Heat pumps are becoming incredibly popular as heating devices. Today, a big number of people rely on such equipment to heat their house during the fall season. And now that the fall season is almost here, you may want to install a heat pump or get heat pump repair in case your existing unit is not working.

However, a big number of people who are reading this article may not know what heat pumps are to begin with. So, before we move on to the advantages and disadvantages of heat pumps, let us look at the basics briefly.

What are Heat pumps?

Heat pumps are systems that involve the use of pump to transfer heat from one point to another. These units often use a gas or liquid refrigerant that extracts heat from the outside environment and pumps it indoors.

In this process, less amount of heat electricity is used. In comparison, when electricity is used in heat conversion, then a big amount of energy can go wasted resulting higher bills.

At the same time, this cycle gets reversed during the summer. Then, the heat pump simply absorbs heat from the indoors and throws it outside, hence working as an air conditioner.

However, the use of heat pumps simply depends on your location. Certain areas that are very cold do not offer the perfect conditions for heat pumps to work with high efficiency.

Though, from the perspective of reducing our carbon footprint, heat pumps do a great job as compared with gas furnaces. Although, gas furnaces can be extremely efficient – rated up to 98% at times.

Pros of Heat pumps

Now, let us look at some of the advantages of heat pumps. These include:

Lower costs to run

Heat pumps simply costs lesser when it comes to operation and maintenance. Furthermore, the greater the energy efficiency of your system is, the better it will run in the long-term.

Lesser maintenance

Perhaps the best thing about heat pumps is that they cost lesser from maintenance perspective in the long run. So, chances are that you will not have to spend a lot of on your heat pump.

Though, occasional maintenance and repairs are inevitable, and you cannot avoid that. After all, it is a mechanical device and can be prone to faults due to multiple reasons.

As far as simple inspection goes, you can occasionally do it on your own. However, for bigger issues, you will most likely need the help of a professional serviceman or a heat pump contractor.

Safety

Yet another benefit of a heat pump is that they are very safe in comparison to other systems that rely on combustion. With that, they have reduced carbon emissions since no combustion is taking place.

And some heat pumps can be extremely efficient, hence reducing your overall energy costs. Take the example of water source heat pumps for example. These heat pumps can have an efficiency of around 600 percent.

Longer life span

Heat pumps tend to have a longer life span in comparison to other heating devices and equipment. For instance, a heat pump can last up to 50 years. Though, average time span in which the heat pump will work best is around 14 to 15 years.

They work both ways

The best thing about a heat pump is that it can work both ways. For instance, it can provide cooling during the warm season and provide warmth during the fall season.

The only downside would be that you will occasionally have to take help from heat pump repair services Falls Church before every new season (as heat pumps tend to run down often).