Is your heat pump running non-stop?
It is worrisome for many homeowners when they realize their heat pump is running all the time. If you live in Central Indiana, or any state with weather similar to Indiana, then you are familiar with your electric heat pump running non-stop on the cold days. If this concerns you, then perhaps your heating contractor is not a heat pump specialist. A heat pump specialist will explain to you the truth: your heat pump is a very efficient means of heating your home and it is designed to run 24/7 during the cold days and nights. Here is the honest science, compliments of Precision Comfort Systems in Westfield, Indiana, your heat pump specialist for all the Indianapolis area.
Unlike a conventional gas, oil or electric furnace that consumes a raw fuel and makes heat, a heat pump is gathering heat from the outside and moving the heat into your home. In the summer, a heat pump reverses the heat moving process and moves unwanted heat from the inside of your home and disperses it outside. Back to winter heating, moving heat takes much less energy than making heat. How much less?
The efficiency of a heat pump is easiest to understand when it is compared to simple electric furnace. Most electric heaters such as your hair dryer, electric stove/oven or portable heater, are similar to what you see in an old toaster; bright red coils. Since electric heat has no combustion exhaust, we gain any heat made by the electric coils so the efficiency is 100%. But straight electric heat is not the most efficient. That is why the electric heat pump is more commonly used when heating homes. The outside portion of your heat pump does not have any electric coils. Instead, it has a compressor motor that captures the heat from the outdoor air. This heat is actually free, but we do pay a bit to move it. For each dollar that you would spend in an electric furnace to get one unit of heat, a heat pump will use the same dollar of electricity and provide up to 3.5 units of heat. As the temperature outside gets colder this efficiency decreases, but it is still a very efficient 2.5 times better than straight electric coils.
So why does my heat pump run non-stop, 24/7?
Your heat pump is sized for your air conditioning needs and in Central Indiana, this means it will not meet all your heating needs. So here is what happens. In outdoor temperatures above 30 degrees, the heat pump should cycle off and on as a normal furnace. Somewhere between 20 and 30 degrees outdoor temperature, the heat pump for your home will reach a “balance point” where the heat needed by the home is equal to the heat moved by the heat pump. So now it will run all the time. As it gets colder than the balance point temperature, the heat pump will continue to run non-stop, and occasionally backup electric coils will supplement the heat pump. But do not be alarmed by this. The heat pump is designed to run continuously to give you as much of the cheap heat as you can possibly get from the unit, in order to minimize the heat made from the backup coils. As long as the heat pump is allowed to run as it is designed, the backup heat will only account for 10% to 15% of the entire Indiana winter heating needs.
Do not turn off your heat pump!
Some nasty advice is given, even among heating contractors who do not know any better, that you can use the emergency heat setting on your thermostat and “give the heat pump a break when the weather gets cold”. Well take it from me. This switch named “em. ht.” is misnamed. It has nothing to do with getting extra heating capacity or being a cold day setting. It should be named, “DOUBLE OR TRIPLE MY BILLS!” When you switch to “em. ht.”, you turn off your heat pump and now the more expensive backup furnace (toaster coils) are heating your home at two to three times the cost. Don’t do this! Allow the heat pump to run and love it. New heat pumps are very efficient and they are designed to run non stop when you need it most so your heating bill is normal. Even older heat pumps are much better than the electric furnace.
If your heat pump is too old, then its ability to move heat may be less than what it should be. Call Precision Comfort Systems, your Central Indiana heat pump specialists, to evaluate your current heat pump. We can tune it up or eventually replace it so you are getting the most from the current heat pump technology.
Part II: How do you know if your heat pump is working properly?
Honest furnace repair in Indianapolis area
If you are looking for honest furnace repair in the Indianapolis area during the Christmas holidays, you would think it should be as easy as reading the advertisements and calling any one of the many HVAC contractors who claim to be the most trustworthy, reliable, honest and overall best heating contractor in Central Indiana. It should be this easy to find honesty, especially during the holidays! But unfortunately, there are a few sales motivated individuals that cause false alarm and thus cast a bit of suspicion across the entire trade.
But first thing is first. If your furnace is not working properly, please have someone check it now. Think about it. What other appliance do you depend on for so much comfort and safety? It must work properly. So if it’s broke, get it fixed!
