November 18, 2022
Heat pumps provide an energy-efficient alternative to air conditioners and furnaces in Atlanta homes. A heat pump will keep your home cool during the summer, and during the winter, it will keep things warm. Since heat pumps transfer heat rather than generating it, they are an energy-efficient way to maintain a comfortable temperature in your residence. Let's take a look at some of the benefits of installing a heat pump.
Heat Pumps Are Extremely Safe
Conventional heating systems, like gas furnaces or boilers, are reasonably safe. However, air-source heat pumps are a lot safer. This is because heat pumps do not burn fuel to generate heat.
A ground-source heat pump pulls heat from the earth. Year-round, the soil absorbs solar energy from direct sunlight. As a result, it maintains a consistent temperature of between 8 and 12 degrees Celsius. The heat pump will utilize this fact to warm your home in winter and cool it in summer.
The heat pump pushes an antifreeze mix through a series of coils that travel into the ground. The antifreeze mixture pulls heat from the ground and travels via a heat exchanger known as the evaporator, transferring heat to the refrigerant and causing the refrigerant to boil. The refrigerant turns into a gas and travels to the compressor, which raises its temperature. The heated gas passes to the condenser, where the heat from the gas is distributed via radiators or underground floor heating to warm the home.
Since this is not a combustion-based system, there are no safety issues such as toxic fumes, the risk of explosion, or carbon monoxide poisoning. Geothermal heat pumps reduce CO2 emissions and minimize pollution. Since they are driven by electricity, they have no point-of-use emissions. A heat pump is often safer for individuals with respiratory issues than a conventional boiler or furnace is. The same safety benefits are seen with air-source heat pumps, making them much safer than traditional heating systems.
Minimal Noise
Modern electrical heat pumps are designed to produce minimal noise as they operate. The outdoor and indoor components of a heat pump will, of course, make some noise. On average, the outdoor unit has a 60 dB sound rating. This is the same as a normal conversation or moderate rainfall. There are ultra-quiet units that produce between 18 and 30 dB.
The compressors and fans create the majority of the noise. The fan speed and model, as well as the airflow pressure, will impact the noise levels produced by the unit.
A heat pump could be the right option if you want to replace a noisy furnace or air conditioner. Once the unit is installed, regular annual maintenance performed by our experienced technicians at Bardi Heating, Cooling & Plumbing is critical to ensure that your unit operates well and does not produce unnecessary sounds.
Energy Efficiency
A heat pump provides one of the most energy-efficient heating and cooling options for your home. Air-source heat pumps can be up to 300% more efficient because they transfer heat instead of generating it.
A heat pump's efficiency will vary based on how much it has to work to maintain your home or office at a comfortable temperature. The coefficient of performance (CoP) shows how efficiently a heat pump will function under the best conditions. An efficient heat pump can have a CoP rating of up to four. This means that every unit of electricity used to power the heat pump can produce four units of heat.
When you compare this to electric heaters, you immediately see the benefit. These operate at 100%. One unit of electricity will produce one unit of heat. Top-of-the-line gas or oil boilers or furnaces can only function at around 90% to 98% efficiency.
While CoP values show how well the unit functions at peak performance, seasonal coefficient of performance (SCoP) gives you an idea of how the heat pump will work based on seasonal changes. This will give you an average value you can use over the year. Even when using SCoP to evaluate a heat pump's performance, most will provide between 1.5 to 2 CoP. This is significantly better than what is seen with traditional furnaces or boilers.
Installing a heat pump, as opposed to a central air conditioner or furnace, will save money on utility bills. The amount of money you could save by installing a heat pump will vary based on the cost of utilities in your area, the size of your home, the climate, the number of windows in your house, and the type of insulation you have behind your walls.
Ability to Both Heat and Cool
Purchasing, installing, and maintaining a separate air conditioner and furnace are expensive. Individual furnace and air conditioning systems take up a lot of space in your home and backyard. However, heat pumps are designed to produce both cold and warm air. You can save money on labor and expenses by installing a single system that relies on electricity.
Ease of Installation
A ductless heat pump is simple to install and easy to use. A ductless heat pump has two units, one outdoors and one indoors. Together, they take up a lot less space than a traditional HVAC system.
Refrigerant lines can deliver cooling and heating energy into a room more efficiently than air ducting. A forced air HVAC system can lose up to 30% of its energy as the air travels through wide ducts in the house. Conversely, a ductless heat pump system delivers heating and cooling energy directly to indoor units, providing treated air to the space easier and allowing you to save on energy.
Minimal Maintenance
An appealing factor for heat pumps is that they do not require much maintenance. At Bardi Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, we recommend scheduling yearly maintenance on a heat pump. This annual maintenance saves you money in the long run, as it keeps your unit working its best and helps detect problems before they happen.
When properly maintained, a heat pump can help improve your home's air quality by dehumidifying and filtering the air. Good quality air is key to preventing health complications and sickness.
Proper maintenance can give a heat pump a longer life span than a boiler or a forced-air HVAC system. The average life span of an air-source heat pump is 15 years, and that of a ground-source heat pump is 20 years.
Work With Atlanta's Trusted HVAC and Plumbing Experts
At Bardi Heating, Cooling & Plumbing in Norcross, our team stands ready to address your HVAC and plumbing needs anywhere in the Atlanta area. We are a family-owned business with decades of experience behind us. Our technicians are certified by the NATE, and we have an A+ rating with the BBB.
Our services include HVAC repair, maintenance, installation, and replacement. We are also proud to provide a complete line of general plumbing services, including toilet and faucet repair and installation and repair of traditional and tankless water heaters. We're the experts to call if you need leak repair and detection, drain cleaning services, bathroom or kitchen plumbing, or sewer line replacement. Contact us at Bardi Heating, Cooling & Plumbing today to see how we give each job our full attention to ensure that it is done right the first time.
