Many homeowners decide to install heat pumps because of their high efficiency and reliability. It’s important to maintain your system in order to get the most out of your heat pump. Below, we will go over what makes Daikin heat pumps an efficient solution for your home, as well as what you can do as a homeowner to maintain their efficiency.
Heat pumps do a lot more than just heating. In fact, they also provide air conditioning and humidity control. Heat pumps work a lot like a refrigerator or air conditioner, using electricity and a refrigerant to pump or move heat from one location to another. Unlike furnaces, a heat pump does not generate heat, instead, it takes energy that can be found in the air, ground, or water sources surrounding your home, making it one of the most efficient solutions to heat or cool your home.
Even in the coldest months, this heat energy source is still present, and the heat pump works to extract and transfer this heat into your home. In the warmest months, the heat pump extracts the heat from your home and relocates it outside, providing an air conditioning effect.
A heat pump is considered one of the most energy-efficient methods for heating and cooling a home, especially compared to homes heated with baseboard electric heat or propane heated homes. In Nova Scotia, 18% of residences used a heat pump as the primary energy equipment. Heat pumps were also more widely used in the Maritime provinces than across the rest of Canada (5% share nationally). More and more families and property owners are choosing to install heat pumps in their homes and buildings because of their efficiency and the long term savings it has on your power bill.
Under ideal conditions, a heat pump can transfer 300 percent more energy than it consumes, compared to a high-efficiency gas furnace’s 95 percent rating. Because of this efficiency, heat pumps can also save substantially on fuel consumption.
As a heat pump owner, it's important to follow the at-home maintenance rules to ensure your unit runs smoothly. Ready Refrigeration also offers ReadyCare Maintenance Plans, so you don't have to worry about your unit. Click here to read more about our plans.
Heat pumps work best when dust filters are clean. Vacuum or rinse the dust filters whenever they become visibly dirty or when the indicator light comes on. The frequency of cleaning can range from weeks to months depending on use and dust volume.
Keep shrubs away from outdoor units and remove leaves that may become stuck in them. Clear snow drifts away from outdoor units but don’t worry about snow and ice accumulating on them. Heat pumps automatically defrost.
To ensure peak performance, follow our recommendations for professional service in addition to regular filter cleaning. Heat pumps collect more dirt in the summer, so it’s best to have them serviced in the fall. Click to book a service with us!
The "Auto" mode on heat pumps allows the heat pump to decide whether to heat or cool the space, but it doesn’t always know best. To avoid accidentally air conditioning on a mid-winter sunny day or perhaps when a wood stove is running, use “Heat” mode, not “Auto.” Likewise, to avoid accidentally heating on a cool summer night, use “Cool” “Dry,” or “Fan,” not “Auto” in the summer.
For homes heated by both a heat pump and a furnace, relying on the heat pump whenever possible will maximize savings and overall efficiency. This can mean different things in different homes, like setting the furnace thermostat lower or closing a radiator or damper in the rooms served by the heat pump.
