Air source heat pumps can be a very cost-effective way to heat your home, and they have tons of advantages.
However, no matter how good your air source heat pump is, it won’t be a perfect heating system. There are a few common mistakes you’ll want to avoid if you have one of these installed in your home.
Take advantage of the renewable heating energy these pumps provide, but watch out for some of the issues that homeowners run into when they have theirs set up.
- Installing One Where You Need Lots of Heat
Air source heat pumps are not designed to provide a lot of heat to your home. They’re best suited for smaller homes with minimal heat requirements.
You’ll want to consider a different kind of heating system if you have a large home or a lot of people in your home who use heat.
Gas and oil boilers give off more heat, but of course, they can’t run on solar power, so you have to take the bad with the good.
2. Using Them without Insulating Your Home
This kind of pump is designed to be used with a well-insulated home. They’re typically run through underfloor heating, so if your home isn’t insulated when you prepare to install an air source heat pump, you will probably have to pay to get insulation put in.
Consider that in your cost estimates when you’re looking to purchase this pump. You may have more to pay for than just the cost of the pump. All heating systems are designed to work in a well-insulated home.
If there is not adequate insulation, a lot of the heat will just escape, and your heating system won’t be very efficient. You’ll be expending a lot more energy than you have to just to keep the space warm.
3. Expecting the Pump to Heat in Very Cold Areas
This type of heating system can function in temperatures as low as negative 20 degrees Celsius, but it won’t be very effective at that temperature.
In fact, anytime the outside temperature gets down close to 0 degrees Celsius, you’re going to have problems getting much use out of your heating system. That’s because of the unique way that this system draws heat from the air.
If the outside air is very cold, your system will have trouble turning that into warm air inside your home. If you live in a very cold environment, you may want to go with a grounded heat pump rather than the air source one.
3. Installing It Yourself
It’s really important that you get a professional to install an air source heat pump for you.
Trying to install something like this for yourself could cause problems. It needs to be hooked up to your home systems in the right way, because if it isn’t, you can experience poor energy usage, inconsistent heating, and stability issues.
You could also invalidate your warranty. That’s why it is vital that you leave the installation of this equipment to a pro.
So, there are a few things to keep in mind when you’re considering an air source heat pump purchase. As cost effective and powerful as these systems can be, they have their limitations. If you’re going to get the most out of yours, you’ll want to know ahead of time what mistakes to avoid and how to ensure your heating system works best in your home.