It’s important to know up front what you’re looking to get from your heat pump. Some common reasons people Plumber switch to heat pumps are cost savings, comfort, reduced environmental impact, convenience, and aesthetics. Be sure to share your goals with your installer to ensure optimal siting and installation. It’s also helpful to discuss if the heat pump will be the only heating system, the primary system, or a supplemental system.
Budget
The primary drivers of heat pump costs are the number of indoor units installed and the complexity of the installation. Costs can be reduced by maximizing the space that each indoor unit heats and cools, as well as by selecting locations that are easy for installers to access.
Indoor unit location
Heat rises — While an indoor unit might deliver some heat to the floor above, it won’t send any heat to the floor below. Likewise, cool air from a first floor unit in air conditioning mode will not cool floors above it. Heated air is unlikely to get past a stairwell going up and cooled air is unlikely to flow past a stairway going down.
Consider air flow — Air flow is tough to predict and every building is different. In general, open spaces tend to be easier to heat and cool from one indoor unit, while it can be challenging for heat to go through a doorway into other rooms. A room with a door that is typically closed will not benefit from a heat pump located outside the room.
Simplify connections — Finding creative ways to simplify installation can save money and improve aesthetics. For instance, to minimize exposed tubing and wiring (line set) without the cost of patching walls and ceilings, look for ways to locate indoor units such that line sets can be run through closets, basement/attic stairways, attached garages, basements, crawlspaces, attics, and the outside of your home. Exposed line sets should be covered with protective covers and can be painted to match the walls.
Coordinating thermostats — The interaction among existing thermostats can be tricky. If an existing thermostat (for example, for a boiler) is in a space heated by a heat pump, then that boiler thermostat may never fall below its setpoint and may never ask for heat. As a result, other areas served by the same zone (such as bedrooms served by the boiler but not by the heat pump) may become cooler than desired. If you are not adding multiple heat pumps to cover the entire boiler zone, consider moving the boiler thermostat to another part of the boiler zone during your heat pump installation.
Site Title 