Heat Pumps

When you are examining your home heating and cooling options, heat pumps are an excellent product to consider. These types of units are quickly growing in popularity in the Greater Cleveland, OH area and beyond, and there are plenty of reasons for that. Of course, before you can decide to go with a heat pump over the other types of home heating and cooling systems out there, you will need to know a little bit more about them.

At Apple Heating & Cooling we know heat pumps. We have them in our homes and we have been installing them for over 25 years. We know that when heat pumps are properly installed and maintained they provide years of economical, reliable comfort.

Apple Heating & Cooling has all of the latest heat pump models available, and we are always happy to answer any questions you may have about them. We aim to carry only the highest quality heat pumps as well, so you can be sure that if you buy a heat pump from us, you are getting a product that will serve you well for many years. Whether you are sure that a heat pump is what you are looking for or you are still exploring your options, we always welcome your questions and patronage.

Heat Pump Tip

Did you know that one of the best things you can do to increase your home’s energy efficiency is to maintain your heating and cooling equipment? Regular maintenance ensures your heat pump is functioning at peak efficiency and helps cut down on the number of repairs that it will need over its lifetime. An HVAC technician will make clean your heat pump, check for refrigerant leaks, inspect the electrical system, and much more to ensure the safe and effective functioning of your heat pump. Maintenance will not only help you save money; it will also help your system last longer!

How Heat Pumps Work

The first thing that many people want to know about heat pumps is how exactly they work. In a sense, heat pumps do exactly what their name implies – they pump heat from one area to another. Where they get the heat that they are pumping, though, is what makes heat pumps so different from other types of home heating and cooling systems.

Heat pumps are actually able to extract heat from the air outside your home and then transfer it inside to keep the indoors toasty warm all winter long. While the air outside is certainly cold in the winter, there is still plenty of heat in it and heat pumps are quite adept at digging it out.

But that's not all your heat pump can do. In addition to keeping your house warm all winter, heat pumps can actually cool your house in the summer by reversing that very same process. Rather than pumping in heat, heat pumps are able to remove the heat from your indoor air and transfer it outside, thereby keeping your home cool during the sweltering summer months.

Heat Pump Myths

Myth #1

Heat Pumps do not work below freezing. Not true. What is true is a heat pump has an outdoor temperature called the balance point, below which the heat pump does not heat the home by itself. In an all-electric system the indoor unit with the blower – called the air handler or fan coil – has electric strip heaters in it to add to the heat the heat pump is making. The heat pump continues to bring heat into the home at all temperatures, and the heat it is bringing in is always very efficient.

Myth #2

Heat Pumps blow cold air. Well sort of true. In reality heat pumps do not blow cold air, but the air coming out of the registers is at a lower temperature than a fossil fuel furnace. Today’s high efficiency gas furnaces have a supply air temperature of 115 to 125 degrees F. A heat pump has supply air temperatures ranging from 110 degrees down to 90 degrees. Because our bodies are about 98.6 degrees, any air temperature below 98 feels cool. But heating our homes to a comfortable 70 degrees or more is no problem. Many people prefer the even heating of heat pump over the up and down of a gas furnace.

Myth #3

Heat Pumps are not reliable. No longer true. When heat pumps first became popular for home heating in the 1960’s, many manufacturers made heat pumps that were not built for the stress of year round operation, and in fact many of the early systems proved to be unreliable. A contributing factor has been contractors that installed heat pumps without installing them correctly. But today’s heat pumps, when installed and maintained correctly, will provide years of reliable, economical comfort.

Heat Pump Energy Efficiency

When compared to other types of home heating and cooling systems, heat pumps are remarkably energy efficient. One of the main reasons for this is that they do not actually have to create heat like a furnace would. Your furnace will take in fuel and convert that to heat, which is then circulated throughout your house. The heat pump, however, simply takes heat that is already there and concentrates it in one place – your home.

Another benefit of heat pumps is that they are exceptionally reliable and durable. They require only minimal maintenance and can continue to run all year long without any interruption or disturbance. Also, unlike other forced air heating systems, heat pumps generate a constant flow of warm air. That means that your indoor temperature stays constant rather than fluctuating when a blast of hot air comes in as happens with furnaces.

Dual-Fuel or Hybrid Heat

One way to take advantage of the benefits of a heat pump is to combine a heat pump with a fossil fuel furnace. The heat pump heats the home down to a pre-determined outdoor temperature – usually around 30 degrees – then the system switches over to the fossil fuel furnace to do the heating below 30 degrees. The heat pump works exactly like a central air conditioner in the summer. Dual-fuel systems provide comfort in winter and summer, and save on heating costs over the fossil fuel furnace alone.

Our Heat Pump Services

If you think that a heat pump is the way you want to go, call to talk to a professional at Apple today. We will help you select a product that is appropriately sized for your home and we can complete a thorough installation as well. The Northeastern Ohio area is a prime spot for heat pumps, and you should enjoy many comfortable years in your home once your heat pump is in place. So give us a call today and start down the road to yearlong indoor comfort.

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