Heat pumps are a popular heating option around the Summerville area because of the superior efficiency they offer compared to most other options. Consider these five reasons why 2023 may be the perfect year to finally make the switch.
1. All-in-One Solution
When it comes to heating and cooling your home, traditional systems have two different units: an air conditioner and a heater. Heat pumps provide both heating and cooling for your home, simplifying your system into a single unit.
This consolidation means that you only have a single unit to maintain and repair. Even more importantly, you only have one unit to replace at the end of its service life. A furnace usually lasts 15 to 20 years and an air conditioner 10 to 15 years, depending. This means that you’ll likely need to replace separate units in multiple years, though likely within a few years of each other. A heat pump allows you to replace the unit once and then forget about having another replacement for its entire service life.
2. Lower Costs
Most homeowners look forward to the improved efficiency and the potential for lower utility costs that heat pumps offer. With traditional gas furnaces, some heat will always escape with the exhaust, leaving the efficiency less than 100%. Electric furnaces offer 100% efficiency because there is no exhaust, but they consume a lot of expensive electricity to create heat.
Heat pumps, on the other hand, transfer heat from the air outside into your home. This means that they can transfer many times more energy than they consume, achieving efficiency as high as 300% at times. Further, the Environmental Protection Agency suggests that heat pumps use up to 50% less power than electric resistance furnaces.
3. There’s Less Risk
Most people don’t think about the risks associated with heating their homes, and every system has some risks. However, heat pumps offer much less risk when compared to traditional gas furnaces.
With a gas furnace, you have the obvious risk of a gas leak, which can result in a house fire or worse. However, gas furnaces also produce carbon monoxide as a byproduct of the burning fuel. This is the more significant risk, and it can easily occur if the exhaust system develops a leak from an area such as a cracked heat exchanger.
The risks associated with heat pumps are from the refrigerant and the electrical system. Even if the system develops a refrigerant leak inside your home, there’s a limited supply, allowing it to easily dissipate if you don’t have direct exposure to the leak. The system has a large electrical draw, so as long as a professional performs the service on your system for maintenance and repairs, this should also pose a minimal risk.
4. More Consistent Temperature
Furnaces produce a lot of heat all at once, causing the temperature throughout your home to rise quickly. However, it then cools until it triggers another heating cycle, leaving your home’s temperature constantly fluctuating.
The air supplied to your home from a heat pump isn’t as hot, so the heating cycles last longer. Once the system achieves your set temperature, it keeps your home’s temperature more consistent over time because it doesn’t have the same temperature swings. High-efficiency heat pumps have 2-stage compressors, allowing them to run nearly constantly while still using less energy, further reducing possible temperature swings.
5. Huge Savings
While most people think about the potential savings that heat pumps offer while running, there are also substantial savings available for making the upgrade now. The Inflation Reduction Act offers several ways to save while installing a high-efficiency heat pump, such as the 17 SEER+ heat models.
You’ll first save money on the installation cost with the federal rebate programs that are managed through the state of South Carolina. These include the Home Owner Managing Energy Savings Rebate, available to all homeowners, and the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate, which is available to low- and moderate-income families.
In addition to the rebates, heat pumps also qualify for the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit. This allows you to claim 30% of the installation cost, including labor, up to $2,000. This is a non-refundable tax credit, so it’ll help reduce your tax liability but not increase your tax refund. Between these programs, you’re eligible for up to $10,000 in tax credits and rebates, depending on the kind of heat pump you install.
People around Summerville have trusted Acute Heating & Cooling to help them find the most cost-efficient heating and cooling options available. Our technicians provide AC and heating installation, maintenance, and repair along with indoor air quality solutions. Call to schedule your heat pump consultation with one of our expert technicians today.
