Heat pumps are becoming more and more popular, thanks to their energy efficiency and effectiveness, as climate control systems for households and businesses alike. They are even highly effective at heating swimming pools and geysers.
Heat pumps work by pumping heat from one area into another. Moreover, the direction in which they pump can be switched. Typically, a heat pump will pump ambient warm air into the house from outside during winter, then be reversed with the flick of a switch to pump warm air out of the house during summer.
These kinds of heat pumps ‒ that source heat from the air ‒ are called airsource heat pumps. They are by far the most cost-effective and most common kind of heat pump, and are also the easiest to install.
Two kinds of airsource heat pumps exist: air-to-air and air-to-water.
The air-to-air heat pump transfers heat between the exterior and interior of a home and is most effective when used in moderate climates.
The air-to-water heat pump types are commonly used as an energy-efficient way to warm swimming pools and geysers, as well as a central wet heating system.
Why should you choose a heat pump over an air conditioner or other electrical heating system? Let’s take a look:
More Energy Efficient
Using a heat pump means you will be contributing less overall to your carbon footprint, thereby doing your part in the fight against climate change and helping the world reach the net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Moreover, the energy efficiency means that running a heat pump is significantly less expensive than running anything else.
Lower Running Costs
Since it’s so energy efficient, this means that it can reduce your electricity consumption for heating purposes by about 50%. This is significant since it’s possibly one of your largest utility bills, so cutting it in half would make a much-welcomed difference to your monthly budget.
Using a heat pump also means you don’t have to worry about much maintenance. While a heat pump is much more energy efficient than an air conditioner, it works according to similar principles and therefore has a similar lifespan of about 15 years on average.
All that might be required is an annual basic cleaning of the filters and perhaps checking one or two aspects of the machine’s systems and parts to make sure they’re in good condition. These checks are simple enough that they can be done by yourself.
Nonetheless, a heat pump does not need as much maintenance as an air conditioner since it doesn’t require periodic gas refills done by a gas engineer to operate effectively. Heat pumps don’t cool or heat air; they simply transfer existing heat in the air from one place to another.
Moreover, heat pumps require far less maintenance than combustion heaters such as furnaces or gas heaters.
Flexibility
One of the nicest aspects of heat pumps is their ability to change direction on demand. Unlike air conditioners that can only cool or heaters that can only warm, heat pumps can cool and warm, depending on what you need.
Heat pumps can be switched from pumping heat into a room to pumping the heat out of the room. This means that it can effectively warm your home when it’s cold and then cool your home when it’s hot, without the need for multiple appliances and devices.
You save money not only on electricity but also on the need to purchase and install multiple different heating and cooling systems in the home. What’s more, heat pumps are effective as water heaters/coolers as well, whether it’s for your swimming pool, water cooler or geyser.
You’ll need a good heat pump installer, but the installation costs are worth it. Once it’s set up and running, you’ll hardly ever have to worry about heating and cooling in your home again.
Health & Safety
It goes without saying that electric heaters, gas heaters, furnaces and even fireplaces are all hazardous. They could easily start a devastating fire in your home and destroy everything you own, and they also pose a danger to pets and children who might burn themselves on the devices.
That’s not to even mention the potential danger of gas leaks.
Heat pumps don’t have any exposed parts where a child might accidentally burn themselves, nor do they need any kind of combustible fuel to function. They pose none of the risks that other heating systems pose.
On the cooling side, air conditioners and fans are known to dry the air out and blow dust around, causing allergies to flare up.
Heat pumps help to gently filter the air through a steady and consistent flow of fresh, filtered warm air being brought in and old cool air being sucked out. This gentle and stable flow minimises dust kick-up, while the filtering process cleans the air and improves its quality, thereby improving your health.
For all of your heat pump purchase, installation, maintenance and troubleshooting needs, contact B Wilson Plumbing & Heating today for advice and a quote!