Heating - Plumbing Appliances

Should I Turn My Heat Pump Off In The Extreme Cold? Many people wonder if heat pumps function well in extremely cold temperatures. Indeed, heat pumps work perfectly well in extremely cold temperatures. But you probably wonder, should I turn my heat pump off in the extreme cold? Well, the answer is No. you don't have to turn the heat pump off in the extreme cold. Current heat pumps transfer heat from the outside with ease, regardless of whether it is colder outside or not. Therefore, there is no need to switch off a heat pump when it's too cold. The only point at which a heat pump lacks efficiency in cost-effectiveness is when the temperature is below zero. In the past, some heat pumps thrived even in extremely cold temperatures while others were disadvantaged. Today, all heat pumps function optimally in extremely cold temperatures. When winter comes, you will need to have enough heat in your home to avoid hurting yourself with excess cold. Heat pumps come as a blessing to many homeowners during the winter. Indeed, your home can be heated efficiently by a heat pump. This will, however, require that the temperatures are above the freezing point. Heat pumps come as the most cost-effective option for heating your home during winter. When you use a heat pump in your home, you can easily optimize your yearly cooling and heating costs. Despite these benefits, many homeowners are still hesitant to buy heat pumps. The main lingering question and concern is the winter operation of heat pumps. You may wonder about the mechanisms involved in the pump to pull heat from the air in extremely cold conditions. Read on to know how to operate a heat pump in winter without switching it off. Why Heat Pumps Didn't Always Work Well in Cold Climates Unlike in the past, modern heat pumps perform their tasks well even in extremely cold temperatures. This is a thing that was unheard of in the past. The basic mechanism of heat pumps is to get the heat from outdoors and transfer it indoors. Indeed, heat pumps cannot make their heat. Consequently, they depend on the heat in the atmosphere outside to relay the same indoors. Heat pumps are incredibly efficient. When it is extremely cold outside, older heat pumps get it rough when it comes to transferring heat inside. Their performance is therefore deficient. The simple explanation for this is that the heat pump will require more energy to transfer heat from out to inside when it is extremely cold. This is occasioned by the outside when it colder than the inside. This was problematic but has since been addressed by modern heat pumps. Modern heat pumps come with an improved ability to handle extremely cold weather. Can My Heat Pump Continually Pull Heat From The Air? Yes. A heat pump can always get heat from the air. The ceiling for this is that it never gets to freezing point. As long as the temperature in the environment is beyond zero, rest assured that you can get heat from your heat pump. The only concern about a heat pump's ability to pump heat from the air when it is cold should be efficiency. You may ask then, when is it not advisable to run my heat pump? As long as the temperature is above zero degrees Celsius, you are safe to use your heat pump to warm your home. At this point, it is cost-effective. However, when the temperature in the environment drops below zero degrees, it is less effective to run your heat pump. How can I Choose the Right Heat Pump for My Home? The first thing to do when you want to know the best heat pump is to conduct research. Through research, you will be able to know the best options that are available in the market. After you settle on the best product, you will still need to look at the specific features that are available in the product of your interest. Another way to know the best heat pump for your home is to read online reviews. Reviews are a great way to get first-hand information from real users. Through reviews, you will know the specific attributes of the heat pump and how the users felt using them. Look at the negative reviews as well. See what the customers say is deficient with the particular heat pumps. Again, look at how the support responds. Inadequate support response will be a good enough ticket for you to forget about that specific heat pump. When there are more positive reviews than negative ones, the product is good. On the other hand, if there are more negative reviews than positive ones, do not buy the heat pump. However, it is important to know how to authenticate reviews. Some crafty manufacturers write their reviews, pretending to be customers. If you do not know how to authenticate online reviews, Google it up and see what you need to do. Also, ask a friend or neighbor who has used the heat pump. Are there any particular areas that the user feels are defective? Ask many friends and relatives to make an informed decision. If there are many negative opinions from your friends and relatives, it is best to forget about that brand. Lastly, remember that researching a particular product is fine. Indeed, you will get some information about it. However, to get complete information concerning heat pumps, you will need specific responses to particular questions. This product-specific information can only come from a professional. That calls for a heat pump installation professional. A heat pump installation professional will tell you how a particular system will function in your home under specific conditions and much more. The professional needs to be one whose specialization is in heat pump installation and maintenance. Can I Use Defrost Mode In My Heat Pump? To many people, defrost mode may seem alarming! However, wind operation