Now, assuming you have someone in your home for furnace repair, you may be surprised when they say the furnace needs to be replaced. This diagnosis changes a furnace repair bill of a few hundred dollars to a furnace replacement of several thousand dollars. This is not an uncommon occurrence. But are they telling the truth? Most people never know. What should you do?
Precision Comfort Systems recommends getting a second opinion. Our experienced technicians each have many stories about inspecting a supposedly condemned furnace and finding nothing wrong. This is unfortunate, but there are some individuals who think that any furnace over a certain age is not reliable. These technicians who are pressured for sales quotas, create just enough alarm to pressure customers into a purchase that may not have been needed.
Precision Comfort System has no charge for a second opinion. We have been to many homes in the Westfield, Noblesville, Fishers, Carmel and Zionsville area that did not really have a furnace about to blow up. You would be amazed at how many loyal customers we have acquired by simply giving them an honest answer. We would much rather impress you with our honesty today, and then have the opportunity to impress you with our installation skills in the future.
This green heating contractor recycles
You know from reading my blogs that Precision Comfort Systems in Central Indiana (Westfield to be exact) is the largest geothermal, green heating dealer in the state. But that’s not enough green. This green heating contractor takes it one step farther. After you purchase a high efficiency heating or air conditioning system from Precision, know that your old system did not go to a landfill. As a green heating dealer, we recycle!
Here is a picture of our recycle shop. Each week we bring in dozens of old inefficient air conditioners. First the refrigerant is reclaimed (collected for recycling) by a Precision EPA licensed technician. Then the air conditioner and furnace parts are brought back to our in-house recycle program. Different metal components are processed, sorted and then grouped together. Then they are transported to the recycle centers.
We recognize that the most energy efficient customers are those who are investing in geothermal systems and high efficiency furnaces and high efficiency air conditioners. These are the same customers who would insist in the most environmentally sound, sustainable disposal of the old equipment. Precision Comfort Systems could not agree more. Despite the extra time involved, you can be assured that your old air conditioner nightmare that caused you so many problems, was fittingly dismembered and disposed of properly. Who knows, perhaps your old air conditioner will be part of the next windmill project or a solar collector.
Go Green in Indy with Geothermal
We all want to Go Green in Indianapolis, but which is the best route? Truthfully, the “go green” habit changes that cost nothing and help you consume less are the best. But if you are also looking to go green on a larger scale, a geothermal heating and cooling system is your best investment.
I included a picture in this post of what we have to look forward to with our upcoming Central Indiana winter weather. This is part of a current ad we are running for Precision Comfort Systems, but it also is a great way to get a feel for what geothermal energy really accomplishes.
You wake up on a cold winter morning but your home is probably warm. Even when you go green, you never escape the seemingly endless need for winter heating. It’s automatic. The thermostat clicks on and the home demands heat.
What are your choices? You can go out and harvest some wood. You can move to the tropics. You can purchase heat with traditional gas, oil and electric heating systems. Or, you can can really go green with geothermal and harvest (actually borrow) some heat from your backyard. Of course moving the heat inside will still use some electricity, but only a fraction of the amount compared to a standard electric furnace.
Green Geothermal heating uses the heat stored in the ground. This is actually solar heat since the sun is what warms the ground. Think of your yard as a very convenient, maintenance free solar collector and heat storage device all in one. Talk about going green! It turns out all of us with some kind of yard have a giant solar energy system just waiting for a geothermal system to connect the heat to the home!
Call Precision Comfort Systems the geothermal specialists. We serve Westfield, Fishers, Noblesville, Carmel, Zionsville, Hamilton County and all of Central Indiana.
Avoid high Propane Prices in Central Indiana
Are you heating your home with propane (LP) gas? Considering the high propane prices in Central Indiana, you need to read this to save some serious money. The current price of LP gas in Hamilton County, Indiana, is around $2.50 per gallon. This can translate into heating costs of $2000 per year! Imagine how far ahead you would be if you could keep $1500 of this expense every year?
Propane heat is one of the most expensive ways to heat your home. But what alternatives do you have? Here is an easy way to make a quick comparison between different heating systems and fuels. From your past heating bills we can estimate how much heat your home needed last winter. The unit of heat we use is called a BTU. (A BTU is a very small amount of heat so you need several million of these BTUs each winter.)
