It's Easy to Heat a Home With a Heat Pump
The weather outside may be frightful, and a fire may be delightful, but it cannot heat a home as well as a heat pump. While the heat pump has been around for a very long time, the technology has not remained the same. Continual improvements have been made in both heat distribution and heating efficiency. A good heating service company will tell their customers that this is not their grandmother's heat pump.
The Whats and Hows of a Heat Pump
The name "heat pump" may seem a bit of a misnomer because a heat pump can be used as both a heating and cooling system. It is all about heat transfer, not about creating warmth. It is about moving warm air from place to place, whether it is being moved into a home to heat it during the winter or whether it is being moved outdoors to cool a home in summer. There are several different ways to transfer heat whether using air, water, or ground.
- Air-to-Air heat pumps: This is the traditional system most homes have. Using ductwork it transfers heat from the outside air to the home's interior. While ducts are perhaps less efficient than some other methods of heat transfer, they are tried and true and may cut down initial costs if the system is already in place.
- Water-to-Air heat pumps: These pumps can be used to heat water for use and keep a home warm. There is usually a boiler or another heat source, and water is heated and run through pipes in the home's walls. The heat goes from the pipes through the walls (usually around the baseboards) and heats the whole home. This is a highly energy-efficient form of heating and heats a home quite evenly.
- Ground-to-Air heat pumps: This use of heat pumps is also called geothermal heating because it uses ground temperatures to maintain the temperatures within a home. Pipes are arranged underground and filled with fluid that allows for heat transfer between the ground and the air in the home. Again, this is a highly efficient system that is known for even stable temperatures.
Why Switch to Ductless Heating
Reasons to Invest in a Ductless Heat Pump:
- Minimally invasive
- Can maintain different areas at different temperatures
- Efficient
- Can be installed in homes with no existing ductwork
- May save money on installation and repair
- One can manage multiple areas with a single heat pump
Saving Money with a More Efficient Heating System
While a lovely wood-burning hearth or furnace may be very nice to stand around, both forms of heating are very inefficient. They heat one area, and the rest of the house tends to be cooler if no pains are taken to evenly distribute the heat. Heat pumps do not create heat but instead take it from the surrounding air. This uses much less energy and therefore will be a great money saver over time. Consider heat pump service, repair, or installation for this winter.