A heat pump takes heat energy from one place and moves it to another – just like a refrigerator. In summer, it moves heat out of the house, and in the winter it moves heat into the house – even if it’s cold outside. Heat pumps are able to transfer heat using a process of evaporation and condensation of a substance called refrigerant that cycles between the indoor and outdoor units.
What makes heat pumps so great is that they can reverse direction in the summer, taking the heat from your home and sending it outside to keep you cool. They’re actually more efficient than air conditioners – which saves money! It’s one of the reasons so many Canadians are making the switch.
With a heat pump, you can enjoy the following benefits:
- Increased Efficiency and Lower Costs
A heat pump is much more efficient than your standard heating systems. According to Natural Resources Canada, at 10°C, for every kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity used to power a heat pump, it will produce approximately 3.3 kWh of heat. This will fluctuate depending on the temperature, but it makes heat pumps a superior choice for people concerned with reducing their carbon emissions.
Heat pumps are also a great choice if you want to save money – and let’s face it, who doesn’t want to save money? They can reduce your electric heating costs by as much as 50%. That’s a lot of money to spend on other things!
You may use a gas furnace to heat your home. A heat pump will reduce how much you use it (since it works at all but the coldest temperatures), whittling those bills ways down. Considering approximately half of your electric and natural gas bills are just for heating in Ontario, that’s a lot of savings.
When properly installed, a heat pump uses half to a third as much energy as electric baseboards or a gas furnace.
Bonus: More advanced air source heat pumps will not only heat your home, but will heat your water as well by using integrated systems. This could reduce your water heating bills by 25 – 50%. Ask us about the heat pumps we carry and their capabilities.
- They’re Both a Heater and an Air Conditioner
Year-round comfort: A heat pump takes the place of both an air conditioner and a heating system, keeping you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. With increasing summer temperatures, heat pumps are used as often as air conditioners! In the summer, the process is simply reversed: warm air is expelled from your home. Not only will this keep you cool, but it works as a dehumidifier as well. This makes a heat pump an efficient alternative to an air conditioner.
- With Regular Maintenance, You Barely Have to Think About Them
If you want a home heating and cooling system that is no-fuss, no-muss, then a heat pump is for you. They’re one of the most convenient systems out there. When you use our maintenance plans, there’s even less work for you to do (and you get a discount on our services).
- They’re Much Safer Because There’s No Combustion Process
One of the biggest reasons furnaces need annual maintenance appointments is to make sure no carbon monoxide is leaking out. This invisible killer poses a real threat to you and your family if something goes wrong. Heat pumps are electric, which means there’s no combustion process in your home, making them a safe alternative.
- They Live a Long Time
Heat pumps last on average approximately 15 years. That’s a nice, long lifespan. But remember the better care you give all of your home heating and cooling systems, the longer they will last.
- Climate Friendly
For an average home heated by natural gas, switching to a heat pump reduces your carbon footprint by about the same amount as not driving your car for 9 months of the year. As we use the BC grid electricity, which is close to zero-emission.
- Better indoor air quality
Most heat pumps provide airflow and dehumidification with options to add an enhanced filtration system to clean the air circulating through your home of indoor pollutants, dust, pollen, and other allergens.
Are you now considering a heat pump, reach out for a free consultation and quote.
