5 Eco-Friendly Features of Ductless Heat Pumps
As HVAC technology advances, manufacturers are finding more ways to increase the efficiency of air conditioners and heaters. With that comes greater opportunities for making these devices more eco-friendly.
Ductless mini split heat pumps are spearheading these advancements. Thanks to their design and engineering, they’re able to keep homeowners comfortable and free of a guilty conscience. Here are five ways these heat pumps are creating an eco-friendly future:
No Duct Leaks
The beautiful thing about ductless heat pumps is that they don’t have ducts. While ducts are not inherently a bad thing, they can develop leaks over time. These leaks can get bad enough to lose nearly 30% of the air that flows through them.
Although homes are often installed with duct systems—making central AC or furnaces a logical choice—many homeowners are realizing the benefits of ductless heat pumps in Olympia and are making the switch.
Plus, when you consider the additional costs of having to maintain a duct system, it makes more sense to just stop using them.
Conserving Energy Used in the Home
One of the drawbacks of a ducted HVAC system is that they either treat the entire home, or none of it. That’s just how duct systems work.
Ductless heat pumps, on the other hand, have zone control features built into them. That means they can heat and cool rooms in the home individually with their own set of temperature controls. While this is often used to maximize comfort, it can easily be used to reduce overall energy usage—rooms that don’t require heating or cooling don’t need to have their units running.
Using Electricity More Efficiently
Electricity can be an expensive resource for homeowners. An electric heater, such as an electric furnace, can be costly to operate. But heat pumps use electricity much more efficiently. Rather than creating heat through combustion, they recycle heat found from the air. This reduces the amount of electricity needed, and it’s for this reason that heat pumps are regarded so highly for their efficiency.
Reducing the Amount of Fossil Fuels Burned
It’s not just homeowners who benefit from more efficient energy usage. Fossil fuel usage is also reduced thanks to heat pumps. Compare that to the alternative—a gas furnace—which relies entirely on combustion.
Although it’s true that electricity is sometimes generated from fossil fuels, using that energy instead of creating more energy through combustible fuel helps reduce our dependence. Plus, you don’t need to worry about CO exhaust from electrical units.
Recyclable
Ductless heat pumps boast a life expectancy of 20 years when maintained properly. When the time for replacement finally comes, you can rest assured that most of the unit is recyclable. More than 80% of the parts in a high-quality heat pump are recyclable, such as those made by Mitsubishi.
And, with multi-stage allergen filtration, you don’t need to replace your filters for nearly 10 years (compare that to every few months, which is standard for ducted HVAC systems).