Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Heat Pump Installation’

Signs You Need a New Heat Pump

Monday, October 9th, 2017

heat-pump-technicianThe weather will be getting colder soon, despite the current heat. That means that you’re going to be switching your heat pump from cooling to heating pretty soon, without letting up on the amount of demand. Before the weather gets too cold, now would be a good time to evaluate your heat pump to see if it can get you through another winter. If not, you should probably replace it now rather than wait for the weather to get much colder. The longer you wait, the more problems you create for the system, up to and including a sudden breakdown. Have a look at some of the signs that it’s time to install a new heat pump.

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When to Replace Your Heat Pump

Wednesday, January 18th, 2017

Hopefully, you’ve been taking good care of your heat pump over the years. The better you look after it, the longer it will last and the better the return on your investment will be. No matter how well you take care of your system, though, you will eventually need to replace it. You probably don’t want to have to replace your heating system in the middle of winter, so it’s a good idea to be able to tell when your system is about to give out. Let’s take a look at some of the signs that you need to replace your heat pump this winter.

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The Benefits of Installing a Heat Pump for Summer

Monday, March 21st, 2016

Summer is fast approaching, and now is the time for homeowners to get their homes ready for the hottest months of the year. For some of us, that will mean installing a new climate control system. If you’re in the market for a new air conditioning system, you should take a look at what heat pumps have to offer. Read on for more information on the benefits of installing a heat pump system this summer.

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Why You Should Install a Heat Pump this Summer

Monday, August 3rd, 2015

Traditional air conditioning has much to recommend it, which is why it’s still the number-1 home cooling solution in the country. However, it is not the only solution on the market. There are still a number of other home cooling systems, each with its own set of unique advantages to offer. Heat pumps are one of those system types. Read on to find out more about heat pumps, and how one can benefit you this summer.

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What Size Heat Pump Is Right for My Home?

Monday, December 26th, 2011

One of the most important questions to answer when purchasing and installing any new heating or cooling system, no matter what type, is what size is best for your North Bethesda home. You need something that has enough capacity to heat or cool your whole home comfortably; otherwise your house will consistently be at an undesirable temperature.

Some people might think that the quickest solution to this problem is to just buy a system that they are sure has a capacity larger than the size of their home. You may even be tempted to get the biggest model out there, under the logic that the biggest is the best and it will be sure to be able to cover your whole house.

While this line of thinking might make sense to you, it’s actually not a good idea. The problem with this “solution” is that you can wind up with a heat pump that is considerably too large for your needs, which means your home will consistently be either too cool or too hot, and your energy bills will be unnecessarily high.

The best way to choose a new heat pump is to have a professional do a load calculation in your home. This can be a highly technical process, so it is best to leave it to the pros. However, here are some quick tips and other things to consider on the subject:

  • There are a lot of variable to consider in doing a calculation like this. A contractor doing a load calculation will consider the type of construction, what kind of insulation you have installed, what kind of windows you have, whether there is an attic, how many people live there and many more factors.
  • It never hurts to shop around. Get a few estimates from different area contractors, rather than just going with the first opinion.
  • Also, since heat pumps are used for both heating and cooling, different contractors may opt to do the calculation in different ways. Some will estimate capacity based on heating, while others will base it on cooling. Ask to see which is the case for each estimate you receive.
  • If you are getting a new heat pump as a replacement for an existing one, or even a different heating/cooling system, check the capacity of the unit you are replacing. That can be a good place to start. You will at least be in the right ballpark.

All of this means doing some extra leg work up front, but getting the proper sized heat pump is well worth the effort.

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Heating Tip: Heat Pump Load Calculation

Monday, December 12th, 2011

When purchasing a heat pump in Chevy Chase, the first thing you should do is determine what type of heat pump you want and how big it needs to be to provide ample heating and cooling to your home. If you’re unsure what you need, here are some tips to size a heat pump for your home’s particular needs.

The Importance of Sizing

Before buying anything, consider the cost of an oversized heat pump. A lot of homeowners opt for the biggest device on the market, but they don’t realize that they’re paying more than necessary for their device. An oversized device cycles on and off more often than is necessary and wears down much faster, resulting in an increased electric bill and faster wear on the device. It’s not good for your heat pump or your wallet.

How to Size

To correctly size a heat pump, the first step is to perform a load calculation. This is done by measuring the total volume of the rooms being heated (in cubic meters) and then determining the heating factor based on the type of insulation used.

There are different measurements depending on the type and R-rating of your insulation. For example, a single external wall without any additional insulation has a heating factor of 15. The number of external walls, the insulation in those walls and/or the ceiling and the rating of the insulation will determine the total heating factor for the room.

You will then divide the room volume by the heating factor to determine the number of KW (converted to BTUs) needed to heat that particular room.

Professional Sizing

The reason it is so important to call a professional heating contractor is that certain things, like poorly insulated windows, cracks in the foundation, leaks in the ducts and other issues can have an impact on the overall heating factor measurement. Additionally, the type of heat pump you choose must be effective when connected to an air handler for your entire home. A professional can make these measurements and ensure the right sized device is selected.

If you’re unsure about anything related to sizing and selecting a new heat pump for your home, call an HVAC in. They will perform a full load calculation and present your options for a new heat pump based on those calculations.

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How Does a Heat Pump Work? A Question From Barnesville

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

If you’re in the market for a new home heating and cooling system in Barnesville, a heat pump is definitely an option worth considering. However, while the popularity of these systems is growing rapidly, many people still don’t understand what they’re all about. Before you go out and get yourself a new home comfort system, you should make sure you really know what you’re looking at

As their name suggests, heat pumps move heat from one location to another. However, their name can be misleading as well. Heat pumps are able to both heat your home in the winter and keep it cool in the summer by taking heat from the air in one place and sending it to another.

For example, your heat pump will remove the heat from your indoor air in the summer and pump it outside to keep your home cool. In the winter, the process is reversed, and the heat pump gathers heat from the outdoor air and pumps it inside to keep you house warm.

Of course, it’s not hard to see how the air inside your home in the summer has heat in it. But the outdoor air in the winter is cold. So how does a heat pump heat your house with cold air? Well, the truth is that there is almost always some heat in the air, no matter how cold it seems to you and me.

In fact, the temperature would have to drop well into the negative range before there was absolutely no heat to be found in the air. And heat pumps are specially designed to find that heat and collect it.

Basically all heat pumps work on this principle. However, they can’t keep your house comfortable all on their own. Heat pumps are usually installed as part of a complete home heating and cooling system. This means they’ll be paired with an air handler that can circulate the temperature controlled air throughout the house.

There are also some heat pumps that supplement the amount of heat they’re able to pull out of the air by heating it as it passes through. These types of heat pumps are often more effective in cooler areas, but because they require more energy to actually generate heat, they’re not typically as energy efficient as models that rely on their ability to get heat only out of the air.

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