January Articles

February 2006 Articles

These are condensed versions of the Radio Program

02/08/06

With natural gas prices so high, can it be a good idea to replace a decent working gas heat system with a heat pump?

Excellent question! The decision to replace a working gas unit with a heat pump is difficult. It is an individual decision, but here are some points to ponder.

All outdoor package units operate right at 80% efficient.

That means that 80 cents of each dollar is converted to heat for your home and 20 goes out as exhaust or waste. If your gas unit is older (8-10 years or so) it’s probably not still operating at even 80%. If your split system furnace was 90% efficient new, it most likely won’t be doing that now. Age is an important factor and it can matter what else in the home uses gas. If you still cook and heat water with gas, and use some gas logs or wall heaters, you’ll still have a healthy gas bill. If all you do is heat with gas-that can be a deciding factor.

The electrical service in the home is important. Most all-electric heat pumps require 200 amps service. There are a great many homes that still have 100 amps or less.

The cost to change that service out can be high. ($750 and up) That additional investment can be a deal breaker for some people. If your gas furnace is very old or limping along, the decision can be easier. There is NO DOUBT that it costs less to heat with an all-electric heat pump than with a gas furnace. The only question remains is how and if that investment will pay off for you.

Please change your filters (once a month when your get your utility bill-they never forget that), and we’ll be back next week. Visit our website at www.qualityserviceinc.com.

02/15/06

Due to the high price of heating with gas (natural OR LP), there have been a lot of people wanting information on heat pumps. That’s our focus today.

How does a heat pump work? Simply put, a heat pump transfers heat inside your home from an outside source. Heat naturally flows from a higher temperature to lower. A heat pump reverses that.

Does the heat pump heat AND cool the home?

Yes! When heating, the heat pump removes heat from outside (air-source) and disburses it into the home.

When cooling is called for, the heat pump transfers the heat and humidity from inside and releases it outdoors.

What if it’s REALLY cold outside?

Even at 0 degrees, there is still heat available for the heat pump to transfer. When it is colder, there is less heat to move-so it operates like it was much smaller than it originally was.

Then what? Then the “Auxiliary” heat stage kicks in.

What is that? Also called “Back up” or “Emergency” heat, every heat pump needs help now and then to satisfy the thermostat. The “Back up” heat is usually electric radiant heat similar to the small heaters you see with the glowing metal strips. It can also be natural gas, propane, or other sources. In our climate, we figure they’ll run alone 80% of the time and need assistance about 20%. It may be less.

If you have a question about heat pumps or anything related to your home comfort system; please call us at 635-3452 and look for your answer here or listen for it on Saturday mornings on WTRB. Also, visit our website at www.qualityserviceinc.com. Change those filters!