My Decision: Heat Pumps vs. Air Conditioning
With the recent heatwave and temperatures reaching up to 30 degree celcius, we were simply not enjoying our dream home. For the sake of comfort, my wife's soon approaching maternity leave, and the arrival of our baby, we began our search for a central air conditioning system for our home. Our original plan was to bare through the summer without it and make our purchase sometime in spring 2007. Of course, nothing in life ever happens as planned.
After a few weeks of internet research, I learned that there were two different systems available. The first is a traditional air conditioning system and the second was the addition of a heat pump. Although both systems were designed for cooling, both work very differently. The Air conditioning units cool refrigerants like Puron Refrigerant and Freon and delivers them to evaporator coils, which dissipate the refrigerant and blow cool air into ducts for delivery throughout the home. The heat pump is a central air conditioner which can also heat your whole home.
According to the my builder, he had had installed a heat pump into his 5000 sq-ft home with the identical furnace system from Carrier. With the heat pump, his total monthly gas bills are now $80-100 per month. His electrical use has increased, however minimally.
My first estimate came from Jim from Vancouver Furnance Express. They were the company which I orginally hired to install the heating and duct work during the construction of my home. Jim informed me that the heat pump was the best option due to it's high energy efficiency. The unforunate news was that the Carrier heat pumps were on short supply throughout the Lower Mainland and that it would be a 2-3 week wait for one.
My second call was to my neighbour Tony who works for Executive Air. He immediately recommended that I run a traditional air conditioning system as he warned that heat pump technologies are still new. He explained that although a heat pump would pay itself off within 4-5 years, they have a higher chance of costly malfunctionings.
None the less, I had both parties come and calculate the system that would best fit my needs. Fortunate for us, we had a concrete pad pre-poured for an outdoor condensor, roughed in all the necessary electrical lines, and ducting to keep the cost for this upgrade minimal.
After a few weeks of internet research, I learned that there were two different systems available. The first is a traditional air conditioning system and the second was the addition of a heat pump. Although both systems were designed for cooling, both work very differently. The Air conditioning units cool refrigerants like Puron Refrigerant and Freon and delivers them to evaporator coils, which dissipate the refrigerant and blow cool air into ducts for delivery throughout the home. The heat pump is a central air conditioner which can also heat your whole home. According to the my builder, he had had installed a heat pump into his 5000 sq-ft home with the identical furnace system from Carrier. With the heat pump, his total monthly gas bills are now $80-100 per month. His electrical use has increased, however minimally.
My first estimate came from Jim from Vancouver Furnance Express. They were the company which I orginally hired to install the heating and duct work during the construction of my home. Jim informed me that the heat pump was the best option due to it's high energy efficiency. The unforunate news was that the Carrier heat pumps were on short supply throughout the Lower Mainland and that it would be a 2-3 week wait for one.
My second call was to my neighbour Tony who works for Executive Air. He immediately recommended that I run a traditional air conditioning system as he warned that heat pump technologies are still new. He explained that although a heat pump would pay itself off within 4-5 years, they have a higher chance of costly malfunctionings.
None the less, I had both parties come and calculate the system that would best fit my needs. Fortunate for us, we had a concrete pad pre-poured for an outdoor condensor, roughed in all the necessary electrical lines, and ducting to keep the cost for this upgrade minimal.
posted by Golf CL at 6:59 PM
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