Welcome to Ready & Able, formerly known as David LeRoy Plumbing! Although our name and brand have changed, we are still here to serve you and all of your plumbing, heating, cooling, and air quality needs!
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IREA), a heat pump can generate up to 5.5 units of heat for every unit of energy consumed. While this isn’t true of all heat pumps and all service environments, it does make these appliances a standout choice for regulating the temperature in your Harrisburg, PA home. The following is everything you need to know about heat pumps, including four ways a heat pump could help you lower your energy bill.
What Is a Heat Pump?
Both structurally and functionally, heat pumps are a lot like central air conditioners. These combined heating and cooling systems have outdoor condenser/compressor units and indoor air handlers. During summer, they work just like air conditioners do. They draw warm air from building interiors, extract its heat using chilled refrigerant, and funnel it back inside.
How Do Heat Pumps Work in Winter?
All heat pumps have reversing valves. When toggled, these valves reverse the operations of heat pumps so that heat is extracted from the outdoor air and funneled inside. When switching a heat pump’s operations, there’s no need to move equipment or make any other modifications to your heat pump’s setup.
Other Benefits Provided by Heat Pumps
Heat pumps filter the indoor air. Standard heat pump filters extract common allergens and contaminants like dander, hair, fur, carpet and textile fibers, and dust.
You can also upgrade a heat pump’s standard air filter to a high-efficiency air filter. Good filtration, regular maintenance service, and diligence in keeping a heat pump’s filter clean can further optimize the efficiency of this already high-performing equipment.
There’s also the fact that heat pumps offer both heating and cooling. This means being able to house all of your HVAC equipment in less space and having fewer components to replace and maintain.
Four Ways Heat Pumps Reduce Energy Costs and Carbon Footprints
The IREA cites heat pumps as the best HVAC equipment type for reaching ambitious zero-emissions goals worldwide. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) suggests that some homeowners can shave as much as $600 off their annual heating and cooling costs by switching to heat pumps.
1. Heat Transfer Is Highly Efficient
For heating, heat transfer is significantly more efficient than fuel combustion. It also eliminates the production of carbon monoxide (CO) and other harmful emissions. If you switch from a natural gas furnace or oil-fired furnace to a heat pump, you’ll use less fuel to generate enough heat to keep your home warm.
Although electric furnaces have annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) ratings of 100% and convert 100% of the electricity they consume into heat energy, heat pumps can convert all of the electricity they use to generate three to five times as much heat.
2. Many Heat Pumps Have Variable-Speed Compressor Technologies
There’s a surprisingly diverse range of options in heat pumps. There are air-source heat pumps, ground-source or geothermal heat pumps, and water-source heat pumps. Air-source heat pumps are currently the top choice in the nation due to easier installation and lower prices.
There are also heat pumps with variable-speed compressor technology. These units automatically adjust their compressor and blower motor speeds to suit the changing needs of their service environments. This optimizes their performance and ensures that heat pumps are never using more electricity than necessary.
3. Central Heat Pumps Support Central HVAC Zoning
Installing a heat pump doesn’t require any special infrastructure. We can install your heat pump’s condenser/compressor unit in the same location that once housed the condenser for your AC. Your heat pump’s air handling unit will likely fit into the same location as your old air handler, and you may only need slight modifications to your ducting.
Their compatibility with many of the same features that support ACs and furnaces allows heat pumps to support central HVAC zoning systems. With zoning technologies, you can divide your living space into two to four separate service areas. Each service area can have its own smart thermostat, and you can control the climate in each area independently. With a zoned heat pump, you won’t have to spend money to heat or cool unoccupied areas and everyone can customize the temperatures in their immediate areas to their liking.
Heat Pumps and Integrated HVAC Accessories
Heat pumps can also accommodate integrated HVAC accessories, including:
Media filters
Air scrubbers
Air purifiers
Whole-house humidifiers and dehumidifiers
If you need a little extra indoor air quality (IAQ) support or additional help with humidity regulation, we can still leverage cutting-edge IAQ technologies to help you achieve your goals.
We’re proud to serve Harrisburg, PA and the surrounding cities. We offer expert heating, cooling, plumbing, and indoor air quality services. Our clients can also count on us for exceptional HVAC air duct cleaning, drain cleaning, and water heater service. To schedule an appointment, get in touch with Ready & Able Plumbing, Heating & Air today.
Welcome to Ready & Able, formerly known as David LeRoy Plumbing! Although our name and brand have changed, we are still here to serve you and all of your plumbing, heating, cooling, and air quality needs!