Did your air conditioner just go out? Is your furnace on the fritz as well? It could be time to replace them. But rather than sticking with a furnace and air conditioner combination, consider installing a heat pump. This HVAC system is less common in Utah, but it's quickly gaining popularity as one of the most efficient, eco-friendly ways to heat and cool a house. Learn how this equipment works and the heat pump pros and cons to consider before making your decision.
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Like an air conditioner, a heat pump uses refrigerant to move heat from one location to another. In fact, the two systems operate identically in the summer, extracting heat from inside your home and exhausting it outside.
Thanks to an ingenious reversing valve, a heat pump can also operate in reverse, allowing it to heat your home in the winter. As long as it isn't too cold outside, the refrigerant can absorb thermal energy from outdoor air and deposit it inside.
Heat pumps offer plenty of benefits to Utah homeowners. Here's what to expect if you install this HVAC equipment:
Before buying a heat pump system, it's important to know the potential downsides. Here are the cons of heating and cooling your home with a heat pump:
Are you ready to install a heat pump in your Utah home? Could you use more help deciding if a heat pump is right for you? Either way, Triple T Heating, Cooling & Plumbing is happy to help. Our HVAC experts can recommend installing a heat pump or a traditional furnace and air conditioner combination based on your lifestyle, budget, and expectations.
For more information about heat pumps or to request an installation estimate, please contact us at 801-798- if you live in Utah County or 435-275- if you're a Washington County resident. You can also schedule HVAC services online.
Everything you need to know about the Warm Homes Plan
' Owning an air source heat pump could cut your emissions by 44% per year
' However, heat pumps aren't 100% emission free
' An air source heat pump's efficiency rating typically reaches 300%
Despite the high cost of heat pumps, the number of these green pieces of tech is set to increase dramatically in the near future. This uptick is mainly fuelled by the government's ambitious goal of installing 600,000 heat pumps per year by ' but are these heating systems actually any good?
Like most heating appliances, there are advantages and disadvantages to heat pumps. In this article, we outline both the positive and negative aspects of air source heat pumps, as well as which properties aren't suitable for them, and who might benefit the most from them.
If you're already set on getting a new heat pump, you can get the ball rolling by filling out this short form. Once we've received your details, we'll put you in touch with our expert heat pump suppliers, who will be in touch with free quotes.
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Get startedWant to get a better idea of what it's like to own an air source heat pump? Check out our case study with Louise, from South London.
Louise had a 12-kilowatt air source heat pump installed to reduce her reliance on fossil fuels, and received £5,000 off the upfront cost through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Now, Louise can enjoy a warm, even temperature throughout the house, without fluctuations.
Take a look at the full interview with Louise to learn more.
There are many advantages to air source heat pumps, such as the fact that they are environmentally friendly, highly energy efficient, and have a long lifespan.
We'll go over all the advantages of air source heat pumps in more detail in the following sections.
The main advantage of air source heat pumps is that they're more environmentally friendly than gas and oil boilers.
Air source heat pumps extract heat from the air outside, and then use this heat to warm up your home and provide hot water. Unlike gas and oil boilers, these appliances run on electricity, which isn't always emission free but is much more environmentally friendly. For example, in the first quarter of , only 45.5% of the UK's energy mix came from renewables.
Finding low-carbon ways of heating homes is key for the UK's future ' especially since 85% of UK homes still rely on gas boilers to stay warm.
How much CO2 could you save by switching to an air source heat pump? The typical air source heat pump owner could cut their emissions by 70.5% per year, according to calculations we've made using data from the Energy Saving Trust and the government.
But of course, this depends on the heating system the homeowner is switching from. For example, if you currently rely on gas to heat your home, you could save up to 1,800 kg of CO2 a year ' a 70.5% decrease ' by switching to an air source heat pump, whilst oil boiler owners could save up to 2,900 kg of CO2 per year ' an 80% decrease.
Check out the chart below to see how much CO2 you could save each year by switching to an air source heat pump:
Data from the Energy Saving Trust,
Air source heat pumps are pretty low maintenance. The main thing you'll need to do to make sure your heat pump stays in tip-top shape is to keep it clean. This usually includes wiping down the coils, replacing the filters every few months, removing any dirt from the internal fan blades, and cleaning the registers.
