Heat Pumps: Green Heating - Pro's & Con's
What is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump is simply the reverse of air conditioning. Air conditioning removes warm air from a room. A heat pump system uses a reversing valve to put warm air into a room. A heat pump is made up of three primary components: an indoor motor, an outdoor motor, and a compressor.
If you are interested in green heating your home, you could turn your thermostat down and put on a sweater. If you want to spare your community from the pollution of heating oil, then a heat pump system is an alternative that uses electricity.
Saving on Costs with Heat Pumps
Kevin Kelly of K. Kelly, Inc. points out that some areas of the country do not have natural gas available to them. "There are numerous areas in Wisconsin that don't have ready access to natural gas but do have tons of water-generated electricity which keeps costs down. It these types of situations it makes sense to use a heat pump system."
Other advantages of using a heat pump include:
Kelly recounts a particular heat pump customer. "I had a customer who thought he needed a completely new heat pump which would have cost in the neighborhood of $5,000 As it turned out, all this customer needed was a compressor that ran only $1,900."
Heat pumps are often used in commercial buildings because the installation is much less expensive than putting in a gas line. Landlords come out ahead when tenants pay the electric bills. Condos and apartments where residents might live above each other also are places where heat pumps are prevalent. There is no need for a vented roof or chimney that some other heating methods require.
Heat Pump Installation
Using a heat pump provides a very inexpensive way of heating and cooling your home. Heat pumps gather heat from the outside and transfer it to the inside a home during colder months, or transfer heat from inside your home to the outside air during warmer months. By having a heat pump system installed in your home you can greatly reduce your heating and cooling costs.
Installation starts by selecting a location outside your home for the outside portion of the heat pump, placed about 10 inches from the outside wall, leaving roughly 20 inches of space for servicing access.
The heat pump unit is then placed on a concrete slab to ensure its level and clear from any potential drainage problems that may damage the unit
The inside portion of the unit is then placed in the home ensuring the liquid and suction lines are not placed too high. The lines are then fully insulated.
The inside and outside units are then connected using copper tubing on the ends.
Once connected, pressure from the indoor unit's coil is slowly released. The tubing is then secured to the indoor unit so that the coil remains dry preventing damage to the unit. All connections are then checked for security and the heat pump is then inspected to ensure the unit stays dry to prevent moisture damage. The heat pump is now ready to be turned on.
Heat Pumps Aren't Always the Best Option
There are a few drawbacks to using a heat pump. First and foremost, they don't work in cold weather. "If it reaches under 38° they turn off," Kelly said. "Then they have to be backed up with resistance heating." Redundancy is not green heating.
Secondly, it sits outside which means every time it turns on, your neighbors can probably hear it as well.
Lastly, though there are few parts, those parts are running nine to ten months out of the year compared to just four or five for a forced-air heater and an air conditioning unit.
Need More Information on Heat Pumps and Heat Pump Systems?
Heating your home is an important aspect of your home life. You'll want to make sure you are choosing the right heat pump system for your home and your budget. The heating service experts at K. Kelly, Inc. offer top of the line heat pump systems and heat pump installation services at affordable prices. Don't forget to check our financing, rebate and cash-back programs to save every dollar possible!
Call 920-469-3500 today to schedule an appointment or get your free heat pump system quote from the Green Bay heating service experts at K. Kelly, Inc.
A heat pump is simply the reverse of air conditioning. Air conditioning removes warm air from a room. A heat pump system uses a reversing valve to put warm air into a room. A heat pump is made up of three primary components: an indoor motor, an outdoor motor, and a compressor.
If you are interested in green heating your home, you could turn your thermostat down and put on a sweater. If you want to spare your community from the pollution of heating oil, then a heat pump system is an alternative that uses electricity.
Saving on Costs with Heat Pumps
Kevin Kelly of K. Kelly, Inc. points out that some areas of the country do not have natural gas available to them. "There are numerous areas in Wisconsin that don't have ready access to natural gas but do have tons of water-generated electricity which keeps costs down. It these types of situations it makes sense to use a heat pump system."
Other advantages of using a heat pump include:
- no carbon monoxide poisoning
- fewer components that need repair
- long-lasting with lower repair costs
Kelly recounts a particular heat pump customer. "I had a customer who thought he needed a completely new heat pump which would have cost in the neighborhood of $5,000 As it turned out, all this customer needed was a compressor that ran only $1,900."
Heat pumps are often used in commercial buildings because the installation is much less expensive than putting in a gas line. Landlords come out ahead when tenants pay the electric bills. Condos and apartments where residents might live above each other also are places where heat pumps are prevalent. There is no need for a vented roof or chimney that some other heating methods require.
Heat Pump Installation
Using a heat pump provides a very inexpensive way of heating and cooling your home. Heat pumps gather heat from the outside and transfer it to the inside a home during colder months, or transfer heat from inside your home to the outside air during warmer months. By having a heat pump system installed in your home you can greatly reduce your heating and cooling costs.
Installation starts by selecting a location outside your home for the outside portion of the heat pump, placed about 10 inches from the outside wall, leaving roughly 20 inches of space for servicing access.
The heat pump unit is then placed on a concrete slab to ensure its level and clear from any potential drainage problems that may damage the unit
The inside portion of the unit is then placed in the home ensuring the liquid and suction lines are not placed too high. The lines are then fully insulated.
The inside and outside units are then connected using copper tubing on the ends.
Once connected, pressure from the indoor unit's coil is slowly released. The tubing is then secured to the indoor unit so that the coil remains dry preventing damage to the unit. All connections are then checked for security and the heat pump is then inspected to ensure the unit stays dry to prevent moisture damage. The heat pump is now ready to be turned on.
Heat Pumps Aren't Always the Best Option
There are a few drawbacks to using a heat pump. First and foremost, they don't work in cold weather. "If it reaches under 38° they turn off," Kelly said. "Then they have to be backed up with resistance heating." Redundancy is not green heating.
Secondly, it sits outside which means every time it turns on, your neighbors can probably hear it as well.
Lastly, though there are few parts, those parts are running nine to ten months out of the year compared to just four or five for a forced-air heater and an air conditioning unit.
Need More Information on Heat Pumps and Heat Pump Systems?
Heating your home is an important aspect of your home life. You'll want to make sure you are choosing the right heat pump system for your home and your budget. The heating service experts at K. Kelly, Inc. offer top of the line heat pump systems and heat pump installation services at affordable prices. Don't forget to check our financing, rebate and cash-back programs to save every dollar possible!
Call 920-469-3500 today to schedule an appointment or get your free heat pump system quote from the Green Bay heating service experts at K. Kelly, Inc.