Let’s say your home needed 65 million BTUs last winter. Your 90% LP gas furnace can make one million BTUs for $30.86 if the gas cost is $2.50 per gallon. So your winter fuel bill ends up being about $2000 because 65 million X $30.86 = $2006. Does this unreasonably high propane bill sound familiar?
Geothermal saves $1000 to $2000 per year!
A geothermal heat pump in your home will not change the amount of heat you need. But the geo system can make (actually, move) the same one million BTUs for a mere $7.53 if the cost of electricity is $.09 per kWh. So now your winter heating bill is 65 X $7.53 or $489. Do some quick rounding and you can see about $1500 per year in geothermal energy savings! In a more extreme example, your furnace may only be 80% efficient and your electricity may only cost $.075 per kWh. Now your geothermal heating savings is over $1800 per winter!
And the geothermal air conditioning savings are added to the winter savings!
Precision Comfort Systems will help you with all your options and even update you on the 30% geothermal federal tax credit. We can help you decide if your next propane furnace repair is a wise decision. Maybe it’s better seen as a good opportunity to invest in a new system. Before you spend more money on your next propane tank refill, or your next furnace repair, or even your next air conditioner service, call the heating and cooling specialists at Precision Comfort Systems. 317-867-2665.
Condemned Furnace Replacement
For a recent Indianapolis area family, it started as a simple, low cost advertisement for a furnace clean and check. The offer was not from their normal heating contractor, but who could go wrong with a low price that promised to “renew your furnace to its original condition?” Now, it has turned into a very expensive proposal for a complete furnace replacement. Did the low price checkup really discover a furnace about to go bad?
The truth? Yes, a checkup is exactly what you need to be sure you furnace is working properly before the winter starts. If there are safety problems, a good quality inspection should uncover the problems. But here is a different question… Is every condemned furnace and resulting furnace replacement truthful and necessary? Unfortunately… no.
How do we know?
Precision Comfort Systems offers a free second opinion. We have been called to a few homes recently because of our longstanding reputation for honesty and precise, technical knowledge about all brands and types of heating systems. These homeowners were told to replace the heating system as soon as possible for safety reasons. What we found was a 12 to 15 year old furnace that had a little dirt, a little rust, or a small adjustment needed, and then the furnace was otherwise fine.
What should customers do if they are surprised with a condemned furnace from a cheap tune-up? There is no better way for homeowners in Westfield, Noblesville, Carmel, Zionsville and Fishers to know for sure if the furnace is really unfit or if the unfortunate coupon clipper has been the victim of an overzealous sales routine. This bothers us. We understand how dependent our customers are to know the truth. Precision Comfort Systems is in the business to earn your trust first, sell you a new furnace second.
If your otherwise functional furnace is condemned during a routine checkup, this is a serious diagnosis. It may need attention immediately. But call for a second opinion from a local, trustworthy company who is known for their honesty.
We are here to keep you warm…
To keep your family warm during the cold Indiana winters, Precision Comfort Systems offers the newest in technology with gas furnaces, heat pumps, boilers, radiant heat and geothermal systems. Our goal is simple; to deliver reliable and economical warmth for every room in your home. Our furnaces have efficiency ratings from an economical 80% to almost 100% efficiency and many models are also ENERGY STAR® qualified. The high efficiency models can significantly lower your utility bills and may qualify for tax incentives or rebates from your electric company. Call us with any of your energy efficiency or home comfort questions.
You may qualify for a geothermal tax credit!
Here is some news on how homeowners could qualify for a geothermal tax credit!
The Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 (H.R. 1424) offers…
- A one-time tax credit of 30% of the total investment for homeowners who install residential ground loop or ground water geothermal heat pumps
- Qualifying systems must meet or exceed EnergyStar requirements and be installed after December 31, 2007.
- Indianapolis geothermal system owners can file for the credit by completing the Renewable Energy Credits subsection on their federal tax return forms.
- Geothermal tax credits are available through December 2016.
Please consult your tax professional for details on the proceedure and your eligibility.
To learn more about additional incentives that may be available, visit http://www.dsireusa.org/
