What are pros and cons of using a heat pump HVAC unit?

The heat pump by design is far more efficient than any other consumer grade HVAC product. While the heat pumps output decreases in the heating mode, as the outdoor ambient temperature falls, the efficiencies are quite high. A balance point calculation should be made by a technician familier with the products involved. The current product offerings by major HVAC manufacturers include dual-fuel equipment that through modulation, improve overall efficiencies and comfort levels. In that elecricity and electric heat is 100% efficient, the proper approach would be to calculate the costs of fuel types available in your area. Where I live, it costs less to heat my home with elecric heat as compared to a high efficiency propane fired boiler. Your utility company can give you rates as they apply. Consider that a 100,000 btuh furnace running 10 hours consumes one million btu's. Where I live, that 1 million btu's can cost me from $24 (propane fired 95% furnace or boiler), $21 (electric heat or heaters), or $8 (heat pump w/ elec. backup). I have a heat pump for obvious reasons. Natural gas is the least expensive fossil fuel, with LPG next and oil being the most expensive. Do the math and your choice is easy.

Answer

For a normal heat pump, one of the big cons would be that when the outdoor temp goes below 38 degrees, your indoor unit would use more of the supplemental electric heat. A regular heat pump becomes less effective as the outdoor temp dips below 42 degrees. Since there is little heat left outside, you cannot reach the desired temp on your tstat. When this occurs, the indoor electric heat automatically comes on to compensate. But a heat pump can still be worthwhile provided that this backup heat doesn't come on too much.

If you live in an area which normally gets below freezing temperatures then you can consider either a ground-source heat pump or a low-temperature air-source heat pump. Ground source heat pumps (geothermal heatpumps) are the most efficient heating systems and are also the most costly to install. They usually qualify for a $2000 federal tax credit and they do pay for themselves over time. Low-temperature air-source heat pumps are new on the market. They are less expensive than geothermal systems and not quite as efficient. You may have trouble finding a contractor in your area who certified to install these since they are so new.

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I would like to add that heat pumps have compressors and outdoor fans and such that operate much longer periods over a given amount of years because the compressor and such is also required in cool weather as well as in hot weather. Obviously this dictates more wear and service concerns for this particular part of the system. Addittionally, The heat pump is obviously more intricate in its design and build ( which means more controls & components ) and this obviously means more things to go wrong. Do not take it that I am discouraging the heat pump. They definetely have their place in the world and pluses. Just don't forget to factor in these cons when deciding what kind of system you'd over all prefer to have.

So far all that has been addressed is air source heat pumps. Another type of heat pump is the water source heat pump. These units are also called geothermal systems. They are more efficient than air source units. They can also provide hot water for the home virtually free. The main disadvantage is the cost of installation but the return on investment can be very quick.

Most of you have most likely heard mention quite frequently of heat pumps when any conversation is surrounding talk of heating and air conditioning systems. Whether or not your completely understand exactly what a heat pump is could be the determining factor or your understanding how the heating and cooling systems work.

Once you understand how an air conditioner works, by the placement of heat coils outside of the home, and cold coils placed inside the home, it is somewhat easier to understand how a heat pump works. Lets briefly explain the need for a heat pump before we go into the actual working of it as such.

Using other heat sources most often requires the burning of fuel or in the more rare cases of extreme energy conservation being applied, solar energy for heat. These fuels are mainly fuel oil, natural gas, and kerosene. These are not only detrimental to our atmosphere, but also have a tendency to raise in heating bills and energy usage as time passes. Unless you are a strict user of solar energy, really the only other form of heat would be the use of a heat pump which uses electricity to run.

As an air conditioner uses cold coils indoors and hot coils outdoors, the heat pump reverses this process by using the hot coils indoors and the cold coils outdoors. By doing this, the entire production of the unit then changes from producing cold air to producing hot air, and you have, in essence, a heater. Instead of relying on the burning of fuel or on natural energy you are using a heat pump that "moves heat".

This process is carried out by the use of a valve. This valve is in an air conditioner that allows it to switch between "heater mode" and "air conditioner mode". By switching the valve as needed, the Freon flows one way to produce cold air and switches when set, to allow the Freon to flow the opposite direction to produce hot air. Usage of these heat pumps as heaters has quickly become popular among many people searching for an energy efficient way of heating their homes and although there is one downfall to it, over all the heat pump excels in the purpose for which it was made.

The negative quality to the heat pump is the occurrence of a problem with the outside cold coils retaining a buildup of ice during the winter months or cooler weather. As a fail-safe to this, the heat pump will melt this ice on it's own, but it requires the switching of the valve to allow the Freon to run in reverse direction resulting in the cold coils now being inside the home and the hot coils being outside the home. This would mean that cold air (air conditioner mode) would be blowing inside the home as well. In an effort to avoid blowing cold air inside the home, the heat pump will warm the air being blown in by the use of special heat strips or burners that are automatically lit by the heat pump. After successfully melting the ice that built up on the outside coils, the heat pump will then switch the valve again to reverse the Freon and the coils are switched as well. Inside coils are once again hot and outside coils are cold, and the heat pump is blowing hot air again and the burners or heat strips are turned off.

Because of their efficient performance, many people have chosen to have heat pumps installed, or to have air conditioning units and systems installed that already contain these heat pumps, simply for their excellent usage of energy. As a way of focusing on energy saving techniques, heat pumps carry you quite a distance to being warmer at a lesser cost.

First answer by anonymous. Last edit by Flarend. Contributor trust: 1 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 178 [recommend question]