We’ve discussed before on this blog some of the more effective ways to use your home’s heating and cooling system so that you enjoy comfort all through the day and night without excessive energy waste. In this post, we’ll look at a question that people who use heat pumps during the winter to warm their homes often ask: “Should I leave the heat pump running at night?” If you’ve asked this question to non-professionals, you’ll likely hear different answers. We’ll get to the bottom of what the best practices are.
Comfort Flow Heating Blog:
Archive for the ‘Heat Pumps’ Category
Is It Best to Leave a Heat Pump Running All Night?
Monday, February 15th, 2016Make Sure to Remove Snow and Ice from Your Heat Pump Cover
Monday, December 21st, 2015We don’t get a ton of snow here in Eugene, OR, but we do get plenty of wet winter weather which results in a good amount of ice. Clearing ice certainly isn’t enjoyable, but when it comes to the outdoor cabinet of your heat pump system, it is a necessity. This is due to the way a heat pump works during the winter months. Your heat pump doesn’t have a lot of moving parts, so repairs are often minimal, but reducing the system’s access to the air it needs as well as the available heat will create systemic problems.
How Does My Heat Pump Heat My Home?
Monday, November 30th, 2015Eugene is a great place to have and use a heat pump HVAC system, but do you know why? Understanding why requires a little background on how the systems work. The experts from Comfort Flow Heating can give you this quick overview, but remember that we are here to help you with all of your HVAC needs.
Why Won’t My Ductless Heating Switch to Cooling?
Monday, June 8th, 2015Heat pumps are pretty ingenious systems. They offer both heating and cooling, and switch easily between modes – unless something is wrong. There can be a few reasons why your ductless system may not be switching to cooling mode, and with the summer solstice just around the corner, it’s important to call the experts at Comfort Flow Heating for help so you don’t compromise your comfort.
Does My Heat Pump Need Spring Maintenance?
Monday, April 6th, 2015Heat pumps are durable devices, lasting, on average, about 20 years. One thing homeowners tend to forget about their heat pumps is that these devices work twice as much as a traditional heating or cooling system because heat pumps can both heat and cool your home. As such, it’s important to schedule your heat pump system maintenance bi-annually instead of just annually. Has it been more than 6 months since your last heat pump maintenance appointment? Then it’s time to call the specialists at Comfort Flow Heating and schedule an appointment.
Why Is Maintenance Important?
When a technician performs maintenance on your heat pump, it is a full tune-up of the system. The main aspects of any maintenance appointment are:
- Thorough inspection of the system
- Cleaning
- Adjusting
- Lubrication of all moving parts
- System checks
- Performance testing
All of these tasks contribute to the overall benefits of maintenance, which include the following:
- Better energy efficiency – your heat pump was made to operate at a certain level of energy efficiency, but will have a very hard time doing so carrying several seasons’ worth of dirt, dust and wear and tear. The process of maintenance allows the system to operate at peak efficiency so that you can achieve better overall efficiency from the system.
- Prevents repairs – the thorough inspection the system undergoes during a maintenance appointment helps the technician detect existing or developing problems and get ahead of them before they can blossom.
- Extends life of the system – maintenance keeps your heat pump in good working order year after year, which helps reduce the potential for premature aging.
- Increases comfort levels – it can be difficult for a heat pump weighed down by wear and tear to achieve your set temperature; maintenance allows your heat pump to functional optimally so that it can easily achieve your desired temperature.
Spring offers a window of opportunity to get your heat pump system in great shape for the coming summer. The professionals at Comfort Flow Heating are here to help with all of your heat pump needs, so if it’s time for maintenance, call us today and schedule an appointment.
Why Is There Ice on My Heat Pump?
Friday, November 7th, 2014If you’re a heat pump owner in a cold climate, chances are you’ve noticed ice forming on the outside of your heat pump while it’s on. Your first impression may be that something is wrong with the heat pump. After all, how is it supposed to warm your house if it can’t even keep itself from icing over? The truth is that a little ice on your heat pump is nothing to worry about… until it is. Let’s take a look at what actually causes ice on your heat pump, and whether or not you should worry about it.
Where does it come from?
A heat pump has two separate units for distributing heat, an interior unit and an exterior unit. In heating mode, the exterior unit is responsible for siphoning heat from the air and directing inside to be used. It does this by using an evaporator coil to transfer refrigerant from a liquid to a gaseous state. As the refrigerant inside the coils evaporates, it becomes a heat sink for the surrounding air, leeching heat from it. Cold air cannot hold as much water vapor as warm air, so the remaining moisture collects on the coils of the unit. Freezing temperatures being—well—freezing, the moisture soon becomes ice on the pump.
Is it a Problem?
Yes and no. Yes, if enough ice builds up it can cause issues for the heat pump. Being mostly or completely covered with ice will effectively cut off the exterior part of the heat pump from its supply of thermal energy. This will make it unable to siphon any appreciable amount of heat from the surrounding air. Fortunately, most heat pumps were designed with defrost cycles to melt the ice around the exterior unit. If you see some ice on your heat pump, don’t panic quite yet. Wait and see if it goes away in an hour or two. If the ice level isn’t dropping, or more ice is accumulating on the pump, then it is possible that your heat pump’s defrost cycle is broken.
If you’re experiencing problems with your heat pump, call Comfort Flow Heating and schedule your heating services in Eugene with us.
Springfield Heating Tip: What to Look for in a New Heat Pump
Monday, January 14th, 2013If you’re interested in getting a heat pump in Springfield, there are many different things to consider as you start the process. Comfort Flow has been providing complete air conditioning and heating services in Springfield, OR since 1961. We’ve helped countless customers pick out and install new heat pumps for their homes. We thought we would share some of our experience and knowledge to help out our customers. If you have any questions about heat pumps, how they work and the installation process, just contact Comfort Flow today. One of our friendly heating and air conditioning technicians would be happy to talk with you.
How Heat Pumps Work
For those not familiar with heat pumps, here is a quick description of how they work. If you have a traditional central AC system, then you have a heat pump. Your air conditioner is a heat pump that simply moves heat out of your home to the outside. In heating mode, the process is just reversed: heat from the outside is moved into your home.
Heat Pump Benefits
Unlike other heating systems, heat pumps don’t burn fuel to create heat. So while a furnace or a boiler burns gas or oil to heat your home, a heat pump just takes available heat from the outside air and moves it into your home. This allows heat pumps to achieve a very high level of efficiency. The only energy source they need is electricity.
What to Look For In Your New Heat Pump
When you decide to get a new heat pump for your home, here are a few of the things you should think about as you move forward with the process.
- Efficiency – One of the most attractive benefits of a heat pump is its high efficiency rating. Heat pumps are given a Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) rating to describe how efficient it is in heating mode. A HSPF rating of 7.7 is required for Energy Star compliance. In cooling mode, heat pumps are typically given a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating which measures cooling output divided by energy consumption. A SEER rating of 14 is the minimum for Energy Star approval.
- Source – Some people may not realize that there are several different types of heat pumps. As we mentioned above, heat pumps use the air as a source of heat for your home. Those heat pumps are referred to as “air-source” heat pumps. However, there are other sources of heat. There are ground-source heat pumps, also known as geothermal heat pumps. There are water-source heat pumps that use a lake or a river as a source of heat. These other types of heat pumps generally have space requirements which may make them unavailable to you depending on the size of your property.
If you have any questions about heat pumps, heat pump installation or repair, call the Springfield heating experts at Comfort Flow. We offer comprehensive heat pump services in Springfield, Oregon for all different types of heat pumps. Call us today to learn more!
