There are many excellent reasons to upgrade your home with a new heat pump system:
- High SEER and HSPF ratings
- Reduced cooling and heating costs
- Smaller household carbon footprint
- Rebates and other energy incentives
- Quieter operation and better air quality
To replace a heat pump or convert to one, begin with a load calculation. Getting the right cooling and heating output for your home is essential. A load calculation considers factors such as the home’s cubic footage, floor plan, and building envelope.
Once you determine the required load calculation, explore efficiency ratings for that space. SEER ratings reflect cooling efficiency over a typical summer, while HSPF ratings represent heating efficiency over a typical winter. Systems with sufficiently high ratings bear the ENERGY STAR label, which is crucial for most rebates and tax credits.
The noisiest heat pump systems produce about 60 decibels (dB), similar to a refrigerator. If you prefer an even quieter heat pump, some models operate at as little as 40 dB. Air quality is another important consideration. The industry uses the minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) to evaluate filter effectiveness. Most modern heat pumps support at least MERV 8, while many models can support up to MERV 13, significantly improving air quality.
Experts often suggest upgrading to a programmable or smart thermostat. Programming can lower your annual cooling and heating costs by up to 10%. Smart models also offer additional money-saving features, such as tracking and reporting energy usage.