When it comes to finding efficient heating solutions that minimize the use of fossil fuels, heat pumps are having a moment. Whether you’re talking about an air-source heat pump, electrical heat pumps or geothermal heat pumps, the energy efficiency and savings these units can provide is generating a tremendous amount of interest.
Are they right for your heating needs? At 128 Plumbing, we’re ideally positioned to give you the information you need to make the right choice for your home. We’ve been installing heat pumps for years, so we can make sure you get the right one for your needs, not to mention the benefits heat pumps provide.
There’s a lot you need to know about heat pumps, though, so let’s tackle some of the most common questions and issues:
o efficiency ratings and how heat pumps work
o different types of heat pumps
o are the benefits they provide real?
Heat Pumps and Heating: Are They More Efficient than Electric Heat?
While answering this question can be complicated, the basic answer is simple—yes!
Start with electric heat. Yes, it’s very efficient, with a typical rating of 100 percent, but it’s also one of the most expensive ways to heat your home. The efficiency is due to the fact that 100 percent of the electrical energy used is converted into heat, with no losses due to combustion or piping.
But heat pumps put that number to shame. Due to advances in convection technology, they can attain an efficiency rating as high as 350 percent, which is why there’s so much interest in having them installed.
Heat pumps are also much more efficient than boilers, which rate lower than electrical systems.
But efficiency isn’t just about rating. The lifespan and durability of the product plays a part, and heat pumps excel in that area, too.
o Electric heater lifespan. Electrical heaters typically have a lifespan of 5-10 years, depending on the nature of the process fluid used to generate the heat.
o Heat pump lifespan. Heat pumps normally last for 15 years, which more than makes up for the higher installation costs, especially when you factor in the energy savings.
To put it simply, heat pumps pay for themselves over time, and they put money back in your pocket once they do.
Can Heat Pumps Move Air and Work With Furnaces to Provide Heating?
Yes, you can use a heat pump with your furnace, and you actually get an extra benefit if you do. Heat pumps tend to have a longer run cycle than furnaces, which means you’ll have more precise control over the temperatures you have in your home.
Your New Heater: Different Source Heat Pumps
Air Source Heat Pumps
One of the most common misperceptions about heat pumps is that they actually create a significant amount of heat, but this is a misperception.
What air source heat pumps actually do is move air around and pull heat from it as they do. Heat pumps can also act as air conditioners in the summer, removing heat from indoor air and transferring it outside.
All air with an ambient temperature higher than absolute zero has some amount of heat to it, and air source heat pumps extract that heat and move it indoors to provide heating and increase the temperature of your home.
Other Source Heat Pumps
In addition to air source heat pumps, there are two other heat sources for these pumps:
Geothermal Source and Water Source Heat Pumps
o Geothermal heat pump collect heat from the ground outside your home, then concentrate it for indoor use. As their name implies, the source of the heat they draw is the ground itself.
While ground surface will obviously freeze during the winter, geothermal heat pumps are installed far enough beneath the surface to allow them to draw heat.
o Water source heat pump. Water source heat pumps collect heat from a water source near your home.
Use the Inflation Reduction Act to Create a Clean Energy Home
With the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) having been signed into law last year, you can now get a variety of rebates and tax deductions if you’re a homeowner and you purchase a heat pump.
The High Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act (HEEHRA) is the official name of the IRA’s heat pump incentive program. It offers point-of-sale rebates on any heat pump for home heating and cooling up to $8,000.
“Point-of-sale” means the rebate amount is automatically deducted from the price at the time of sale – no need to send in for a refund.
These HEEHRA rebates are available for low- and moderate-income households. The amount of each rebate depends on your household income and the heat pump you choose relative to the size of your home.
More About the Inflation Reduction Act Heat Pump Rebate
If your household income is 80% below your area’s median income, you receive the maximum rebate, which covers your new heat pump at 100% up to $8,000. If your household income is 81-150% of your area’s median income, you’ll receive up to 50% of the heat pump’s cost.
There are tools to help you determine these numbers and we can walk you through them when you buy your new heat pump.
You’re not out of luck if your household income exceeds 150% of your area’s median income, however. These homeowners receive a 30% tax credit of up to $2,000 on new heat pumps to heat their home.
Why You Should Use 128 Plumbing to for Heat Pumps and Your Heater Needs
Heat pumps are a great way to save money, and they also give you the peace of mind to know that your home is getting the best possible protection.
The numbers are (888) 419-4233 or (781) 670-3261, and when you contact us, we’ll answer your questions and help you make the best possible decision.
To get more information, you can also go to 128Plumbing.com and start a live chat, and we have some great blogs and articles there to help educate you about heat pumps and get in on the savings.
