Why Heat Pumps are Gaining Popularity

Although heat pumps have been around for decades, they have quickly become more mainstream in recent years as a popular alternative to traditional heating and cooling systems. Heat pumps are extremely efficient and, unlike their name suggests, provide both heating and cooling for year-round comfort.

As heat pumps become even more efficient and reliable in colder temperatures, more Warsaw, IN area homeowners are choosing to have them installed. In our most recent blog, the heating and cooling technicians at N.E.W. Plumbing and Heating discuss how heat pumps operate, the benefits of installing one, and why they’re gaining popularity across the state and country.

How Does a Heat Pump Operate?

Although heat pumps operate similarly to air conditioners during warmer weather, it’s how they work during the colder months that separate them from traditional heating and cooling systems.

While furnaces and boilers burn fossil fuels to generate heat, heat pumps simply extract warmth from the outside air or underground and move it indoors during the winter to heat a home. During the warmer months, heat pumps operate in reverse, removing warm air from indoors and transferring it outside. Heat pumps operate on a refrigerant cycle and use a compressor, which works as the system’s engine.

Although air-source heat pumps continue to become more efficient in colder weather, they don’t operate as well once the temperature drops below freezing, meaning you’ll want a backup heating source, such as a gas furnace, during the coldest days of the year.

However, geothermal heat pump systems can operate efficiently even during extremely cold weather. Ground temperatures just a few feet below the Earth’s surface maintain a remarkably consistent range of 45-75℉. Harnessing this geothermal energy, a geothermal system efficiently utilizes these temperatures by facilitating the exchange of heat with the Earth through a ground heat exchanger.

Why Are More Homeowners Buying Heat Pumps?

Heat pumps offer a laundry list of benefits that make them enticing to homeowners. Some of the most popular benefits include:

Providing Both Heating and Cooling

Unlike other HVAC systems, heat pumps can provide both heating and cooling and are often used throughout the year. Heat pumps use an automatic transfer switch to seamlessly switch between heating and cooling modes to keep your home comfortable year-round.

Energy Efficiency

While heat pumps are about as efficient as traditional central air conditioning systems during the summer, they are significantly more efficient during the winter because they only use electricity and refrigerant to warm homes, not fossil fuels. Heat pumps can transfer 300% more energy than it consumes, while even the most efficient furnaces are only about 95% efficient.

Reducing Energy Bills

If you’re looking to reduce your monthly energy bills, especially during the winter, consider installing a heat pump. Heat pumps can save homeowners hundreds of dollars per year on energy costs.

Environmental Friendliness

Both air-source and geothermal heat pumps are extremely environmentally friendly HVAC solutions. Since they transfer heat instead of burning fossil fuels to generate it, they produce lower greenhouse gas emissions, reducing your home’s carbon footprint.

Available Tax Credits

Because heat pumps are such an environmentally friendly HVAC option, tax credits are available to encourage homeowners to buy them. Through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, homeowners can receive a tax credit of up to 30%, or a maximum benefit of $2,000 off the cost of energy-efficient home improvements such as heat pumps.

Long Lifespan

Even though heat pumps often work year-round to provide both heating and cooling, they are extremely durable. With regular maintenance, heat pumps can often last up to 15 years, which is on par with most other types of HVAC systems.

Contact N.E.W. Plumbing and Heating for Heat Pump Installation

At N.E.W. Plumbing and Heating, our NATE-certified technicians have extensive experience in installing air-source and geothermal heat pumps in homes in Warsaw, IN and the surrounding area. If you’re interested in having a heat pump installed in your home, contact the friendly and knowledgeable technicians at N.E.W. Plumbing and Heating today to schedule an appointment.