Does Your Residential Heat Pump Heat?

Does Your Heat Pump Heat?

I've heard it over and over again. People are getting fed up with their heat pumps. When it gets cold, the heat pump doesn't heat. When it gets really cold, their supplemental electric heat kicks in, and their bills go through the roof! They're fed up! They're frustrated! And they aren't going to take it anymore!

But they do. Year after year after year.

Why? There is a solution. If you own a heat pump, are tired of the winter electric bills, and tired of feeling cold all winter, I've got good news. I'm going to tell you how you can save money and live in warmth this winter. Quickly. Easily. Affordably.

"Okay," you're asking. "How can I solve my problem? And don't tell me I should just rip out my heat pump and put in a whole new heating and air conditioning system."

I think you should go dual fuel.

"Dual what?"

Dual fuel. Keep your heat pump. Use it when it makes sense, and switch to gas when gas makes sense.

"Huh?"

Let's look at what your heat pump does. First, it cools your house in the summer. You don't want to give that up. Second, it heats your house in the winter. Sort of. Actually, what a heat pump does is take heat from the outside air and "pumps" it to your indoor coil. Believe it or not, there's actually a lot of heat available in chilly air. The indoor coil gets hot...

"No it doesn't. It gets warm maybe, but not hot. Definitely not hot!"

Okay, it gets warm. A fan blows out the "warm" air through your ducts to heat your house. During mild weather, when it's not too cold out, a heat pump produces a rather nice, mellow heat. It's good at maintaining an even, comfortable temperature. You may not notice it, because you don't notice comfort. You notice the absence of comfort. In this type of weather, the heat pump is the most energy efficient way to heat your house...

"Get to the point, will you. I haven't got all day!"

All right. I'll get to the point. But please give me a minute. Now, where was I? Oh yeah. During mild temperature, a gas furnace would kick in and blast some hot air down the duct until the thermostat got warm. Then it shuts off until the thermostat gets cold. So you can get a blast of hot air, then nothing, then blasts of hot air, then nothing. In some cases you can get too much hot air, so you can get too hot. Then it gets a little too cold before you heat again. You overheat. You overcool. Blah. Who wants that?

"I just want to get to the part where I save money and get rid of my heat pump affordably."

I'm not going to get rid of your heat pump. If I did, you wouldn't be very happy with me next summer. I want you to keep your heat pump and add a gas furnace. Then, when it's mild, you heat with the heat pump. When it gets really cold, you heat with the furnace. Each gets used when it provides the most heat and when it's the most energy efficient solution. You use less fuel. You're more comfortable.

Heat with the heat pump when it's mild

Heat with gas when it's cold

"Wait a minute. That kind of makes sense. The heat pump is more efficient when there's more heat in the air to ‘pump' inside. That's also when I don't need the really hot air from the gas furnace. And the gas furnace is more comfortable and efficient when it's really cold outside. That's also when the heat pump needs supplemental electric heat which runs up the electric meter. So, I'm more comfortable and my utility costs go down at the same time."

Bingo! Now you've got it.

"But won't they both try to heat at the same time? Yeah. That'd be click! I'd spend even more money."

Not a chance. We'll put a sensor outside and wire it into your thermostat. Your heat pump will only operate when it's mild. And your new gas furnace will only operate when it's too cold for the heat pump.

"Hold your horses. What NEW gas furnace. How much is this going to cost me? I haven't got a couple of grand to shell out. I thought you said ‘affordable'?".

It is affordable. And it's not anywhere close to two grand. If you let me come out, I'll calculate the heating requirements of your house and give you an exact cost. There's no obligation. What's the worst thing that can happen? You tell me, no?

"I know you pushy types; you'll talk me into something I don't want."

I won't talk you into anything. But I will give you a professional evaluation of your home's heating needs FREE.

"Why would you want to do that?"

It's almost summer in New York and it's a lousy time to be in the heating business. I've got the time to do it now and my technicians need fill-in work. I can get them to paint the shop (again), or I can find something productive for them to do.

Besides, I think this is a good deal. Dual fuel is done all the time commercially.

But I will want your service work

"I knew there was a catch."

It's not a catch. I need to keep my people busy. I'd like your help. Selling and add-on furnace at this discount isn't a big money maker. By the time I get finished with the design work and we get the furnace installed, we'll probably barely cover our overhead. So after we're done, I will ask you to sign up for our energy saving Service Agreement on your heat pump. I'm willing to practically give you a gas furnace at cost so that I can earn the right to ask for your service business. If we do a good job, we'd like your service business for as long as you live in your home. In the long run, this is really a smart move for me, and for you.

"So how do I get a hold of you?"

http://www.centralheatingandcoolingnow.com/