Recommended Heat Pump Types: Air Source, Ground Source, Air-to-Water WHAT TYPE OF HEAT PUMP IS RIGHT FOR MY HOME? NEW HOMES
H eat pumps are an excellent choice for new homes and major rehabs. If it’s a smaller house, often just one or two mini-split systems can do the job. If you have a large-sized property, you may consider a ground source heat pump (GSHP) which is the most energy efficient of all heat pump types. However, ground source heat pumps are expensive and involve a more intensive installation for the underground components. Ground source heat pumps can be installed as a ducted or ductless system. G SHPs, also known as geothermal or water source heat pumps, use the relatively constant temperature of the earth or ground water as the exchange medium instead of the outside air like an air source heat pump. The biggest benefits of ground source heat pumps are they use up to 50% less electricity than conventional heating or cooling systems and the ground loops can last up to 50 years. GSHPs can also provide hot water for your home. A nother option is an air-to-water heat pump (AWHP). Single-family AWHPs are a new offering in the United States. It can be difficult to find a contractor experienced with air-to-water heat pumps, and expensive to install the equipment. Instead of ductwork, AWHPs use pipes to deliver conditioned water. In this case, energy is delivered by the water in pipes instead of by air in ductwork. One of the benefits of this technology is the use of thermal energy storage, or the ability for water to store energy. This allows air-to-water heat pumps to supply hot water to the home.
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ELECTRIC HEAT PUMP CUSTOMER BUYING AND OPERATION GUIDE FOR SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES
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