The Pros and Cons of Opting for a Heat Pump in Your Delaware Home

Homeowners in the U.S. are increasingly opting for heat pumps as an energy-efficient all-in-one cooling and heating solution for their homes. But while heat pumps work well in many spaces, we wouldn’t suggest these systems come without any issues or faults. Read on for a closer look at some heat pump pros and cons.

Heat Pump Benefits

Air-source heat pumps are as much as three times more energy efficient than combustion furnaces and other types of electric heating. This is because heat pumps move heat energy from one spot to other rather than creating heat through combustion or heating up electric coils. Using refrigerant as the medium of heat exchange, a heat pump extracts heat from outside air and brings it inside for heating.

The cooling process of a heat pump works the same way as a high-efficiency air conditioner. You can benefit from having only one main appliance for both heating and cooling, rather than having to install, maintain and operate separate systems during the winter and summer. Heat pumps also run quietly and do a good job of providing even heating and cooling throughout the home.

Heat Pump Cons

In heating mode, modern air-source heat pumps will generally struggle to provide comfortable heating when outside temperatures fall below freezing. That’s why heat pumps are typically equipped with an emergency heating system, usually in the form of an electric resistance element or coil.

However, this can come at a high cost, since electricity is relatively expensive when it’s getting one-to-one efficiency (rather than three-to-one in regular heat pump operation). Also, during times when natural gas is relatively inexpensive (as is the case now), it can be more expensive to operate a heat pump than a gas furnace, even with the heat pump’s efficiency advantage.

At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

Photo Credit: gfpeck via Compfight cc