What is a heat pump? These aremachines that move heat from one place at a lower
temperature to another place at a higher temperature. While an air conditioner is used only for cooling, heat pumps can be used for cooling or heating
purposes.
Since heat pumps are so important in our everyday lives, it is important to know the best ones out there and what
features to look for. We will go over a few brands of pumps and give you an idea of heat pump prices as well.
A Bit About What Heat Pumps Do
The beauty of these pumps is that they use the same refrigeration cycle for heating and cooling. Using a reversing
valve, they change the coil serving as the condenser and the one serving as the evaporator. In cooler climates, people often purchase these pumps for use
only as heaters. These units draw the heat from the ground or air and are often used commercially to heat offices and large apartment
communities.
When they are cooling, the pump works the same way as a normal air conditioner. An evaporator absorbs
the heat from inside the occupied space and the condenser emits this heat to the outside. The reversing value allows the refrigerant to flow in a different
direction for heating, supplying heat to the occupied space.
Things To Know
There are many different brands of heat pumps out there. The most popular ones are Coleman, Heil and Trane. Some of
the variations of the brands manufactured under Coleman are Echelon and Standard. These heat pumps are Coleman's, but with another name stamped on the box!
There are other brands such as Rheem and Lennox that also provide quality heat pumps at a great price to the consumer.
One of the main features to examine when in the market for a heat pump is the SEER rating. This rating determines
how energy efficient the pump is. The higher the numbers the more efficient on energy the heat pumps run. It is important to realize that energy efficiency
means saving money and the earth! Many companies are leaning towards energy efficient heat pumps that all will have high standards it just depends on whose
standards are truly higher.
When shopping for an HVAC system for the home, consumers should have knowledge of heat pump prices so they
can compare the two systems.
Heat Pump Prices
Air source heat pumps, which capture and move the heat between inside and outside, can cost as little as $500 for a
small unit installed in one room. A whole-house system that has ductwork generally costs between $2,000 and $5,000. A ductless version can be installed in
homes without ductwork for about $4,500 to $6,000.
Geothermal heat pump prices tend to be a lot higher, falling between $10,000 and $25,000. These capture and move
the heat between the indoors and just beneath the earth's surface. More expensive systems are available that include a hot water heater or two-stage
compressor. Gas, solar, and water-driven absorption heat pumps are currently being explored for residential use.
The price of a heat pump really depends on the size of the heat pump. If you are just trying to cool and heat a
single room the price will range from $500-$2,000. When determining the cost to replace the heat pump for a whole house it can get up to around $8,000. The
work to install a heat pump is more than just a simple job that will take a couple of hours so you must understand that these pieces of equipment can be
quite complex. There is some underground water heat pumps that can cost up to $25,000 depending on the complexity involved in the
installation.
Heat pumps come in an array of sizes and shapes so it is no surprise that there are many features as well. An
important feature to save money and energy is buying a compressor with a two speeds. This helps the compressor deal with the heating and cooling actions
quicker and more effectively. Some heat pumps are equipped with back up burners which aide in the heating of a home in cold weather. These back up burners
produce warmer air for cheaper by reducing the use of energy.
