Heat Pumps

Heat pumps use electricity to move heat from a cool space into a warm, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer. During the heating season, heat pumps move heat from the cool outdoors into your warm house; during the cooling season, heat pumps move heat from your cool house into the warm outdoors. Because they move heat rather than generate heat, heat pumps can provide up to four times the amount of energy they consume.

The most common type of heat pump is the air-source heat pump, which transfers heat between your house and the outside air. If you heat with electricity, a heat pump can trim the amount of electricity you use for heating by as much as 30%–40%. High-efficiency heat pumps also dehumidify better than standard central air conditioners, resulting in less energy usage and more cooling comfort in summer months.

Tips to Get the Most from Your Energy Efficient Heat Pump:

Maintain and properly use your heat pump. Check filters monthly and have a qualified technician check the refrigerant to keep it working at maximum efficiency. The difference between the energy consumption of a well-maintained heat pump and a severely neglected one ranges from 10%–25%.
Don’t bump up your thermostat more than one degree at a time. Anything over two degrees will cause the “emergency” heat strips inside the heat pump to come on basically making your energy efficient heat pump into an electric furnace as it works to bring the entire house up to the higher temperature.
Check your duct work. Make sure there are no holes or tears in the insulation and that the ducts are taped and sealed at all connect points. You don’t want to make your heat pump work harder and use more energy than it has to by heating un-insulated areas like the attic or crawl space. (This applies to electric furnaces, too.)
Older heat pump models work as much as four times harder in temperatures below 30 degrees. If you think it might be time to replace your older unit do your homework and select a reputable, trained technician for the installation. Even the most energy-efficient heating and cooling system will fail to save you money if it is installed incorrectly or improperly adjusted.
When choosing an air-source electric heat pump, look for the ENERGY STAR® label, which is awarded to those units with SEERs of 12 or greater and HSPFs of 7 or greater.