Do HVAC Heat Pumps work well for Southern New Hampshire?
SkyWalker HVAC Co-owner Ryan Walker
Today, let's talk about Heat Pumps. We have two types of Heat Pumps: Ductless and Ducted. The Ductless is also known as a Mini-Split Heat Pump. Each has pros and cons, and we will discuss what situations are best for each and how the installation process goes.
Modern Heat Pumps are more efficient than ever before. New technology, energy efficiency, and air quality improvement excite us at Skywalker HVAC. Big savings are possible with new Heat Pump Systems and even great Rebate programs.
Most new energy-efficient heat pumps qualify for tax credits, rebates, and incentives. The federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit is a tax credit of up to $2,000 for a heat pump purchase, and NH Saves can add thousands more rebates. You can learn more about the Rebates here.
Heat pumps transfer heat from one place to another via refrigerant gas, compressors, and condensation coils. Since heat pumps transfer heat rather than generate it, they use far less energy. They can reduce your electricity usage for heating by about 70% compared to furnaces, boilers, or baseboard heating.
What is a Mini-Split Heat Pump, and how does it work for Southern New Hampshire?
Energy Star-certified mini-splits can deliver up to two to three times more heat than the electric energy they use. If you compare this to your standard electric heating systems, they can reduce energy usage by 50%.
And since they are ductless, you don't need a pre-existing duct system in your building. By eliminating the need for expensive ductwork, you keep costs down. Also, by not using a ducted system, you save energy. It has been estimated that 20% to 30% of a central HVAC system’s energy usage is wasted. This is due to air escaping through a ducted system.
A Mini-Split Heat Pump always provides heating and cooling, which is excellent with cold Southern New Hampshire winters and those humid, hot summers. Unlike boilers and furnaces, Mini-Split Heat Pumps move heat from the outside air rather than using fuel to make heat. Small refrigerant lines carry the heat from the outside unit directly to the small indoor unit inside your building.
And since a Mini-Split Heat Pump moves the heat around rather than generating it through energy use, you can reverse the process. When you reverse the system, it becomes an energy-efficient air conditioner.
A Mini-Split Heat Pump has refrigerant lines run to each mounted indoor unit. The lines are tiny, so you only need to penetrate the building's exterior with a small hole. This is much less expensive than running new ductwork.
You can install as many indoor units as you need. And each indoor unit can be controlled independently, allowing for zoned heating. Mini-Split Heat Pump Systems work with up to five indoor units connected to one outdoor unit. This depends on the size of the rooms and the heat calculations that are used to determine the best heat design. By using zoned heating, you can keep each room at different temperatures if needed.
Mini-Split Heat Pump Systems regulate energy usage to maintain a steady temperature. They don't cycle on and off by a thermostat setting like a boiler or furnace but rather stay on intelligently to keep a constant indoor temperature.
Indoor Unit For Mini-Split Heat Pump
Outdoor Unit for Mini-Split Heat Pump
Situations for a Mini-Heat Pump installation in Southern New Hampshire
The square footage of the building and how the rooms are laid out are big factors in determining whether a mini-split system would work best. At Skywalker HVAC, we perform a complete heat calculation analysis to decide which heat system to use. We consider your budget and desire to deliver the best price with a satisfaction guarantee.
New Home Construction: If you’re designing and constructing a building from the beginning, you can look at all the heating and cooling options. You can choose the best HVAC system for the Southern New Hampshire climate based on the architectural design and how the spaces are laid out.
At Skywalker HVAC, we can help coordinate with all the other construction disciplines at this early stage of construction. There are many pros and cons when deciding on the HVAC path. Whether or not you will have a ducted system put in is probably the most crucial decision. Once you know if the ducted system will be used or not, you can look at what HVAC systems will be best for your budget.
Building Remodels: In the case of a remodel, it will be different depending on all the factors involved. Will it be an addition to a home or a full-scale remodel where every room opens up, and you can quickly and easily go into the existing walls? In that case, you could use a ducted system or the Mini-Splits.
Is it a new area of the house that will be used, like finishing a basement or attic? These areas may have never had heating or cooling, and a Mini_split Heat Pump would be a great option. That way, you wouldn't have to tie into the existing heating system but could create a Mini-Split Heat Pump System just for that new zone in your house. A mini-split system might be much cheaper and easier to install if you're in a home without central air ductwork.
What Mini-Split Heat Pump Systems look like: A significant disadvantage to mini-splits is that they require a unit to be on the wall, floor, or ceiling. The indoor units of a Mini-Split Heat Pump System are about 1' x 3 'x 8". You have to plan for what will work best and, at the same time, balance that with how it will visually affect the room.
The outside Mini-Split Heat Pump unit is a bit larger at about 1' x 3' x 3' and makes some noise when the unit turns the fan on, but for most of the interior of the house, you won't hear it unless you have an opened window right near the outdoor unit. And why would you do that? Because if you are heating, your window will be shut, and if you use the unit in the summer to cool the air, the window will also be closed.
Mini-Heat Pump Systems Maintenance: The most crucial maintenance step a homeowner can take for a mini-split system is cleaning the filters on their indoor unit and changing them as recommended. It is simple and quick, but it helps maintain good air quality and keep the indoor unit functioning properly.
A professional technician should deep clean mini-split exterior and interior units every 1-2 years. We offer this cleaning service for Southern New Hampshire on Mini-Split Heat Pump Systems and other HVAC systems. Give Debbie a call at 603-554-2559 to make a maintenance appointment today!
Indoor Unit Ducted Heat Pump
Outdoor Unit Ducted Heat Pump
When is it best to use a Ducted Heat Pump System in Southern New Hampshire?
A Ducted Heat Pump System is often best to use when you already have existing ductwork in the building. It can also work well if you want to add ductwork during a remodel of an existing space if the goal is central heating and cooling in the entire building. And you also want a very consistent airflow across multiple rooms. Then, Ducted Heat Pump Systems work great.
If your home already has ductwork from a previous furnace or AC unit, a ducted heat pump is a great option to replace it with a more energy-efficient system. Especially since new heat pumps are even better at energy efficiency and keep utility bills down.
New construction: When building a new structure, including ductwork for a ducted heat pump is often cost-effective. This allows for seamless integration and controlled airflow throughout the building.
Big rooms and Large Spaces for heating and cooling:
A ducted system provides consistent temperature control throughout the house if you want to heat and cool multiple rooms evenly. For big buildings with multiple floors, a ducted system works great at distributing the air to all areas at the same rate. This is ideal for many commercial buildings that need an HVAC system to provide the same air temperature throughout the whole building.
When would you NOT want to use a Ducted Heat Pump System?
If you didn't have a pre-existing ductwork system, it would be expensive to install new ductwork. Also, if you have rooms and areas that you want to keep at a very different temperature, you might want to use a Mini-Split Heat Pump System so you can zone the areas better. This zoning option is really good, so you can focus on each room having a very different temperature.
If you need help deciding what HVAC Heat Pump System will work best, call Debbie at 603-554-2559 or fill out an online form. We look forward to bringing our satisfaction guarantee to you!
