatts of heat per 1 kilowatt of electricity consumed.
That is compared with a conventional electrical baseboard heater where 1 kilowatt of consumed power delivers 1 kilowatt of heating. Ultimately, this gives you savings in power consumption of 66 percent, which is significant.
The energy efficiency also surpasses a propane-fueled system. By changing to a heat pump, you can potentially save hundreds of dollars on your energy bills throughout the year.
Heat Pumps Can Add to Your Home’s Value
These highly energy efficient heat pumps provide a valuable addition to any home. What’s more, if you already have one of these energy-efficient, safe, and space-saving heat pumps, it will give your home a major advantage over homes that do not have a heat pump when it comes time to sell your house.
It is worth including in your listing that your house has an air-to-air heat pump, as it could raise the sale price substantially.
A recent study in Nature Energy, and led by the Center for Global Sustainability (CGS) researchers, examined the cost of heat pump installation in American households and the effect on house prices and home values. They discovered that heat pumps increase the value of the average home by approximately $10,000 to $17,000 in nearly half of the states in this country.
Consider a Heat Pump for Your Home
Pump systems provide versatile heating, cooling, and humidity control, as they move heat outside your home in the summer and pull heat into your home in the winter. For those of you who live in the moderate climate we have here in the Tri-Cities – where the temperature doesn’t regularly drop below, or well below, freezing – a heat pump can be the answer to your home comfort needs.
Read our blog article entitled, “Should you Remove Snow from your External Heat Pump?” for details about how to handle snow on your heat pump.
Look to Apollo Heating and Air Conditioning for Expert Heat Pump Installs & Service!
Apollo Heating & Air Conditioning is the Northwest leading provider for heating service for homes and businesses in the Tri-Cities. We not only evaluate and help you control the comfort and quality of your home’s air, we can also offer solutions for managing your energy costs.
Our maintenance service optimizes the efficiency of your system, while also reducing the likelihood of a breakdown.
At Apollo Heating & Air Conditioning, we understand that the function of your heating system is a high priority. That is why we are committed to exceptional service and repair of your heat pump to ensure it works flawlessly this winter.
Learn more by contacting Apollo Heating and Air Conditioning! Call us at (509) 396-COLD (2653).
