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, Allen, and Frisco.  We service all homes in southern Collin and Denton Counties 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 and offer 24/7 Emergency Service.

Click Here To Learn More About Nest Thermostat (without a heat pump): AlsPlumbing.com Nest Thermostat Benefits

A Nest Thermostat Maximizes Heat Pump Savings

Image Source: ShutterStock

Nest Smart Thermostat

Maximizing Heat Pump Savings

Nest Does This By Minimizing How Much The Supplemental / Auxiliary, Electric Heat Runs. 

Image Source: ShutterStock

SHOWN: A Heat Pump Can Heat A Home For 1/3 To 1/2 Less Than Electric Heat (savings depends on outdoor temperature at the time).

• A Heat Pump is an air-conditioner that runs in reverse when in Heating Mode.
• In summer, a Heat Pump runs just like an A/C — extracting heat from indoor air and moving heat out of the house.
• In Winter, it runs in reverse as a Heat Pump — extracting heat from outdoor air and moving heat into the house.

Click Here To See A Diagram Of How A Heat Pump Works:Diagram Of How A Heat Pump Works

A Nest Thermostat With A Heat Pump Is A Winning Combination!

The Nest thermostat continually monitors the Heat Pump’s performance to ensure the Heat Pump is doing as much of the heating as possible (unless you set Nest not to).  This maximizes heat pump savings, because a Heat Pump provides less heat as outdoor temps lower, Nest turns on the Auxiliary / Supplemental Electric Heat to make up only the difference between the home’s heating needs and how much heat the Heat Pump can provide at the time.

Nest will minimize how much the Supplemental / Auxiliary Electric Heating is used.  Nest knows the outdoor temperature, so it can monitor the Heat Pump to ensure it does as much of the heating as possible — minimizing heating costs).

Click Here To See The Heating Element Inside An Electric Furnace: Electric Furnace Heating Element

Why Choose A Heat Pump Versus Electric Furnace?

Heat Pump Savings

Image Source: DreamsTime

Image Source: CanStockPhoto

Heat Pump Versus Electric Furnace Heating-Cost Comparison

All the details below demonstrate heat pump savings.  A Heat Pump costs a little over 1/2 the costs of heating with an Electric Furnace in DFW.   The tremendous additional electricity demand of an electric furnace recently prompted the State of Georgia to no longer allow an electric furnace as a primary heating source.  *4

*4 Source: https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/77807/The-Sad-Joke-of-Higher-Furnace-Efficiency-Standards

How Electric Furnace & Electric Heat Pump Heating Costs Were Determined

• An Electric Furnace for a 2,400 square foot home uses 18,000 Watts (18 kWh) While Heating. *5
• A common price per kWh = $.10 (10 cents).
• $1.80 per hour to heat with Electric Furnace

• A 4-Ton Heat Pump for a 2,400 square foot home uses  6,400 Watts (6.4 kWh) While Heating.
• $.64 (64 cents) per hour to heat with 4-Ton Heat Pump.  *6

• Electric furnace produces 135F degree output-air
• A Heat Pump produces 90F degree output-air (at 35F outdoor temp) *7
• So a Heat Pump must run 1-1/2 times longer that Electric Furnace *7
• $.96 (cents) per hour to heat with Heat Pump (adjusting for lower output-air temps that require longer run time) ***

• $1.80 Versus $ .96 — A 4-Ton Heat Pump Heating-Costs (heating pump only) Are Just Over HALF That Of An Electric Furnace when the heat pump is providing all the heat (and most can down to 32F degrees)!  
• Once it gets below 32, Supplemental / Auxiliary Electric Heat must help the Heat Pump.
• This is why Heat Pump Savings is noted to be 1/3  — 1/2  less than electric heat (savings depends on outdoor temp at the time). 
• NOTE: Heating with a GAS Furnace is less expensive than with a Heat Pump.

*6 Source: energyusecalculator.com/electricity_furnace.htm  (electric furnace electricity use)

*5 Source: http://www.sheridanelectric.coop/content/energy-use-chart  (heat pump electricity use)

*7 Source: https://www.hannabery.com/faq5.shtml  (output air-temp for Electric Furnace & Heat Pump)

Nest Thermostat’s  Nest-Sense Feature With Heat Pump

Nest will bring out the best in your Heat Pump and maximize heat pump savings.  Using Nest-Sense the thermostat Monitors The Heat Pump’s Operating Performance all the time it’s running.  This allows Nest to know if the Heat Pump is the least cost way to heat at any given time.  Most Heat Pumps can heat your home down to about 32F degrees.  Below 32F Supplemental Electric Heat will activate only as needed.

