This Is Part 1 Of Our 4-Part Article.

To See Part 2 Click Here: AlsPlumbing.com Heat Pumps Part 2 of 4

This article discusses Heat Pump savings versus electric heat.    Al’s Plumbing, Heating & A/C in Plano, Texas provides maintenance & repairs for all brands of Central A/C, Gas & Electric Furnace, and Heat Pumps.  Additionally, we sell and install new HVAC Systems from American Standard (same company as Trane), Ameristar (same company as American Standard) and Coleman HVAC (same company as York HVAC).

Al’s also provides full-service plumbing maintenance, repairs, and replacements for every plumbing component in your home.  Al’s sells and installs Rheem Professional Series gas & electric water heaters, and tankless water heaters.  Al’s is near your home in Plano, TX; Allen, TX; and Frisco, TX.  We service all homes in southern Collin County, TX and Denton County, TX with no travel charges.

Call Al’s today to discuss any concerns or problems you have with your HVAC System or Plumbing.  We will arrange an appointment at your convenience.

CC0 With Attribution: Flikr5376672_558ca02eef_z-2.jpg

Is Your Home All-Electric?

Replace Central A/C With A Heat Pump For Year-Round Savings

In DFW, you likely have one of the following central HVAC Systems:

• Gas Furnace & Central Air Conditioner.
• Electric Furnace & Central Air Conditioner.
• Electric Heat Pump with Back-Up Electric heat.
• A Heat Pump also provides Air Conditioning.

If Your Home Is All-Electric — A Heat Pump Will Heat Your Home

As Compared To Electric Heat — Heat Pump Electricity Usage Can Be Up To 50% Less

Image Source: DreamsTime

A Heat Pump Is An Air Conditioner That Runs In Reverse For Heating

NOTE: Gas furnaces are less expensive to operate than a heat pump.

• Electric furnaces are far more expensive to operate than a heat pump.
• If your home is all-electric — a Heat Pump can lower heating costs by up to 2/3 (depends on outdoor temp at the time).
• In DFW — average Heat Pump savings costs is around 55%.
• As compared:  In south Florida (where winter temps are warmer than DFW)  Heat Pump savings is 65%–75% (that of an electric furnace).

Why A Heat Pump Is Less Expensive To Operate Than An Electric Furnace

• A Heat Pump is a Central A/C that also runs in reverse (when heating).

• In summer, it removes heat from the home and moves that heat outdoors.

• In winter — it removes heat from outdoor air and moves the heat indoors.

It’s notably less expensive to move heat (from outdoors to inside the home) — than to generate heat with an electric furnace.

Heating-Costs Comparison

Estimated Annual DFW Heating Cost (for a 2000 square foot, one-level home):

• $379  Standard-Efficiency Heat Pump (SEER-14 cooling rating) + electric supplemental heat.  This is a 55% heating-costs savings with a Heat Pump, versus an electric furnace.
• $683  Electric Furnace.

Based On:

• 2,000 SF Home
• 11.4 Cents (per kWh) Is Texas’ Average:  Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration  — https://www.eia.gov/state/rankings/?sid=TX#series/31
• 2,400 Heating Degree Days in DFW  Source: https://www.climate-zone.com/climate/united-states/texas/dallas-fort-worth/
• Calculator Source: https://www.remodelingcalculator.org/heating-costs-calculator/

Energy Cost Calculator Source: https://c03.apogee.net/mvc/home/hes/land/el?utilityname=ure&spc=hcc

 Heat Pump Is A Little More Expensive To Purchase Than Central A/C — Because It Cools & Heats 

NEED HEATING COST COMPARISON CALCULATOR

• For a home kept at the same temperature all the time — Heat Pump savings are maximized.
• For homes where the heat is frequently turned low and rewarmed later — the electric backup heat turn on (to heat faster).   In this case, Heat Pump Benefits (savings) are reduced.
• With a Heat Pump — it’s best to keep the temperature the same all the time.  With temperature set-backs — the cost to rewarm the house will cost more than leaving it at one temperature.

WHY?