You'll also want to make sure there's nothing obstructing your heat pump. The unit has to be placed outside, which means some items ' such as grass, plants, twigs, and other foliage ' can end up obstructing airflow to the air source heat pump.
Want to learn more? Check out our page on air source heat pump maintenance tips.
An air source heat pump's efficiency rating typically reaches 300% ' though the best models can reach even higher rates. This means an air source heat pump can produce three units of energy for every unit of electricity it absorbs, on average.
To put this in context, the average UK home uses just over 12,000 kWh per year for heating, and your heat pump would be able to provide the same amount of heat from just 4,000 kWh of electricity. How does this compare to other heating systems? Well, electric boilers only have an efficiency rating of 100%, while the best gas boilers can only reach 98% efficiency.
Although the efficiency of an air source heat pump will reduce slightly as the outside air temperature falls, they're still capable of extracting heat from the air when temperatures are as low as -15°C.
Air source heat pumps are pretty expensive, with the average unit costing about £10,000 upfront.
However, to soften the blow on this, homeowners in England and Wales can get £7,500 off the cost of a new air source heat pump, thanks to the government's Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
The scheme started in and is operating on a 'first-come, first-served basis,' with customers having to register their interest with air or ground source heat pump installers. Installers will then apply for the £7,500 grant on behalf of customers, and remove that amount from the heat pump's price.
However, a maximum of just 90,000 homes will be able to take advantage of the grant over the next three years ' so make sure you get a quote fast.
Despite its benefits, our National Home Energy Survey found that 73% of people are not aware of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
Homeowners in Wales can also get a free heat pump through the Nest Wales scheme, as long as they meet the following requirements:
People in Scotland can also get a grant for a heat pump via Home Energy Scotland, so long as:
Heat pumps are safer than combustion-based heating systems, since they don't need to burn fuel to generate heat.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Air Source Heat Pump Manufacturer.
Although you'll need to have an annual service check on your air source heat pump, this isn't to check the safety of the unit ' it's a requirement to maintain a manufacturer's warranty.
A well-installed air source heat pump system can last for at least 20 years. But of course, this will depend on how well you look after your heat pump. With a bit of TLC, you can reap the rewards of low-carbon heating for decades to come.
If you're thinking of getting solar panels on your roof ' or you already have a set ' you'll be able to pair them with your heat pump.
Most properties won't be able to fully power a heat pump with solar energy, since doing this would require more solar panels than the average property can fit on its roof. For example, the average three-bedroom house could fit around 10 350W solar panels on its roof, but these would only meet a maximum of 90% of a heat pump's energy needs.
However, by partially powering your heat pump with solar energy, you'll be able to further reduce your heating system's carbon emissions, and this will dramatically reduce the running costs.
There are a number of heat pump myths floating about these days ' with one of the main ones depicting them as noisy machines. Thankfully, this isn't true. Heat pumps are no longer the noisy pieces of equipment they used to be when they first came onto the market.
Heat pumps make about as much noise as a refrigerator ' and you shouldn't be able to hear the sound from indoors (your heat pump will go outside).
Some air source heat pump models, called air-to-air heat pumps, can actually be used for cooling purposes too.
How exactly can a heat pump work as a cooling unit? In the summer months, it can act just like a standard air conditioner, using a refrigerant to cool outside hot air and transfer it inside your home.
To have an air-to-air heat pump though, you would have to switch from a 'wet heat' system ' the kind that sends hot water into radiators ' to a 'dry heat' system that sends cold or hot air through ducts in the walls.
Air source heat pumps do have some disadvantages to them. They're more expensive than gas boilers for one, both in terms of set up costs and running costs, and even though they're low-carbon, they don't run on 100% green electricity.
Heat pumps run on electricity, which is three times more expensive than gas. So heat pumps are more expensive to run than gas boilers, but they aren't actually three times more expensive.
That's because heat pumps are 300% efficient ' whilst gas boilers are around 94% efficient ' so they use much less energy to run. So you'll only experience a small increase in running costs.
The average three-bedroom house will pay £939 per year to run a heat pump, compared to £694 per year with a gas boiler.
Check out our guide on how much air source heat pumps cost in for more information.
