If you own a heat pump in Sudbury, you enjoy some nice benefits of this system: heating and cooling, the ability to use ductwork or ductless indoor blowers, and good energy efficiency year-round. Many homeowners in our area grew up with or even owned at one point a more traditional type of heating system, like a furnace or boiler. With these systems, it is fairly easy to ascertain the level of efficiency, and it is expressed in a percentage. With heat pumps, it is a little different. The efficiency ratings for heat pumps is expressed as a HSPF rating. What’s that? We’ll explain more below.
The Rating
Rating systems run on a scale. The HSPF scale runs from 0 to 10.0. The acronym HSPF stands for heating seasonal performance factor. What the HSPF rating tells you is ratio of BTU (British thermal unit) heat output over the heating season to watt-hours of electricity used to do so. Federal mandates require that all heat pumps be produced operating at a minimum HSPF of 7.7. This means the absolute lowest rating you can have is 7.7. But, as the homeowner, you have the option to go as high as a HSPF of 10.0. Which is best for you? This is something to decide with your Basnett Plumbing & Heating technician.
The Higher the Rating, the More the Initial Cost
One thing to keep in mind with any heating system, including a heat pump system, is that the more efficient it is, the more it costs initially. The key is determining when you break even with your purchase, and this is something our experts can help with.
If you are ready to install and use a heat pump HVAC system in your home in Sudbury, MA, or you already have one and want to know how efficiently it is operating, call our experts today!