• When the thermostat is set +1 degree warmer than the indoor temperature — the heat pump provides all heating.  Heat Pump savings, versus electric heat, are maximized using this setting.
• When the thermostat is set +2 degrees warmer (or higher) — the supplemental electric heat turns on.   Heat Pump savings, versus electric heat, are reduced with this setting.

A Heat Pump is a more expensive to purchase because it heats & cools. 

The Amount Of Electricity Consumed By A Heat Pump, For The Amount Of Heat Provided,  Is Based On The Heat Pump’s Energy-Efficiency. 

Energy-Efficiency Is Expressed As HSPF (Heating Season Performance Factor)

Click Below To Read Our Article:  Only Six Companies Make Nearly Every A/C Brand:

AlsPlumbing.com: Only 6 Companies Make Nearly Every A/C Brand

A Heat Pump HVAC System With Back-Up Electric Heat

NOTE: As outside temps lower, there is less heat within the outdoor air for the Heat Pump to extract.  As this occurs — “supplemental” electric back-up heat makes only up the difference between what the Heat Pump can produce and the home’s total heating needs at the time.

During winter, cold air comes out the top of the Heat Pump.  This is because the heat pump extracted the heat (within the air) as the air passed through the unit.  Heat from the outdoor air helps heat the refrigerant.  Then the warmed refrigerant is pumped into the home.  The home’s indoor-air flows through a coil inside the furnace (evaporator coil) —  then the warmed air is distributed throughout the home by the furnace.

NOTE: In DFW, Back-Up heat is typically electric.   There are instances where a Heat Pump’s back-up heat is a gas furnace.  In that case — turn the Heat Pump off and use the gas furnace to lower heating costs.

At very cold outdoor temperatures — the Heat Pump may temporarily shut off.  This is because there is too little heat in the outdoor air to make the Heat Pump cost-effective to run at that time.   If this occurs, all heat is temporarily provided by the electric heat-strip inside the furnace.  Once outdoor temperatures rise again — the Heat Pump will resume running.

Image Source: YouTube Embedded Video

SHOWN: Electric Furnace Heat Strip (While Heating)

Note: The Coils Don’t Glow Red While The Furnace Blower-Fan Is Running.

Click On Arrow In Center Of Photo To Learn More About Electric Furnace Heat Strip / Element

 Your Home’s Fuel Options Are The Deciding Factor When Selecting An HVAC System  

Image Source: CanStockPhoto

In DFW, Natural Gas Heat Is Less Expensive Than Using A Heat Pump

In DFW, nearly all homes have either gas or electric furnaces.  Most homes connected to natural gas have a gas furnace.  If your home is All-Electric, and gas lines pass are near your home, you may be able to connect your home and convert to natural gas heat.  Bute this can be a detailed and expensive upgrade.   Based on the annual heating costs shown below, bringing natural gas to your home is likely cost-prohibitive — in light of being able to reduce your heating costs by up to 2/3 or more with a Heat Pump (versus electric furnace).

Heat Pumps don’t require a new electrical line. If you have central a/c  — the Heat Pump with use the electricity line serving it.  If your DFW home has natural gas, the cost of heating your home with gas is lower.  For homes connected to natural gas — purchase a gas furnace and central air conditioner.

The #1 Heat Pump Problem Is Caused By — Setting The Thermostat Wrong

Resulting In Much Higher Heating Bills

Image Source: ShutterStock

The Nest Thermostat Will Ask If You Want It Set To “Emergency Heat” — When You ‘re Actually Wanting “Supplemental” Heat

• With a Heat Pump HVAC System — supplemental heat operates only when the Heat Pump can’t keep up (due to low outdoor temps).  
• BUT — if you set the thermostat +2 degrees over the indoor temperature — the supplemental-heat turns on (to heat the house faster).
• Supplemental heat only makes up the difference between what the Heat Pump can provide — and the home’s total heating needs at any moment in time.
• If you set the thermostat +1 degree — the Heat Pump does the heating.

