Selecting A New Heat Pump? Don’t Overlook These 3 Features
When you’re selecting a new heat pump, you’re probably sifting through a number of choices. Our region has a high cooling load and these three features can help you save energy and increase your comfort throughout the year:
- Variable-speed motors: Also known as electronically commutated motors (ECMs), a variable-speed motor in either the outdoor condenser or in the indoor air handler lowers your electric bills and reduces the noise associated with the heat pump. These motors use different technology to reduce their energy consumption. If you’re noise-sensitive or the air handler or condenser is next to someone’s bedroom, the quiet operation may make this feature an attractive one to pursue.
Variable-speed motors also run more slowly than single-speed motors, which helps with humidity removal in the summer. The longer your air handler runs, the better it dehumidifies your home, increasing your comfort. The ECM starts and stops more slowly, so in the winter you’ll never feel the cold blast of air coming from your ducts because of the slow startup.
- Desuperheater: If you’ve ever held your hand over the outdoor condenser when it’s running in summer, you know how much heat the heat pump removes from your home. A desuperheater captures that heat and uses it to heat your water in the summer. The Department of Energy estimates that it does so three times more efficiently than most water heaters. When you’re selecting a new heat pump, this is one feature to seriously consider.
- Two-stage compressor: This type of condenser senses the weather and when it’s not as hot, the compressor doesn’t run as hard. This feature not only saves electricity, it’s another that helps remove extra humidity indoors. Each 10 percent of humidity you lose indoors helps you feel a degree cooler and lowers the problems associated with mold and mildew.
If you’d like to learn more about selecting a new heat pump, contact Symbiont Service Corp. We’ve provided HVAC services for the Florida Suncoast since 1983. Our company has earned NATE certification, the highest achievement in the HVAC industry.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Englewood, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
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