Is it an air conditioner or a heater? The short answer is “yes.” Heat pumps are an innovative, efficient, and surprisingly cost-effective way to heat and cool your home. If you’ve ever wondered how they work, their pros and cons, or the cost for heat pump installations in the greater Bridgeport, CT area, Climate Care take care of your needs.
What is a Heat Pump?
Think of a heat pump as a means of exchanging hot air for cool air. A conventional central air conditioner installation does this too, as you’ve noticed if you’ve ever compared how the air feels when it’s coming into your home (nice and cool) versus the hot exhaust. The difference is that a heat pump is effectively reversible, venting cooler indoor air outside and bringing heat energy indoors. This has a number of advantages for homeowners.
Heat Pump Benefits
Older home HVAC systems with furnaces and boilers have efficiency ratings that hover around the low 90% range, and they tend to lose efficiency as they age. The same is true of central air conditioning.
- Efficiency: Heat pumps offer much higher efficiency — up to 300%, meaning they’re converting up to three BTUs for every BTU of energy used.
- Convenience: In the case of a split system, you don’t even need ductwork, which makes them a great solution for older homes where ducts would be cost-prohibitive or would alter the home’s architectural character. They’re also excellent in manufactured homes, outbuildings, or additions where extending an existing system might be impractical or too expensive.
As good as they are, they do have some small downsides. They’re slightly more expensive up-front (this tends to be offset by energy savings later on). They don’t filter air quite as thoroughly as a central air or forced air heating system. And even though today’s heat pumps are far more effective than earlier systems, you may find that you need a supplemental cooling or heat source during extended periods of extreme temperatures.
Signs you need a heat pump replacement
On the other hand, maybe you already have a heat pump and you’re wondering if it’s time for heat pump maintenance, or if you’re better served with heat pump replacement. If you notice any of the following signs, call us for heat pump repair or replacement.
- Unit is blowing hot air on a cold setting, or vice versa
- Air flow is lower than normal
- You’re noticing odd smells or strange noises
- You see leaks, or the unit is producing moisture
- The unit short-cycles
- Your energy bills are climbing
- You’re spending more on repairs, and spending more often
Average price of heat pump install
It’s impossible to give a one-size-fits-all price since a heat pump system is customized to your home and no two systems are quite the same. As we mentioned earlier, up-front costs will be a bit higher than a central air conditioner or a furnace. But it’s worth noting that if your home is undergoing renovation and you’d be replacing both anyway, a good heat pump system can replace both halves of your HVAC system.
We’d also remind you that you can get a helping hand. Connecticut offers to Energize CT rebates for energy-efficient equipment installations, including rebates up to $500 on a ductless split system and up to $1,500 on a geothermal heat pump system.
Getting Started
If you’re comparing options, or if you think a heat pump would be a good fit for your home, reach out to Climate Care. We’ll inspect your home, calculate a proper size and configuration for your system, and provide you with a flat-rate quote upfront. If you accept it, our factory-trained technicians will get to work installing a system you can rely on (it even comes with a 12-year warranty on parts). Call us today.