By now, most Bountiful, UT homeowners have likely heard that heat pumps offer fantastic energy efficiency. However, far fewer know why that is or how to make the most out of it. To remedy that, the team here at Blue Best Plumbing, Heating, Air, Generators decided to share some of our expertise about heat pumps. Here’s how heat pumps manage such high efficiency and how you can maximize it in the winter.
How Heat Pumps Work
The first thing to understand about heat pumps is that they’re unlike conventional heating systems. They run on electricity alone but don’t use it to create heat. Instead, they consume electricity principally to run some fans and a compressor. The components inside a heat pump aren’t unlike what you’d find in an air conditioner, with a few notable exceptions. Those extra components allow heat pumps to use the refrigeration cycle in reverse.
The refrigeration cycle uses refrigerant in a closed loop to absorb and release heat alternately. An air conditioner uses the refrigeration cycle to collect heat inside your home and release it outside. A heat pump can do that, but also the opposite. When operating in heating mode, a heat pump collects heat outside and brings it indoors to heat your home. In that mode, air-source heat pumps can operate at close to 400% efficiency. However, their efficiency does decline as the outdoor temperature drops. With less heat in the outdoor air to collect, they work progressively harder to heat your home.
Maximizing Heat Pump Efficiency in the Winter
Now that you know how heat pumps work, we can discuss maximizing their efficiency in the winter. The following are some tips to help you do that.
1. Keep Your Outdoor Unit Clear
Here in Bountiful, we get approximately 58 inches of snow annually. If you own a heat pump, knowing that snowfall can harm its efficiency is essential. It happens when snow accumulates on and around your heat pump’s outdoor unit. In the winter, the outdoor unit relies on unobstructed airflow to collect sufficient heat for your home. If the snow interferes with airflow, your heat pump will struggle. So, after each time it snows, look at your outdoor unit. Ideally, you want at least 2 feet of clear space on all sides of it. If necessary, brush accumulated snow off the unit and shovel around it.
2. Keep a Consistent Thermostat Setting
For peak heat pump efficiency, avoid fiddling with your thermostat. Choose a desired temperature, and then let your heat pump work. Some heat pump owners struggle with that because of a key difference between heat pumps and furnaces. A gas furnace puts out hot air between 130 and 140 degrees. By contrast, heat pumps produce air between 90 and 110 degrees. That’s hot enough to heat a home, but it may feel lukewarm to some owners. As a result, they turn up the thermostat, thinking it will force the system to produce hotter air. It won’t. It will make your heat pump run far longer than necessary, wasting energy.
For the same reason, you should avoid turning your heat pump on and off. Heat pumps excel at maintaining consistent temperatures. They’re not suited for producing large temperature swings. If you leave your heat pump on, it will choose the right moments to turn on and off on its own.
3. Avoid Supplemental Heat Mode
Heat pumps have a supplemental heat mode that turns on whenever the heat pump can’t produce sufficient heat. Most systems use electric heat strips as their backup heat source. It is tremendously inefficient and will drive up your energy costs. Therefore, you should be cognizant of your heat pump switching to supplemental mode. If yours does so frequently in the winter, it may mean your heat pump is the wrong size for your needs. In that case, you should consult an HVAC professional to double-check your system sizing.
You could also consider replacing your heat pump with a cold-weather model. They typically function efficiently down to -15 degrees. While they may still have a supplemental heat source installed, they’re less likely to use it than conventional heat pumps.
4. Replace Your Heat Pump Air Filters
Proper airflow through your heat pump is essential to its efficiency. So, replace your system’s air filter before the heating season starts. If you have a mini-split heat pump, its filters should be washable. Remove the filter from each indoor air handler, wash it, and reinstall it. That will not only keep your heat pump operating efficiently but will also improve your indoor air quality.
5. Avoid Your Heat Pump’s Auto Mode
Most heat pumps feature three comfort mode settings. They are heat, cool, and auto. While it may be tempting to use the auto mode, you shouldn’t. In that mode, your heat pump may switch back and forth between the other two modes in the winter. For example, if you cook a meal and your kitchen’s heat raises your indoor temperature, it may switch to cooling. Then, it would run in that mode to lower your home’s temperature before switching back to heat.
In effect, auto mode may force you to pay for air conditioning in the winter. Be careful not to confuse this setting with the controls for your heat pump’s fan. It also has an auto setting, which turns the fan on and off with the rest of the heat pump. That auto setting is the ideal fan setting in most situations.
6. Don’t Close Vents
For many years, conventional wisdom held that you could save on heat by closing vents in rooms you don’t use. You should never do that with a heat pump or any other forced-air heating system. When you do, the air pressure inside your ductwork increases. That pressure pushes back on your heat pump and makes it work harder. It may also lead to air leaks in your ductwork, wasting even more heat.
7. Schedule a Maintenance Appointment
Finally, it’s essential to have your heat pump serviced regularly to keep it running efficiently. A heat pump needs a maintenance visit at least once per year. Ideally, you should have two: one before the cooling season and one before the heating season. During a maintenance visit, an HVAC technician will clean your heat pump’s internal components and inspect them for wear. They’ll also make necessary adjustments and check your system’s refrigerant levels if they suspect a leak. The visit will allow you to identify and fix problems before turning on the heat.
The Local Heat Pump Leader
With over 20 years of experience on staff, Blue Best Plumbing, Heating, Air, Generators is your source for all things heat pumps in Bountiful. Our woman-owned local business prides itself on offering exceptional heating service and workmanship. We provide complete HVAC services, including installation, repair, and maintenance. That includes the latest heat pumps and ductless mini-splits. We sell and install systems from industry leaders like Lennox and Amana. We also provide plumbing services if your home requires any.
Additionally, we’re Better Business Bureau-accredited with an A+ rating! We can even help you with financing on approved credit if you need it to afford a new heat pump. For heat pump installation and maintenance in Bountiful, call Blue Best Plumbing, Heating, Air, Generators today.
