by Paul Dale
Despite the name, many homeowners are installing modern heat pumps to provide air conditioning during the increasingly hot summers. Heat pumps are the most efficient option for air conditioning; they are the “coolest option”.
Heat pumps have many advantages over window air conditioning units and central air. Window units are noisy, heavy and awkward to put in or take out, unattractive to look at either from inside or outside, and cannot be installed in living spaces with large attractive windows that don’t open vertically. They are also inefficient. Central air may be quiet but the cost of adding duct work can be prohibitive.
If your home central air conditioning is old, it might fail on one of the hottest days. Technology has also come a long way in recent years so the unit might be less efficient. The old system may be costing you more than a modern, highly efficient heat pump.
A Mass Save audit is recommended if one was not completed in the last three years. The audits identify energy-saving opportunities and provide an energy report with recommendations and available incentives. They are free. To arrange an audit, go to https://community.massenergize.org/Wayland/actions/4.
Now, before the season starts, is the best time to look at air conditioning options, Modern heat pumps are recommended. Take the time now to plan and install what is right for you before summer. There are a few different types of heat pumps. One type, the compressor is installed outside, with one or more indoor units, connected with refrigerant lines. The compressor uses outside air to chill the refrigerant which results in the compressor generating heated air. The chilled refrigerant is circulated to the inside unit where it is used to cool the inside air. Another type is an inside unit which is connected to the ducting, usually in the basement or attic, and the outside compressor is usually on a pad next to the building. A third option is the mini-split which does not require ducting. One or more indoor units are connected by refrigerant lines to an outside compressor. Mini-splits are excellent options for all homes offering greater flexibility to locate indoor units in unusual living spaces or just a few rooms. They are the only heat pump option for a home with baseboard heat.
Heat pumps use better refrigerants and have variable speed motors that they run more efficiently. Because the compressor can operate at varying speeds, with less electricity draw, there is the human benefit of providing quiet and continuous cooling because they don’t have the cycle of coming on with a blast and running noisily at full tilt.
Second, modern heat pumps also provide heat! Some of the heating load can be managed with a heat pump to reduce your climate impact, save money on your heating bills and/or provide additional heating for cold areas of the house.
Third, there are great state and federal rebates incentives for heat pumps. The MassSave program offers up to $10,000 in rebates and homeowners can qualify for up to $2,000 in a federal tax credit.
Talk to installers specializing in heat pumps and/or meet with a Wayland volunteer heat pump coach. Request a coach at https://www.massenergize.org/coaching-request/
Learn more about heat pumps at https://community.massenergize.org/Wayland/actions/3 and other climate related actions you can take at www.energizewayland.org