Using The Nest-Sense Feature, the thermostat will:

• 1. Use the Heat Pump as much as possible when set to “Maximum Savings”.   Nest will only turn on Supplemental Heat only when the Heat Pump cannot keep up (due to quite low outdoor temps).  Heat pump savings increases when the heat pump does as much heating as possible.
• 2. If you prefer, you can change Nest to heat the house faster (using more Supplemental Heat at a higher cost).
• 3. You can also set Nest to make all the decisions about what’s best at any given time.

With “Nest Sense”, You Can Chose:

• More Savings — By using using Electric Heat less of the time.
• More Comfort — By using Auxiliary / Supplemental Electric Back-Up heat more of the time.
• Balance Between The Two — Nest Decides When To Run The Supplemental Electric Heat.

Click Here To See Nest Thermostat Display Asking For Comfort / Cost Preference:  Nest Thermostat Heat Pump Comfort / Cost Setting

Nest’s Early-On Feature

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Nest Turns The Heat Pump On Earlier When Needed (due to lower outdoor temps)

With Nest’s Early-On Feature, Nest will turn the Heat Pump on earlier (than programmed) when outdoor temps are lower.    As compared, a programmable thermostat that simply resets the temperature.  If the thermostat setting is +2 degrees or more (than the indoor temperature) the Supplemental  Electric heat turns on in addition to the Heat Pump.  Heating costs rise by about 1/3 (over Heat Pump alone) when both the Heat Pump + Supplemental Heat are running.

• When only the Heat Pump runs — This is the least expensive way to heat your home.
• When both the Heat Pump + Auxiliary / Supplemental heat run — Heating Costs increase by about 1/3 (over heat pump only).
• If only the Supplemental Heat runs — Heating Cost roughly doubles (over heat pump only).

NOTE:  You Can Temporarily Override Nest’s Comfort / Cost setting Any Time You Want.  Simply set the thermostat to the temp you want.

During That Time:

• When the thermostat is set +1 degree (above indoor temp) only the Heat Pump runs.

• When the thermostat is set +2 or more degrees  (above indoor temp) — both the Heat Pump & Supplemental Electric heat run,

A Heat Pump’s Heating Ability Decreases As Outdoor Temps Lower

Image Source: Pixabay.com

Heat Pumps become less able to provide heat as outside temps get colder (because there is less heat to extract from the outdoor air).   At around 0F degrees, Heat Pumps are no longer cost-effective and are best turned off until outdoor temps rise again.  0F degrees is unlikely in DFW.  Nest will handle this should it ever occur.

Click Below For A Graph Showing Declining Heat Pump Ability As Outdoor Temps Lower:

Heat Pump Heating Ability As Outdoor Temps Lower

• As outdoor temps drop, A Home’s Heating Needs (heating load) Increases.
• As outdoor temps drop, A Heat Pump’s Heating Ability Decreases.

• At A Certain Temperature,  The Heat Pump’s Ability To Provide Heat (red line) Matches The Home’s Heating Needs (blue line).  This is the Balance Point.
• The Balance Point For Most Heat Pumps Is Around 32F Degrees.

• For Temperatures Below The Balance Point, The Heat Pump Can’t Provide All The Heat Needed.
• The Heat Pump Is Still Providing Most Of The Heat.
• The Auxiliary / Supplemental Heat Must Make Up Only The Difference.

Nest accommodates the variances in a Heat Pump’s ability to provide heat (based on lowering outdoor temps).  Since heating with Heat Pump alone is about 1/2 the cost of running an Electric Furnace, a Heat Pump makes a great investment.

A Heat Pump provides both air conditioning & heating.   A Heat Pump HVAC System is a little more expensive than purchasing a traditional Electric Furnace + Central A/C, but Heat Pump costs savings can return the small price difference many times during its lifespan.

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 northeast Dallas, Richardson & Garland.  We service all homes in southern Collin and Denton Counties 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 and offer 24/7 Emergency Service.