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How to Shop for a Heat Pump in Five Steps Step 1: Plan ahead. If you wait until your existing heating system fails, you won’t be able to find the right contractor or properly plan for a heat pump installation. Most likely you’ll get an updated version of exactly what you have now, which may not be the best choice. At the same time, the full installed cost of a heat pump often isn’t justified on energy cost savings alone. If you’re planning a renovation, if you have a comfort problem, or if your existing equipment is getting older (15 years is considered a typical lifetime for most furnaces and boilers), you will soon be spending money anyway on a system; now is the time to plan for a partial or full heat pump conversion. Step 2: Find a quality installer. Contact your trusted heating and cooling company and say you’re interested in a heat pump. Also, see if your local utility or rebate program has a list of qualified installers. This can also help ensure you receive any available rebates. You can find information on your local program’s website. You can also get referrals from family, friends, or neighbors. Step 3: Shop around. Once you find an installer, ask if they’ll do a free evaluation and quote. Avoid shopping only on price; the quality of the design and installation matters just as much. Think through the section “Additional guidance to help you choose the right system size and design” below, and talk over the options with your potential contractor(s). Make sure they have a reputable track record, and can service equipment when needed. If your contractor says “heat pumps don’t really work in cold climates” or “every heat pump needs a backup system”, find someone else. Remember, the lowest bid isn’t always the best value, and a high price doesn’t guarantee competence or quality. Step 4: Insist on load calculations. If you’re getting a ductless heat pump for the main living space and it’s clear that it won’t heat the whole house, it may be fine to estimate the heat pump size based on installer experience. But if you want to heat your entire home, the proposal should always start with a load calculation. This means the installer measures the rooms and window dimensions and makes a list of the insulation values in attics, walls, and basements, along with window types and direction. All are needed to calculate the amount of necessary heating and cooling to keep the house comfortable (called heating and cooling loads). This is often called a “Manual J” (the name of a widely recognized load calculation procedure). “Bigger” is not “better” when it comes to heat pumps. In fact “too big” can create real performance problems. Installers should always start with measurements of the house and avoid using additional “safety factors”; the procedures already have a healthy margin of safety built in. Also note that for multi-zone systems, it is extremely important to calculate loads correctly and avoid indoor units that are too large for the rooms they serve. Central systems and single-zone systems (ductless or ducted) are somewhat more forgiving, because they allow for a wider range of efficient operating conditions. 13PDF Image | Air Source Heat Pump Buying Guide
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