What Is a Heat Pump?
When homeowners need to install a new heating and air conditioning system, they might immediately focus on central air systems and overlook installing heat pumps. While these systems might not be as common, they can offer numerous benefits. This post will discuss types of heat pumps, their benefits, and how to care for them.
Types of Heat Pump Systems
When installing a heat pump, there are numerous types homeowners can choose from. Two types of heat pump systems are air-source heat pumps and geothermal heat pumps. An air source heat pump is the most common type used in Canada. These transfer heat between the home and the outside air. To cool a home, they work similarly to an air conditioner, removing heat from the indoors and moving it outside, but they also can reverse the process and heat a house by transferring heat indoors from the air outside. On the other hand, a ground source or geothermal heat pump transfers heat between the ground outside instead of the air.
Heat pumps can also be installed as ducted heat pumps or ductless mini-split heat pumps. A ductless mini split heat pump system does not use ductwork and instead has indoor units that deliver the treated air to the room or zone they are in, allowing for more control over the comfort of individual rooms. A ducted heat pump works like a central air system with ductwork to deliver the treated air evenly throughout the home.
Benefits of Heat Pump Installation
Heat pumps offer numerous benefits over other types of heating and cooling systems. Additionally, there are rebates Canadian homeowners can receive to make installing heat pumps more affordable with the new CleanBC Better Homes Energy Savings Program, which launches on June 18, 2024. One rebate eligible applicants could receive from this program is as much as $16,000 to switch to a high-efficiency heat pump in houses currently heated with oil, natural gas, or propane.
Some of the top perks of heat pumps are their energy efficiency and the savings they can provide on energy costs. These systems use less energy by moving existing heat from the outdoors rather than generating it. They also offer the benefit of providing heating and cooling from one system so that homeowners can buy one system instead of separate furnaces and air conditioning units. Due to their energy efficiency, homeowners can also get government incentives to make the switch and install a heat pump, allowing for even more savings.
Taking Care of Heat Pumps
To keep heat pumps working correctly, property owners need to schedule routine heat pump maintenance on their systems, replace their air filters as needed, and be able to identify signs it’s malfunctioning so heat pump repair can be scheduled promptly before the issue gets worse.
Numerous signs can alert homeowners to the need for heat pump service or repair. Some signs that can indicate a malfunctioning heat pump are:
- The unit won’t turn on, or it can’t switch between heating and cooling
- A lack of heating or cooling in the house
- Strange sounds from the system
- Odd smells from the unit
- Short cycling when the system turns on and off too frequently or it's constantly running
- An unexplained increase in energy bills
About Sasquatch Home Services
Sasquatch Home Services is a locally owned and operated company serving the Langford area. They provide the latest technology, straightforward pricing, and on-time service. Call them for heat pump services in Langford, BC.
