If you live in Massachusetts, there’s a good chance you’re eligible for a huge rebate on a heat pump—a super-efficient, all-in-one heating and cooling system for your home. (They’re also often called mini splits.) Here’s what you need to know.
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A heat pump is a super-efficient, all-in-one electric heating and cooling system. Sometimes called mini-splits, they soak up heat from one place, then move it to another: Into your home in the winter, out of your home in the summer.
But what exactly makes a heat pump so efficient compared to a typical heating system? And if they work by soaking up heat, how can heat pumps keep your house warm when it’s cold outside? Is this too good to be true?
As millions of people who already own heat pumps can tell you, they’re legit. Here’s how the technology works.
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Pool owners are fortunate to have a place to cool down during hot, sticky weather, but owning a pool is not without its pain points. In an effort to keep pools open for as long as possible, pool owners may spend a good amount of money on heating the water to comfortable swimming temperatures.
If you have a pool and are paying a lot to keep your pool temperature warm, you should consider renewable energy options for heating, such as “pool solar panels” (commonly known as solar pool heaters). While relying on warm weather to passively heat your pool is a good solution during the height of the summer, solar pool heaters are a great option to consider if you want to save money while extending the swimming season earlier into the spring and later into the fall.
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The size of a heat pump is a guide to how much space it can heat or cool (basically). The right-sized heat pump for your house will keep your home perfectly comfortable all year, and can save you thousands of dollars on the costs of installation, energy, and maintenance.
Figuring out the proper size can be tricky. Generally, larger homes in more extreme climates will need bigger heat pumps. But it also depends on the insulation, draftiness, and other factors. Even pro heat pump installers can come up with wildly different estimates, depending on the measurements they take—or guesses they make—about your home.
After speaking with HVAC experts and homeowners alike, we’ve come up with 7 guidelines that can help ensure you’re getting the just-right, Goldilocks-sized heat pump for your home. You won’t find any easy shortcuts in this guide, because they don’t exist. But you will learn how to spot the signs of a thoughtful installer, how to pick between different quotes, and with some work, come up with a decent heat pump sizing estimate on your own.
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Air source heat pumps are much more efficient than most other heating & cooling options – and they provide both in one system! If your current HVAC system is aging, you may be able to switch to air source heat pumps for higher efficiency, lower overall utility bills, and, depending on where you live, some extra savings through rebates and incentives. (Bonus: if you have solar, you can heat and cool your home using the sun!)
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Many Americans are seeing a jump in heating bills due to dropping temperatures and rising energy prices. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it’s actually slated to be a warmer and dryer winter than usual, with above-average temperatures predicted across most of the U.S. due to LA Niña climate conditions – but you should still be prepared for higher than normal heating and electricity bills due to the rising cost of natural gas (and other fossil fuels) across the world. In this article, we’ll explain why energy prices are increasing, where the increases are most dramatic, and how you can protect yourself from the volatility of fossil fuel energy sources (spoiler alert: going solar will help!).
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Air source heat pumps come in two main types: if your house has ductwork, you’ll usually install a ducted heat pump. No ducts? Then it’ll be a ductless heat pump, also known as a mini-split system. They’re essentially the same highly efficient, environmentally friendly, cost-competitive technology for heating and cooling your home. All that’s different is the way that they move air.
But what if only some parts of your home are ducted? Or the ducts don’t heat or cool certain rooms very well? A system that combines both ducted and ductless heat pumps might be the best way to keep your whole home comfortable.
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Your heating system is a central part of your home’s safety and security, so it’s important to invest in a quality system you’re confident in. Heat pumps continue to rise in popularity due to their efficient, cost-effective, and comfortable heating and cooling solutions. But, how do heat pumps compare to furnaces? Can they really keep a home warm during the coldest months? In this article, we compare the upfront costs, efficiency, maintenance requirements, and lifetimes of heat pumps and furnaces to help you better understand your options when browsing for your next heating system (that you’ll likely spend a couple of decades with!).
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Home heating and cooling systems are expensive, so it’s understandable for homeowners to expect this investment to last them through the years. A heat pump offers an efficient, complete heating and cooling solution in one system, whereas conventional HVAC technology requires the purchase of two separate systems, like a furnace and an air conditioner. But, is the lifetime of a heat pump compromised by its dual functionality? How long do heat pumps last? In this article, we help you understand the lifetime of a heat pump and offer tips on how to extend it.
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Air source heat pumps are much more efficient than most other heating and cooling options – and they provide both in one system! If your current HVAC system is aging, you may be able to switch to air source heat pumps for higher efficiency, lower overall utility bills, and, depending on where you live, some extra savings through rebates and incentives. (Bonus: if you have solar, you can heat and cool your home using the sun!)
Panasonic is one of the major players in the heat pump space with seven different lines of heat pumps (including ducted and ductless) you can install in your home. They have been developing HVAC systems since they first produced an air conditioning unit in 1958, releasing their first mini split heat pump system in 1983. Panasonic heat pumps are available in a variety of styles and price ranges to suit differing consumer needs.
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