Before You Buy A New Heat Pump Read This

Before You Buy A New Heat Pump Read This

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So the time has come to update your home heating and air conditioning system. It's a decision that every homeowner wants to put off as long as possible, but who wants to get caught without heat or air conditioning if it breaks down? Don't wait that long. You'll also want time to investigate before you choose a new unit for your home. There are many different things to consider before you spend $5,000 or more.

The first thing you're going to feel when you install a new heat pump system is that heated air is warmer and air conditioned air is cooler than it was from your old unit. Even a unit that's just ten years old can be replaced with a better unit. The best part is that along with having warmer and cooler air you'll have a saving of about 40% over your old unit.

Before you purchase a new home heating and air conditioning unit investigate the energy ratings. There are many good online sites where you can find out the SEER rating of any unit. SEER is the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. It tells you how energy efficient a unit is. You're going to want to look for a unit with a high SEER. Unfortunately the higher the SEER rating the more expensive the unit will be. You'll have to try to balance out the cost vs. the return. If you plan to own your present home for at least ten years it might be worth your while to buy a more expensive unit as you will realize savings on your monthly energy bill to offset the initial cost.

You'll also want to get several different quotes before choosing a system. Talk to installers from trusted manufacturers such as Carrier, Grandaire, Goodman, Trane, American Standard, Lennox, AirPro, Thermal Zone and Guardian. Talk with your friends and family to see if they've had experience with having a new heat pump or gas furnace installed.

There are also some simple steps and fixes that you can make around your home to make it more energy efficient. How is the insulation in your home? Your attic and basement should be adequately insulated, it's easy to add. Check the weather stripping around all of your doors. If you can see daylight between your door and the frame you're loosing money. Caulk around windows. Add a ceiling fan. A ceiling fan moves air and helps year round. In the summer months it cools a room by pulling warm air up, and in winter it forces heat down into a room. A humidifier that adds a bit of moisture to your air will help your home feel warmer in the winter. Also, it's likely that your old thermostat is inaccurate. Update your thermostat to a new digital model.

Some homeowners ask about DIY heating. Rudd and Goodman do sell full installation kits for heat pumps and air conditioning systems. You may be able to save several thousand dollars but what about the actual installation? Generally you need to replace sheet metal and update your electrical service. You'll need the proper gauges to measure pressure inside the unit. It's not worth it. The reason you pay a professional is that he knows what he's doing and the work is guaranteed. What good is a unit that you can't have serviced?

Solar energy is a much more DIY project. You can install passive solar panels fairly easily. Solar panels can be purchased in watt power, from 1 watt to 200 watts and more. You can purchase solar panels at home stores like Home Depot and Lowe's. Some of the manufacturers of passive solar panels are Sun Power, Sun Tech, Photowatt, Mitsubishi, Kyocera, Duralite Global Solar, Carmanah and Uni-Solar to name just a few.

When you purchase a window air conditioner make sure that you buy the proper sized unit. You need to do a simple equation to find out how many BTU (British Thermal Unit) the unit needs to be to cool efficiently. To determine BTU simply multiple length of room by width of room to get square footage. Don't let a salesman talk you into a bigger unit than you need. A unit that is too large will not cool efficiently. All you'll do is give the salesman a bigger commission.

About the Author:
Author: Norman Fleming is a home heating expert. For tips about home heating and air conditioning and window air conditioners and portable air conditioners on his site.
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