Heat pumps are ideal for moderate climates, like the Pacific Northwest so if you are looking for a cooling solution for your Portland home, an energy efficient heat pump makes sense as it offers heating and cooling.
In fact, a dual-fuel heat pump is made to work with a gas furnace to more efficiently heat your home.
Why are heat pumps so efficient?
Heat pumps are more efficient because they don’t generate heat; they simply transfer heat from 1 place to another. You see, it takes a smaller amount of energy to move heat and because they move heat rather than generate heat, they can provide up to 4 times the amount of energy they consume (heat pumps are powered by electricity).
How does a heat pump work?
Heat pumps are a heat transfer machine and work a lot like an air conditioner except that heat pumps have a reversing valve that allows you to choose to move the heat from inside the house to the outside (this is the cooling mode) or reverse the cycle and remove heat from outside the house to the indoors. (the heating mode).
In the winter, it pulls heat from either the outside air or out of the ground, multiplies the heat and moves it into your home. In the summer, it moves heat out of your home to cool it.
What is dual-fuel capability?
A heat pump with dual fuel capability means it can be paired with a gas furnace to provide back-up heat during colder weather. Heat pumps are more efficient in moderately cold weather (down to about 30 degrees) while gas furnaces reach peak efficiency in extreme cold weather so they work together and take turns keeping your home warm.
You can select the temperature for the switch to take place so that you can take full advantage of the dual-fuel system and get maximum efficiency out of each piece of equipment.
Best-selling dual-fuel heat pump is the XP14
From Lennox, it’s Energy Star qualified and has a rating of up to 16.00 SEER (stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). The SEER measures cooling output to electrical consumption over a range of temperatures, kind of like gas mileage on a car.
The higher the SEER, the more energy efficient and that means it’ll cost less to operate. If you are interested in reading more about the XP14, click here to go to our website.
Why are heat pumps so popular?
- Very green as they do not burn fuel to create heat
- Use between 30 and 40% less electricity to heat your home
- Cools your home when it’s hot outside and more efficient than a standard air conditioner
- Can last 15 years or more with simple regular routine maintenance
- Very quiet operation
What are the benefits of a heat pump?
Heat pumps deliver constant, even temperatures without blasts of hot or cold air, plus they balance humidity. Many people don’t know they dehumidify the air better than the average central air conditioner, which means more cooling comfort in hot weather and since the air is less humid, it uses less energy.
Heat pumps provides clean, green energy as they doesn’t burn fossil fuels, instead it collects heat from the air or the ground so there’s no flames or exhaust pollutants and the inside of your home stays cleaner and healthier.
Heat pumps circulate indoor air longer than other systems so the air is cleaner. The filtering process removes dust, allergens and airborne particles making the air cleaner which is healthier for everyone, especially those who suffer from allergies or asthma. In addition, heat pumps don’t dry the air like furnaces so you’ll reduce dry skin and dry throat problems.
As you can see, there are many reasons why energy efficient heat pumps are popular in the Portland-Vancouver area so think about installing one in your home. We know you’ll enjoy the money you’ll save every month on your utility bill. Contact Midway Heating to set up your free estimate.
