• Caring for Your Heat Pump
• Myths About Heat Pumps
• Heat Pump Brochure (English) - PDF file
• Heat Pump Brochure (Spanish) - PDF file

An electric heat pump is the most comfortable and efficient way to heat and cool your home. In warm weather, you'll enjoy a pleasingly cool home, and in cold weather, your heat pump circulates warm air evenly throughout every room.

How Your Heat Pump Works

In winter, a heat pump takes heat from the outside air and moves it inside the home. Heat is extracted from the air and brought inside the house. The heat pump moves heat from the air outdoors to where it’s needed inside, warming your home. Even the coldest winter air has heat available. Temperatures would have to reach -460°F, or absolute zero, for no heat to be available in the air. During summer months, heat is extracted from the air indoors and moved outside.

In summer, heat is extracted from the building as it's absorbed into the refrigerant inside the fan unit in your basement, attic or closet. The refrigerant carries the heat to an outdoor unit where it's transferred outside. This makes the air in the building cooler.

Winter

In cold weather, the heat pump draws warm air into the house for dependable heating.

Summer

In summer, the heat pump extracts heat away, thus cooling your home in even the hottest months.

Heat Pump Advantages

To ensure your heat pump reaches its maximum potential, remember a few, simple facts and you're on your way to saving energy and money.

• A heat pump can save you up to 30% on heating costs when compared to a gas furnace, and provides year-round comfort. With fluctuating energy prices, it's even more important to compare potential savings.
• A high-efficiency electric heat pump provides a continuous flow of heat and helps maintain even temperatures throughout the home. Gas furnaces often blast certain areas with heating, which can cause uncomfortable hot spots.
• An electric heat pump doesn't have an open flame, so there's no possibility of fuel leaks or carbon monoxide poisoning.

Before You Buy A Heat Pump

Talk with a licensed heating and cooling contractor to calculate the costs of installation and operation. Factors include your home's size, insulation, weather­stripping, ducts and the heat pump unit you select. Similar to central and room air conditioning, a heat pump's heating and cooling capacities are measured in BTUs per hour.

• Be sure a licensed contractor determines if the heat pump and duct system are properly sized for your home.
• Have a licensed heating and cooling contractor do a complete heat loss/gain calculation for your home.
• Make sure you evaluate your duct system to ensure it's properly designed and sealed. Your duct system will need to complement your new heat pump equipment for maximum efficiency performance.
• Check the SEER Rating
• Choose a heat pump with a high SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating. The higher the rating, the lower the operating cost. EnergyGuide labels with SEER ratings are posted on all air conditioners and heat pumps.