in winter requires this feature. You will need to know how to use defrost mode for you to enjoy the services of a heat pump in winter fully. When it gets to freezing point, some ice will form on the outside of the heat pump. When this happens, the heat pump will turn itself to defrost mode to defrost the components. All the same, this is an activity that will take very little time. This should not be a cause for alarm since it is a normal operation for the safety of the heat pump. However, there may be instances where defrost is frequent. If it kicks too frequently or lasts for extended periods, it will be needful to contact a qualified professional. Although defrost mode is a part of the operational mode of the heat pump. If it takes too long to revert or it kicks off too often, you need to have the problem addressed by a heating contractor. Once you contact them, they will be able to diagnose the problem and solve it in due time. Can I Combine My Heat Pump With A Gas Furnace? It is not impractical to pair your heat pump with a gas furnace. This is especially so if your residence is in areas that drop below the freezing point. If this happens frequently, it is a good idea to have a backup plan. When you have this dual method of getting heat in your home, you will be switching to the cost-effective method of getting heat as the situation demands. For instance, you will need to switch to the gas option when temperatures drop below zero, as continuing to use the heat pump will translate to high costs. On the other hand, a gas furnace will be cheaper to run than a heat pump below zero degrees. Having said this, it is not a wise idea to entirely rely on emergency heat at any one time. This is especially so if it is during extremely cold days. If you do, you will see a drastic increase in your utility bills. Again, this is not the best way to allocate your heating energy. When you realize that the heat pump is not efficient to cut it, then add a gas furnace to enjoy the savings. Can I Program My Heat Pump? If you want to avoid using too much time monitoring your heat pump, it is time you think of making the system programmable. With a programmed heat pump, there is no need to worry about your thermostat. As soon as you install a heat pump, find out from your installer how it is programmable. Additionally, you will also pay regular attention to your filter. Like all other systems, make sure that you are paying attention to your filter. With an air filter installed, you will not worry about the quality of air that is coming through your heat pump into the house. A filter will ensure that the air is safe from any contaminants before it gets into the house. When you install an air filter, you will be sure of enjoying premium air in your home. It is essential to know that operating a heat pump in winter is not hard. However, if you are not sure of how to go about it, you will need to seek professional advice from a heating contractor in your area. There are best practices for different areas and jurisdictions. Also, be sure to schedule a tune-up every year to ensure that you have a perfect pump for the wintertime. What Types Of Heat Pumps Are Available? There are several categories of heat pumps. The first category consists of geothermal heat pumps. Just a few feet below the ground, the temperatures range from 45° F to 75° F in the US. Consider how easily geothermal pumps harvest heat underground and convert it to useful heat energy in homes. Because geothermal temperatures are fairly constant, they can act as very reliable sources of energy. Great temperature fluctuations are a strange thing in the underground geothermal world. It may not matter much that you are using a geothermal heat pump during winter or summer. Underground temperatures are fairly consistent, and there is no need to worry about any fluctuations when using these pumps. What’s more, the temperatures trapped in the ground below are enough to strike a balance in our homes, whether it is too cold or too hot. In all types of extreme climates, geothermal pumps come handy. Another category of heat pumps is water-source heat pumps. These are the forms of heat pumps that make use of bodies of water to draw heat energy and pump it into homes or offices. The bodies of water used by water-source heat pumps are ponds, lakes, or any other source of water. If you have a body of water near your home or on your property, you may consider this a good option. Installing them is not expensive. Ideally, installing them is way below the cost of installing underground water pumps. Again, their consistency in heat production outweighs what air-source water pumps can offer. However, a big percentage of the cost-efficiency is dependent on the water source that is already available on your property. Conclusion In the past few decades, heat pumps were inappropriate to be used in extreme climates. In such climatic conditions, they were not cost-effective and occasioned more utility bills. The problem was that they could not transfer heat from the outside to the inside when it was colder outside. This is a problem that does not bedevil modern heat pumps. Indeed, current heat pumps transfer heat from the outside with ease, regardless of whether it is colder outside or not. Therefore, there is no need to switch off a heat pump when it is too cold. The only point at which a heat pump lacks efficiency in cost-effectiveness is when the temperature is below zero. But as long as the temperature is above zero, there is nothing to worry about. Go on and run your heat pump as usual. Therefore, if you were asking yourself, do I switch off my heat pump in winter? You have the answer, and the answer is no.