Need a New Heater? Try A Ductless Heat Pump
The fall season has just begun, and soon it will be time to fire up our heaters again. But when was the last time you had your heater checked for maintenance? If you suspect that your heater isn’t in top shape, we strongly urge you to get it checked now. And if it’s the case that your heater is near the point of replacement, our suggestion would be a ductless heat pump. Here’s why:
Get Bigger Savings by Switching from an Electric Furnace
Are you using an electric furnace? You may be relieved to hear that you can still use an electrically fueled heater at a significantly lower cost. That’s because heat pumps don’t create heat, they move heat. In terms of energy use, this is a big difference. The difference can be as much as $300 annually, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Heat pumps are essentially air conditioners with a function to reverse the cooling and heating. An air conditioner works by removing warm air from inside your home, thus leaving you with cold air. When you flip the heat pump’s switch from “cooling” to “heating,” this process is reversed–the warm air from outdoors is now being moved to the indoors. Even when it’s cold outside, there’s still plenty of heat in the air that can be used by the heat pump
Your AC is Aging, Too
Now that we’ve gone through most of the summer, how was your air conditioner holding up? Was it having any trouble? You may have noticed some physical signs of the unit struggling, or maybe your bills seem much higher than usual. If your unit is still younger than ten years old, you most likely just need a maintenance check and a quick repair. If it’s older, however, then it might be time to start planning for a new air conditioner.
Take Advantage of Zone Control
If you’ve been using a furnace up to this point, you’ll get a big surprise when you learn that a ductless heat pump will completely change the way you think about heating your home. In particular, we’re talking about the fact that these units allow you to control the temperature of each room individually. You longer have to waste energy heating rooms that aren’t occupied. If you relegate your heating to the living room and the bedroom for even just part of the year, your savings will dramatically increase.
Heat pumps are bit more expensive upfront, but the flexibility that these units can give you in operational costs is what makes them worthwhile investments.