• The “Emergency Heat” setting is used only if the Heat Pump quits working. 
•  The “Emergency Heat” setting turns the heat pump off.
• Then, all heat is created by the electric heat-strip inside the furnace.

TIP: With your thermostat correctly set to “HEAT” — check to be sure the outside unit is running when the furnace blower fan is running.   If the outside unit is not running — the “Back-Up” electric heat comes on, and you won’t know.  When the outside unit is not running — the cost to heat your home is the same as an electric furnace (because electric back-up heat is providing all heat).

American Standard & Trane Climatuff ® Heat Pump & A/C Compressors

• Since the 1950’s Trane / American Standard has made their own residential A/C Compressors.

• They are the only HVAC brands with Climatuff® brand Compressors.

• Trane manufactured the first Climatuff® Heat Pump compressor in 1964.

Copy The Link Below Into Your Browser To Learn Read About Climatuff® Compressors

http://hvac.amickracing.com/Compressor%20Information/Climatuff%20Compressor%20Technology.pdf

During Defrosting, American Standard & Trane Heat Pumps are notably more quietly than nearly any other brand because of their compressor.  American Standard & Trane Heat Pumps and Air Conditioners have their proprietary design Climatuff® compressor.  Nearly all other residential heat pump brands have a Copeland (brand) compressor. Copeland Heat Pump compressors operate at a higher noise-level during a Defrost-Cycle.

Click To Hear Noise Generated By A Heat Pump (Copeland compressor) & American Standard (Climatuff® compressor) While Defrosting: 

Copeland Compressor Noise Level During Defrost-Cycle (time 0:07)  &  Climatuff® Compressor (time 3:41)

A Side Note — Do You Currently Own A Noisy Heat Pump?

If you do, you may be interested in Quiet Fence:

Click Here To Hear The Noise Reduction Level As Quiet Fence Is Place In Front Of A Loud A/C: Quiet Fence Demonstration

Click Here For More Details, Or To Purchase This Product: QuietFence Details   **

** NOTE: Al’s Does Not Sell QuietFence. 

Al’s Doesn’t Endorse This Product Only Because We Don’t Have First-Hand Knowledge Or Experience With It. 

This information is provided as a courtesy to our readers. 

American Standard & Trane Climatuff® Compressors

Have A Long Lifespans History

Here is an interesting & entertaining story (from Trane’s website) about “SnowBall I” & “Snowball II” Climatuff® Compressors located at Trane’s Tyler, TX testing facility.

The original Snowball I Climatuff® compressor lasted from late 1972 until 2000 — running nearly 28 years.  It ran at an estimated 3,500 rpm, equal to an automobile running 60-70 miles per hour and covering 14.8 million miles.  Five presidents later — Snowball I finally ran out of steam in2000.  And it left a lifespan-legacy for the patented Climatuff® compressor.

Snowball II has lived at the Compressor Test Lab in Tyler, Texas since 2000.  This is the test lab where this durable Climatuff® compressor is constantly running while enduring extreme heat and cold, and working tirelessly at high refrigerant-pressure levels.

Click The Link Below Into Your Browser For An American Standard Heat Pump Brochure:

https://www.americanstandardair.com/content/dam/americanstandarair/brochure/heatpumps/10-1113-30%20AS%20Heat%20Pumps.pdf

Al’s Plumbing, Heating & A/C in Plano, Texas provides maintenance & repairs for all brands of Central A/C, Gas & Electric Furnace, and Heat Pumps.  Additionally, we sell and install new HVAC Systems from American Standard (same company as Trane), Ameristar (same company as American Standard), and Coleman HVAC (same company as York HVAC).

Al’s also provides full-service plumbing maintenance, repairs and replacements for every plumbing component in your home.  Al’s sells and installs Rheem Professional Series gas & electric water heaters, and tankless water heaters.  Al’s is near your home in Plano, TX; Allen, TX; and Frisco, TX.  We service all homes in southern Collin County, TX, and Denton County, TX with no travel charges.

Call Al’s today to discuss any concerns or problems you have with your HVAC System or Plumbing.  We will arrange an appointment at your convenience.