You have probably heard a lot about heat pumps in recent years. For heating and cooling homes, this option has seen a major surge in popularity. If you have not yet made the switch to this type of system in your home, you may be wondering just how energy-efficient they are. You also may not know all of the advantages that come with the level of energy efficiency that heat pump systems advertise.
To clear up any questions you might have about heat pumps, let’s go over their energy efficiency and the kinds of advantages that they can give you.
What Makes a Heat Pump So Energy Efficient?
Instead of having to create heat, like a furnace, a heat pump pulls the heat from a source where it already exists and then transfers it into your home. Where a heat pump pulls heat from depends on the kind that you utilize. It is most common to own a heat pump that pulls from the air, but some pull from the ground, and some extract heat from water.
A good way to illustrate how a heat pump works is to think of it like an air conditioner, but in reverse. An air conditioner does not create cold air. What it does is extract heat from the room you are in, and then it is pumped outside, leaving the air inside cooler. A heat pump can pull the heat from even cold outside temperatures and deliver it into your home, keeping you warm.
The amount of warmth that a heat pump can extract from a source compared to how much energy it is using is rather remarkable. For example, a furnace is never giving you as much heat as it is creating. There is always some loss. In contrast, while a heat pump does use electricity, the amount of heat that it extracts from a source is 3x or greater than the energy it uses during this process. Put simply, for every unit of electricity that a heat pump uses, it gives you three units of heat. That makes heat pumps not only more efficient than furnaces but also more efficient than other conventional heating methods, such as electric heaters or boilers.
What Are the Advantages of Energy Efficiency?
There are many advantages of energy efficiency gain from heat pumps.
Reduces Energy Bills
Energy costs can take up a great deal of your monthly expenses. A heat pump will consume less energy throughout its service life than other heating options, making it a fantastic way to save money on energy expenditures.
Cuts Down on Your Carbon Footprint
Switching to a heat pump helps reduce your carbon footprint. Over 10 years, a heat pump can cut your carbon emissions by more than 23 tons of carbon dioxide.
Return on Investment
An energy-efficient purchase like a heat pump can be seen not as an expense but as an investment. This is especially true when you consider the utility savings that will add up throughout the service life of the product. The savings you gain easily offset the upfront cost of a heat pump and offer a clear return over less-efficient options. The return on investment due to savings only increases as the cost of energy rises.
Property Value Increase
Homes that are energy-efficient regularly sell for more than comparable homes with less efficient features. Every project that increases the energy efficiency of your home adds to its selling price later. With the promise of lower utility bills and the need for fewer repairs, an energy-efficient home is typically more attractive to buyers.
Less Equipment
While a heat pump may require more maintenance than a traditional furnace, due to it being a more complex system, you will need both an air conditioner and a furnace if you want to heat and cool your home. With a heat pump, you can do both. Embracing the energy efficiency that a heat pump offers means having to look after just one system, as opposed to two with an air conditioner and furnace.
Quieter Operation
If you have found yourself in situations where the noise from your air conditioning equipment has become problematic, that is not typically a concern with heat pumps. Heat pump compressors are generally much quieter to operate than an air conditioning system. You will not have to worry about things like having a compressor near bedrooms, patios, or decks.
Making Your Heat Pump Even More Efficient
Now that you know the advantages of switching to a heat pump for energy efficiency, it is worth looking at the ways that you can make a heat pump system even more efficient. Here are a couple of tips to get the absolute most out of your heat pump.
Have Good Insulation
Heat pumps work best when they are installed in homes that have proper insulation. To make sure that you are maximizing a heat pump’s efficiency potential, insulate and seal ducts in attics and crawlspaces. Also, add proper insulation to your walls and attic. Take the time to put caulking around your windows and add weather stripping to your doors.
Take Advantage of Rebates
Rebates are regularly offered on the federal, state, and local levels for making the switch to a heat pump system in your home. Taking advantage of these rebates rewards you for embracing energy efficiency.
Speak to a Professional About the Advantages of Heat Pumps
If you are in Seattle, WA or the surrounding area and are wondering if a heat pump is right for you, our team at Black Lion Heating & Air Conditioning would love to speak with you. We have been providing heating and cooling services to the community for over 20 years. Our service area is wide as well, as we help customers in all of King and Snohomish counties, along with parts of Pierce County. Whether you are looking for the right heat pump system for your home or have some other heating, cooling, or electrical needs, we are here to help. We are well-versed in a full range of repair, installation, and maintenance services. At Black Lion Heating & Air Conditioning, we are truly committed to providing the best in quality and value. That commitment, we are proud to say, has even been recognized with awards and glowing testimonials.
We also want to be the go-to for heating and cooling products for your home. Beyond heat pumps, you can look to us for other systems such as gas furnaces, tankless water heaters, and traditional water heaters. There is a wide array of other services that our highly trained and experienced technicians can provide, including duct cleaning and indoor air quality inspections. On the electrical end, we can do everything from RV plugins to hot tub wiring. We happily take the time to provide you with free estimates for all of the services that we provide. If you are ready to see what Black Lion Heating & Air Conditioning can do for you, get in touch with us today.