If your Mentor, OH, home needs a new HVAC system, you may wish to consider a heat pump. These all-in-one heating and cooling solutions are similar to conventional central AC systems. When you need cooling, they function just like an air conditioner. However, they can also operate in reverse. In reverse mode, a heat pump collects heat energy from outside and uses it to warm your home. The energy the system uses will run the fan and compressor instead of creating heat through resistance. Here are eight reasons why installing a heat pump is a good idea.
Why It’s Worth Your While to Consider a Heat Pump
If you need to replace your existing ducted HVAC, a heat pump may be a good option. Here are the most compelling reasons why.
1. Energy Efficiency
The most important advantage of owning a heat pump is its energy efficiency. Like a conventional AC, you can expect 250% and higher efficiency levels from a heat pump when it’s cooling. When they’re heating, however, heat pumps really shine. They can achieve efficiencies approaching 500% under ideal conditions in that mode.
However, they lose efficiency as the temperature drops. They don’t perform worse than the average gas furnace until the temperature drops below 25 degrees. At this point, the heat pump can be paired with a backup furnace to maintain a warm home in subzero temperatures. However, our average low temperatures don’t remain that low for long each year. As a result, a heat pump is almost always the most efficient heating option overall for homes in this area.
2. Quiet Operation
Another advantage of a heat pump is its quiet operation. Most new heat pump models include electrically commutated motors. That gives them variable-speed operation capabilities. So, a heat pump will lower its fan speeds to the minimum necessary to meet your comfort needs. That is not only an efficient way to operate but a quiet one as well. Most heat pumps make between 17 and 26 dB of noise while running indoors. That’s quieter than a whisper, so when you’re inside your home, it can be hard to tell if your heat pump is even running.
3. Reduced Maintenance Needs
As an all-in-one HVAC solution, heat pumps require less maintenance than comparable traditional HVAC. A combination of a furnace and an air conditioner has twice as many components that may require replacement over time. The separate appliances also need two yearly maintenance visits, one before each heating or cooling season.
With a heat pump, an annual maintenance visit is typically enough to keep your heating and cooling system healthy. During a maintenance visit, an HVAC technician will inspect, adjust, and clean every component of your heat pump. That keeps it ready to operate whether you require heating or cooling.
4. Smaller Carbon Footprint
A heat pump also has a smaller carbon footprint than a traditional HVAC system. A standard gas-powered furnace emits CO, CO2, and nitrogen into the air while running. Those gases contribute significantly to climate change. Plus, electricity generation in the United States still relies on carbon-intensive processes. So, an air conditioner has a high carbon footprint as well.
By eliminating combustion and operating at extremely high efficiencies, heat pumps have tiny carbon footprints. If you pair a heat pump with renewable energy, you can eliminate a large portion of your home’s carbon footprint.
Newer heat pumps also use advanced refrigerants that pose less environmental risk than older variants. For example, most AC systems today use a refrigerant called R-410a. It’s 2,088 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. So, when AC systems leak, they can do catastrophic environmental damage. Newer heat pumps use next-generation refrigerants like R-32 and R-454b. They’re much less dangerous to the environment. The former is 675 times more potent than CO2, and the latter is only 467 times as potent. So, as your heat pump ages, it won’t pose as much environmental risk as the AC it replaces.
5. Even Heating and Cooling
Another reason to consider a heat pump is that it offers even heating and cooling in your home. Since many heat pumps feature variable-speed motors, they tend to run at low speeds for extended periods. That keeps conditioned air circulating through your house and prevents hot and cold spots. It also helps you avoid the multi-degree temperature swings you’d expect from conventional HVAC on-off cycles.
6. Simple Installation
It’s worth noting that a ducted heat pump has a similar footprint to that of most traditional HVAC systems. That means your home shouldn’t need significant modifications to support a heat pump installation. The outdoor unit for the average heat pump is indistinguishable from that of a central air conditioner. The indoor unit should be similar in size and shape to the air handler you already have. In fact, an indoor heat pump unit may be smaller than a gas furnace. Since it doesn’t need burners or a combustion chamber, it doesn’t need as large a cabinet.
7. Increased Home Value
Installing a heat pump can also significantly increase the value of your home. According to the journal Nature Energy, a heat pump can boost your home’s resale price by up to $17,000. The reason is that potential homebuyers know that a heat pump comes with dramatically lower operating costs. As a result, they’re willing to pay a premium for a home that already has one installed.
8. Available Incentives
Finally, it’s wise to consider a heat pump because of the fantastic incentives and rebates it qualifies for. Under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, most new ducted heat pumps qualify for multiple incentive programs. One is a tax credit program worth as much as 30% of a heat pump’s cost, up to $2,000. Also, there’s another part of the law called the Home Electrification and Appliances Rebate (HEAR) program. Here in Ohio, the program should launch within the next year. Depending on your income, it will provide point-of-sale rebates on heat pumps worth up to $8,000. Many of our local utility companies also offer rebate programs to spur heat pump adoption. Your heat pump installation could cost next to nothing with all the available incentives.
Local Heat Pump Installation Experts
Since 1982, Anderson Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric has offered complete HVAC services to homeowners in Mentor. We provide HVAC installation, repair, and maintenance. That includes working with boilers, furnaces, heat pumps, and any other HVAC system you may own. We also offer commercial HVAC, plumbing, drain and sewer, and electrical services.
We’re one of the largest home services companies in Lake County. Our team of NATE-certified HVAC technicians has the training and skills to offer you top-notch service. When you work with us, expect our employees to arrive on time and treat you and your home respectfully. Plus, we offer no-lemon and workmanship guarantees. We’re also HomeAdvisor screened and approved.
If you’re considering a heat pump installation for your home in Mentor, call Anderson Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric today!