Air source heat pumps are pretty expensive upfront ' costing an average of £10,000. This isn't ideal, considering 69% of people rank cost as the most important factor when evaluating which low-carbon product to purchase.
However, homeowners in England and Wales can get £7,500 off the cost of a new air source heat pump through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, bringing the price tag down to £2,500 ' less than the average cost of a gas boiler. The grant fully cancels out this disadvantage.
We estimate that the base price will continue to decrease over the course of this decade, as more people opt for heat pumps and the industry makes more technological advances ' but the £7,500 grant will only be temporary, so take advantage while you can.
Although the government is pushing for heat pumps to become more common in the UK, it's been estimated that 54% of UK homes aren't suitable for them. Installing heat pumps for flats for example, can be tricky, but not impossible.
To get the most out of heat pumps, a property needs to have:
Want to know whether your home could rely on a heat pump? Check out our pages: Is Your Home Suitable for a Heat Pump? and Is UK Housing Suitable For Heat Pumps?
Although heat pumps are a much more sustainable option than oil-, coal-, and gas-fuelled heating systems, they rely on electricity ' which isn't always green.
Depending on which part of the world you are located in, a heat pump's carbon footprint will fluctuate. This is because some countries produce electricity by burning fossil fuels, whilst others rely heavily on renewables. For example, gas accounted for 47% of the UK's electric grid in August , whilst 90% of Norway's electricity came from hydropower.
As well as forking out a few thousand pounds to install a new heat pump, you'll also have to consider the cost of installing underfloor heating or new radiators that are 2.5 times bigger than regular ones.
Since heat pumps release heat at a much slower rate than boilers, they're more energy-efficient ' but it also means you either need large surface areas in your heating equipment, or insulation that holds onto the warmth your heat pump generates.
There are plenty of pros and cons to heat pumps. If the environment, efficiency, and safety are at the forefront of your mind when choosing your next heating system, heat pumps are a great option. On the other hand, if you're worried about finances, heat pumps might not be right for you.
That said, the price of electricity is predicted to start falling in two years' time, so maybe this is a project you can revisit later down the line. And if you already have solar panels propped onto your roof, it's a no-brainer ' the heat pumps will practically pay for themselves.
If you're ready to get a new heat pump, get the best deal by filling out this short form. Our expert heat pump suppliers will be in touch with free quotes shortly.
Heat pumps are effective at temperatures as low as -25°C.
However, air source heat pumps become slightly less efficient when the temperature dips below 0°C, going from 300% efficiency to 200% efficiency. This is because they need to work harder to draw heat from the air.
Ground source heat pumps, on the other hand, typically don't lose as much efficiency when the temperature reaches 0°C, since the temperature inside the ground will likely still be around 10°C.
Yes you can put a heat pump in an old house. However, homeowners with pre- houses might need to take extra steps to make their home ready for a heat pump. Heat pumps work best with well insulated houses, and older houses are, on average, poorly insulated. If that's the case with your home, you can still install a heat pump, but we'd recommend investing in insulating measures such as wall insulation and double glazing.
Yes, heat pumps can heat a whole house, since they're designed to replace other whole house heating systems such as gas or oil boilers. Heat pumps can be connected to a property's existing radiator system, and provide heat for all the rooms.
Beth has written for The Eco Experts for over three years, combining her journalistic skills with her knowledge of the environmental industry, garnering thousands of readers along the way.
With her articles covering a range of environmental topics ' from solar panel suggestions to the future of green tech, environmental news to heat pump recommendations ' Beth really does have the know-how when it comes to environmental living.
Since joining The Eco Experts team, her work has been featured in various publications, such as The BBC, Forbes, The Express, Greenpeace, and in multiple academic journals. She has also attended Grand Designs Live as a Green Living Expert, providing tailored advice to members of the public about heat pumps and solar panels.
Her level of expertise has grown vastly over the years, after delving deep into complex analysis pieces, such as The Most Polluting Industries, What Is Carbon Capture And Does It Actually Work?, and Is Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Gas?
You can contact Beth via at
More aboutMax joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February . He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express.
In , he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International.
He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment.
Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa.
As part of this, in Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world's biggest producers of rare earth minerals.
His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive.
Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history and ghost stories. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn't enjoy watching.
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