Heat Pumps

What is a Heat Pump?

Heat pumps warm or cool your home by moving heat from one area to another. They are able to extract heat from the air or ground even when it’s cold outside. They can be an energy efficient heating solution!

In Newfoundland and Labrador, heat pumps are usually used for heating. Heat is extracted from the air or ground and moved inside your home to provide heating. Because the process involves moving heat that already exists rather than generating it, a heat pump can heat a room or an entire home using much less energy than electric resistance heating systems such as baseboard heaters. Heat pumps can also provide air conditioning. A heat pump uses the same process as a refrigerator to keep your house cool (though not quite as cold!).

Learn about on-bill financing here.

For operational and maintenance winter tips for your Heat Pump, click here.

Benefits of a Heat Pump

Heat pumps can offer a number of benefits when the right product is chosen, installed properly and operated correctly:

• Save Money: Save as much as 40% on electric heating costs in areas where the heat pump is used. Savings can be hundreds of dollars every year; however, savings vary widely.
• Comfort and Convenience: No need to adjust the thermostat—heat pumps provide comfort all day and night, while still using less energy. Plus they provide air conditioning in the summer.

• Maintenance and energy efficiency tips

  Proper operation and maintenance of your heat pump will help save energy:

  Please check with a certified Heat Pump installer when servicing is required.

  Here is what you can do to keep your heat pump operating efficiently.

  Indoor Unit:

  Clean air filters. Dirty filters, coils, and fans reduce airflow through the system. Reduced airflow decreases system performance and can damage your system’s compressor. Filters should be cleaned every 30 to 60 days.

  How do I clean my filters?

  • Turn off your heat pump.
  • Open the front cover of your indoor heat pump unit.
  • Pull out the mesh filters on either side.
  • Wipe off any dirt or dust and we suggest running it under cool water.
  • Pat dry the filters with a paper towel to remove most of the water.
  • Reinstall the filters.
  • Turn on either heating, cooling or fan mode for a few minutes to complete drying off the filters.

  Outdoor Unit:

  Start by shutting off the power.

  • Remove debris from the unit when necessary. On the condenser/compressor, remove the fan cage and fasteners using a screwdriver. By hand, or with a vacuum, clean leaves and other debris.
  • Gently spray the unit with a garden hose, removing dirt, grass clippings, and debris. (DO NOT USE A PRESSURE WASHER).

  Air Conditioning Mode

  Don’t turn the unit off directly after running in air conditioning mode. Turn the unit to the Fan Only feature to dry moisture that could otherwise sit stagnant on the coil. Stagnant moisture could lead to mold or mildew.

  Defrost Mode

  In heating mode, a heat pump extracts heat from the outside air and transfers it inside. When it gets colder outside ice can form on the outdoor unit coils. Your heat pump will start a defrost cycle to melt any ice built up.

  If the unit is operating correctly a typical defrost cycle only lasts about 3 to 5 minutes. This is the norm when temperatures outside are in the 5 to -5 C range. The duration can increase as the temperature drops or in storm conditions.

  A ductless split heat pump is meant to be used in areas of the home where there is already an existing heat source, such as baseboard heaters or an oil furnace. It is important that you coordinate the temperature settings for the two heating systems. To maximize energy savings, the heat pump should be operated as the primary heating system. When the heat pump is in use, the thermostat for the backup system (which is less efficient) should always be on a lower temperature setting than the heat pump. Set the thermostat of your baseboard heaters or furnace at a slightly lower temperature (approximately 2°C lower), so they don’t compete with your heat pump.

• How does it work?

  A heat pump system typically consists of two parts: an indoor unit, commonly called an air handler, and an outdoor unit, which contains a compressor – the “engine” of the heat pump. The compressor circulates a high pressure liquid refrigerant that absorbs and releases heat as it travels between the indoor and outdoor units.

  Even when temperatures fall below zero, heat pumps are able to extract and transfer heat. Some heat pumps are very efficient as low as -25 °C, while others provide very little heat at -10°C.

  When outside temperatures become too cold for the heat pump to be able to extract heat efficiently, a backup heating source is required. In the case of a ducted central system, the built in electric backup heating system typically activates automatically helping to keep your home warm and comfortable. In the case of a ductless split system, a separate heating source is required and will operate independently of the heat pump. The temperature at which this happens depends on the efficiency of the heat pump system you install. See more on this in the Choosing a Heat Pump tab above.

  Although it may seem counterintuitive to think that there is heat in the outside air when it feels very cold to us, there is actually heat present at much lower temperatures than we see in Newfoundland and Labrador: all the way down to absolute zero or -273°C!

   

   

• Types of Heat Pumps

  Central-Ducted Heat Pump

  To maximize the energy saving benefits of your central ducted heat pump, we recommend that you discuss system programming options with your installer to regulate the temperature at which the built in backup electric heat will activate. Ideally, the system should be programmed for a staged implementation of the backup heat.

  Additionally, it is important to remember that your heat pump is not like a furnace or baseboard heat where you frequently need to adjust thermostats. With this type of heat pump, you will typically have one or two central thermostats for the home. The general rule is to “set it and forget it” to allow for continuous temperature regulation. Constantly adjusting the thermostat is more likely to activate the backup heat, using more energy. The exception to this rule is during times when the home is vacant for extended periods of time. For example if you are away on vacation for a week or more, it may make sense to set back the thermostat temperature by a few degrees.

  Ductless Split Heat Pump

  A ductless split heat pump provides heating for one or more localized zones or rooms. There is an outdoor unit which contains the compressor, and one or more indoor air handling units. There is no ductwork, but rather the air handling unit provides heating or cooling directly to the room it is located in. A separate backup heating source is required when using a ductless split system, to provide supplementary heating when the temperature drops to a point that the heat pump can no longer extract heat from the air.

  Ductless split systems can be divided into two main categories: mini and multi splits. A ductless mini split heat pump consists of a single indoor air handling unit and provides heating or cooling to a single room or zone; a ductless multi split heat pump contains multiple indoor air handling units and provides heating or cooling for multiple rooms or zones.

  Air Source Heat Pump

  The majority of heat pumps installed in Newfoundland and Labrador are air-source heat pump; meaning they extract heat from the air. Ductless mini or multi split systems are types of air source heat pumps. A central-ducted heat pump is most commonly an air source heat pump.

  

  Ground Source Heat Pump

  Central ducted heat pumps may also be ground source or geothermal heat pumps, meaning they extract heat from the ground. They require drilling of deep wells and large land lots and usually require a higher upfront investment. They do however provide heating or cooling even more efficiently than air source heat pumps because the temperature of the ground is more consistent than the air in winter. In Newfoundland and Labrador, it is more common for businesses to install ground source heat pumps than home owners.