Shopping for a New Heat Pump? 4 Simple Questions
If it’s time to replace your old heat pump, it’s a good idea to be familiar with the newer innovations that you can opt for when shopping for a new one. Ask for these advanced features to improve the performance of your heating system, making it more effective and more efficient.
Compressor Options
While standard compressors can only operate at full capacity, two-speed compressors enable heat pumps to operate closer to the heating or cooling capacity needed at the time. This saves a lot of electricity and has the added benefit of reducing wear and tear on the compressor.
Another available option is a scroll compressor, which compresses refrigerant by forcing it into increasingly smaller areas. These types of compressors are not only more quiet when operating, but they also have a much longer operating life. Heat compressors with scroll pumps are capable of providing noticeably warmer air when compared to heat pumps with piston compressors.
Motor Speed
Some heat pumps are equipped with dual or variable speed motors which attempt to keep the air moving at a comfortable and more consistent velocity. This helps to minimize drafts and increase your savings on electricity. Variable speed motors tend to be more quiet when running at full speed.
Desuperheater
When you’re shopping for a new heat pump, you may notice that high-efficiency models come equipped with a desuperheater. The desuperheater heats water by recovering waste heat from the heat pump’s cooling mode. This allows the unit to heat water up to three times more efficiently than an ordinary electric water heater.
Backup Heating
Most heat pumps employ electric resistance heaters as a backup in the event of cold weather, but they can also use burners powered by propane or natural gas to supplement the heat pump. Back-up burners assist the heat pump when the weather is cold, so it doesn’t supply relatively cool air on a cold day.
For help with shopping for a new heat pump, or any other questions about home comfort, contact us at Cox Air Conditioning & Heating. We’ve provided expert service to Clearwater area homeowners since 1958.
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Beat Heat Pump Problems Early With Regular Maintenance
When you want the most from your heat pump, don’t neglect heat pump maintenance, some of which you can do yourself. You can use a professional for the routine tasks that need to be done to keep your system performing without any potential problems or breakdowns.
Routine maintenance provides these significant benefits, improved energy efficiency, better indoor air quality, and a prolonged life span for the system.
Do-It-Yourself Maintenance
The most important thing you can do to keep your heat pump performing as it should is to check and change the air filter for the air handler regularly. Dust can build inside the air handler and the ductwork and circulate through your home’s air. A clean filter will keep your equipment and indoor air cleaner. When dust covers the evaporator coil inside the air handler, it slows the heat transfer process which will drive up heating and cooling costs.
Keeping the outdoor condenser’s coil clean also improves energy efficiency. In the winter, the coil collects the heat outdoors to warm your home and in the cooling cycle, it dissipates the heat the pump collects from your home. Clean the coil with a light spray of the hose occasionally and be sure no vegetation collects around the unit that could impede airflow through the condenser’s coil.
Professional Heat Pump Maintenance
The heat pump works hard year-round. Professional heat pump maintenance will keep your system running optimally. One of the simplest ways to manage the maintenance is with a service agreement between you and your HVAC provider that simplifies scheduling and monitors the system’s performance over time.
- Check the thermostat’s settings and recalibrate if necessary.
- Verify that the refrigerant level is within the manufacturer’s specifications.
- Clean and inspect the electrical connections, lubricating them if necessary. Dirty and loose connections present a safety issue.
- Lubricates the motors.
- Checks airflow levels and inspects the ductwork for leaks, sealing with proper materials when necessary.
For more information about the importance of heat pump maintenance, contact the pros at Cox Air Conditioning & Heating. We’ve provided HVAC services for the Tampa and St. Petersburg area since 1958.
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