Understanding the Basics of a Ductless Heat Pump
A ductless heat pump is a device that sits outside the house and pumps in heat from a source to a heating storage system. This system then pumps heat through the house, whether to hot water pipes or to a central heating system, wherever it has been designed to put the heat. With the ductless heat pump, there are items both inside and outside of the house. There are many good reasons to place a ductless heat pump in your home, particularly as old problems with low efficiency have now been dealt with, and newer pumps have more than 30% greater efficiency than their forebears.
Advantages to a Ductless Heat Pump
The advantages to a ductless heat pump begin in the fact that they can be used all year round. They are similar to a HVAC unit in that it can provide cool air in summer but will heat the house in winter. This means that you will only need to pay for one device, and you can both air condition and heat your house using the same system.
While no form of heat pump is particularly cheap, the ductless heat pump is perhaps the most cost-effective, as it requires less installation, and there are fewer parts to manufacture. Ductless heat pumps are now around $200 more expensive than a standard A/C unit, and you have the additional savings of not having to buy a heating unit. Ductless pumps are coming down in price all the time, and this means that you can have the best for your money. Although larger air pumps may be more costly, they are still a better choice for heating and air conditioning than those items which use electricity or gas for their fuel supply.
The heat pump is also top of the range when it comes to global warming and similar problems. A heat pump means that, as the winters become shorter, you will need to use less of the thermal side, and have less reason to worry about the AC unit not working when you take it out of storage. In addition, a ductless heat pump will do less to damage the environment, trapping what little it makes of significant gases, such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, within the pump.
Disadvantages of a Ductless Heat Pump
Ductless heat pumps are slightly less efficient in heating and cooling than separate devices would be. This is due to having both systems contained within the one device, meaning that each has to sacrifice a bit of space to the other. In addition, as the heat pump is installed outside, a severe frost, or even snow, can reduce the ability of the heat pump to warm up the house, and may even cause it to shut down.
You may have to buy backup systems in order to ensure against extremes of temperatures. Sometimes, furnaces can cost as much as $3,000, or you may have to buy several small AC units, which can cost you several hundred dollars.
