Replace Your AC with a Heat Pump for Year-Round Comfort
In our last newsletter, we introduced air-source Heat Pumps— refrigeration systems for heating and cooling homes. The advantages of heat pumps are less energy is used to heat a home and cleaner electricity is used instead of gas or oil. Heat pumps save homeowners money over time.
When to look for a Heat Pump? In Philadelphia, typical consumers commit to buying new air conditioning after just 3 days of research and price comparison. Why? It’s June, the old one has failed, and the TV news says “This weekend is going to be a scorcher!” The air conditioning salespeople dream of such days. This is NOT the best way to buy a heat pump to replace your aging AC systems. If you have systems that might fail in the next month, or year, or two, shop now: before the start of air conditioning or heating seasons. Ideally, not in May-July, and not in November-January.
What are we buying? A heat pump is a machine just like your current AC: it uses electrical energy to compress refrigerant, taking heat from one side of the home’s walls to the other. A heat pump has a reversing valve which allows it to cool in the summer and heat in the winter. Heat flows in either direction and the air handler and fan push out conditioned air – filtered and warmer or cooler.
As with an AC System, some are “central,” and others use a window unit. Some are like a central air conditioner with a single outside condenser, but inside using “mini-split” distribution units instead of ducts. A single compressor outside might serve one to four mini-split units inside the house.
Outside: Condenser
Inside: “Mini-split”
…or Through Ducts
Replacing your existing system with similar ducted or window systems may be sensible but listen to professional installers and get their advice. Mini-splits may be a better alternative to window systems. Existing ducted systems can be converted to heat pumps.
How to select a Heat Pump installer? Ask around for trustworthy HVAC installers. (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning = HVAC). Who is servicing your existing heating or air conditioning system? Call and ask them for an initial consultation. If you have oil heat, and they are mostly interested in selling you fuel oil, don’t expect deep expertise in Heat Pumps. In any case, get quotes from three or more installers. What they propose may differ quite a bit. Ask to see how they size a heat pump system for your house and ask them to explain how they did their calculations.
Screening new installers…Ask them:
Are you selling a lot of heat pumps? Which brands are you authorized by the manufacturer to install? (Big names include Carrier, Bosch, LG, Samsung, Daikin, Bryant, Trane, Lennox, Mitsubishi Electric)
How will you size my system? I keep my home at [78] degrees in summer, and [67] in winter. What range of outside temperatures will keep me comfortable with just the heat pump?
Should I keep my existing (gas/oil) heat or will this heat pump address the whole house?
If the heat pump addresses the whole house, will the system have electric resistance heating for very cold days?
If I keep my existing heat system, will heat pump controls work with my existing heating system?
Please provide the equipment manufacturers’ warranties (this should be 10+ years of parts & repairs on core components: compressors, air handlers, controls)
Please provide a written warranty from your company on workmanship (i.e. that it was installed correctly and completely), usually for 1-2 years.
Please confirm in writing that the proposed equipment is eligible, due to its high efficiency, for the IRS tax credits.
Efficiency Standards: “As of January 2023, the Department of Energy adopted new testing methods for energy efficiency, replacing the SEER and HSPF values with SEER2 and HSPF2, while also increasing efficiency standards. Heat pumps with higher SEER/SEER2 and HSPF/HSPF2 ratings tend to cost more, but they’ll often pay for themselves over time through lower energy costs, and they may be eligible for better tax incentives or rebates than less efficient models.” Indeed, lower efficiency units do not qualify for $2000.00 Federal Tax Credits. Ask installers for a specific model number on each proposed system component. Ask them to confirm in writing that it qualifies for the tax credit. Look it up here for tax credit eligibility: CEE Directory
Let the taxman pay for part of your heat pump: A tax credit is available from the IRS of 30% of the cost of the heat pump, capped at $2,000 per year. Check with your tax pro, but the credit limit is per year, so if you have 2 systems to replace you could do one each year and get the most credit.
Get the new refrigerant: R-454B, also known by the trademarked names Opteon XL41, Solstice 454B, and Puron Advance, it has reduced global warming potential (GWP). R-454B is intended to be an alternative to the old refrigerant R-410A in new equipment. Unfortunately, each heat pump is designed for a particular refrigerant. Consumers who buy equipment designed for the expiring R-410A, and the equipment may find it to be obsolete due to the unavailability of the R-410A in future years.
RECAP
Get three or more quotes in writing! Read the warranties before you sign
Get the installer to show you how they calculated the sizing and temperature ranges
Qualify for tax credits AND get a new R-454B refrigerant. Don’t compromise!
References:
¹ Ground source heat pumps are not covered here. They are expensive to install, as they involve drilling deep holes in the earth. In Philadelphia’s mild winters, they may not represent good value versus air source heat pumps – just due to physics.
IRS page on Tax Credits for Heat Pumps: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/home-energy-tax-credits
Department of Energy page on Clean Energy Tax Credits: https://www.energy.gov/policy/articles/making-our-homes-more-efficient-clean-energy-tax-credits-consumers
Consumer Reports Guide to Heat Pumps: https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/heat-pumps/buying-guide/