Using Heat Pumps to Heat the Home Easily and Cheaply
It’s no secret that energy costs are rising just like everything else. When it comes to choosing the utility source for heating in a home, there are many reasons to pick one source over another, but one of the things that never changes is that fossil fuel costs rarely decrease; they almost always go up. An added consequence of heating with fossil fuels are the environmental hazards that go along with mining, fracking, and carbon emissions.
Surely technology has a better answer!
Heat pumps are the answer to rising utility costs and the negative effects of fossil fuels. Heat pumps rely solely on electricity for heating and cooling in a home to keep a home comfortable without all of the nasty side-effects of furnaces. Here is a quick guide to heat pumps and some reasons to look into these innovations.
How Does a Heat Pump Work?
In the summer, heat builds up in the home. An air conditioner uses refrigerant to absorb the heat in the home and pump it outside, where it is dumped into the surrounding air. Why couldn’t this process be reversed to do the opposite thing? This is exactly how heat pumps work. Refrigerant absorbs heat energy from a source outside the home and pumps it indoors to keep the home warm in the winter.
Some of the common types of heat pump systems are:
- Air Source Heat Pumps: Air source heat pumps are one of the most popular choices since they require so little to install. Air source heat pumps use the outside air as a heat source, even in the winter.
- Water Source Heat Pumps: A water source heat pump uses a body of water like a lake or pond as a heat source. Refrigerant gets recycled by absorbing heat from the stable temperature in the body of water.
- Geothermal Heat Pumps: Drilling or excavation is used to install a ground loop under the surface as a heat source. These systems can be expensive, but they make up for it with savings and longevity.
Reasons to Look Into Ductless Heating
Ductless mini split heat pumps are the current winner in the discussion about heat pumps. Mini-splits are easy to install, and they can fit almost anywhere. Since they have no ductwork, they make the perfect system for retrofitting into older homes or renovated garages. Plus, they carry all of the other benefits of heat pumps generally, like:
- Energy efficiency
- Longevity
- Fewer repairs
- Heating and cooling in one system
“Energy Efficient” Means “Money-Saving”
Heat pumps can be rated as much as 400 times more efficient than furnaces. This is because they use electricity to run fans and compressors, but a natural heat source like underground temperatures or a pond does the heating and cooling work. Heat pumps are usually more expensive to install upfront, and depending on the structure, one type may be most appropriate. However, the added cost is quickly regained when, month after month, bills are far lower than they were.
About All Clear Plumbing
All Clear Plumbing is a locally-owned family business that always live-answers their phone calls. This allows them to provide fast and reliable customer service that keeps everyone happy. For heat pump repair or installation in Belleville, NJ, call today.
