Air source heat pumps capture heat from the
outdoor air using the process of refrigeration. This heat is then transferred
and released indoors. The heat pump works the same way an air conditioner does,
but in reverse. In fact, a heat pump can also cool a home during the summer.
Because the heat pump simply moves heat from one place to another, it is three
to four times more efficient than using electrical resistance or burning fossil
fuel to create heat.
Many homes are heated with inefficient oil, gas or
electric furnaces. These can easily have central heat pump systems added,
utilizing existing ductwork to create an efficient system. But what about homes
with electric baseboard heat and no ductwork?
Fairly fresh on the scene in North America are inverter-driven ductless heat pumps, also referred to as mini-splits. These systems consist of a small suitcase-sized heat pump located outside, which can accommodate up to five units inside. Multiple indoor units effectively create different zones within the house.
If
properly sized, a single wall-mounted unit, or "head", can heat up to 1,000 square feet of space, even if
the floor plan is not completely open. Each head is controlled with a remote
that can change temperature settings, fan speeds, and air direction.
A ductless system can usually be installed in one day with
very little disruption in the home. Once the wall head or floor console is mounted, everything
is done from the outside. This makes for a very clean installation.
The inverter technology enables the system to
modulate the output based on ambient temperature, therefore it always consumes
the least amount of power necessary to heat or cool the home. The latest
inverter heat pumps have a coefficient of performance (COP) of up to 5, meaning
they put out five times the heat energy than the electrical energy consumed to produce that heat. These
systems can often heat a whole house using the same or even less power than
just one baseboard heater. Inverter systems can operate at full capacity in freezing outdoor temperatures, down to -17°C, and at reduced capacity in even colder temperatures. Inverter technology offers the added
benefits of quiet operation and reduced wear and tear on the compressor. These
systems are so quiet many people cannot hear them running.Contact Envirotemp to arrange for a free estimate. A qualified, experienced technician will provide you with a proposal for a system that will meet all of your heating and cooling needs as efficiently as possible. We carry a full range of ductless heat pump models from Tempstar, so we can design a system for any size home.
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