If you’ve installed a high efficiency heat pump but haven’t seen your energy bills come down as far as you’d expect, it might not be your heat pump that’s the problem. While a great heat pump can be incredibly efficient at using energy to provide heating for your home, it cannot make up for inefficiencies elsewhere. If you’re losing 50 percent of the heat in your home through gaps in your walls and ceiling, your furnace will need to be working twice as hard to keep your home heated, even with an AFUE rating of 90 to 95.
For most homeowners, the real inefficiency in their homes is the loss of heat escaping via air leaks and through insufficient insulation. While this can never be entirely stopped, it can be significantly reduced by using insulation effectively.
Typically as much as 40 percent of energy used is lost through air leakage in an average home, most of which can be avoided. The upfront cost of getting this work done will be repay itself many times over by reducing your future energy bills.
The first step to reducing your home’s inefficiencies is to engage the services of a qualified HVAC professional. An expert technician can install additional insulation in the attic and walls where needed and seal air leaks around the home to prevent escaping conditioned air. While some of these can be done as a DIY job, an qualified expert knows where to look for air leaks and will also know which insulation to use for the job, as well as how to use it.
For more information about using your high efficiency heat pump properly and to ensure sufficient insulation in your home, contact the pros at Cox Air Conditioning & Heating. We’re proud to serve homeowners in and around the Tampa area.
