Heat pump sales are booming across Salem and Woodburn, and it’s easy to see why. For many homeowners, heat pumps are the perfect option for home temperature control, with substantial benefits over all the alternatives. Whether you choose a traditional single-unit central air heat pump or small ductless heat pump units for individual rooms, a heat pump is an investment that pays off!
If you’re looking to upgrade your heater or air conditioner, or you’re building a new home, you should be looking into heat pumps for sale.
How Heat Pumps Work
Heat pumps function almost exactly like traditional air conditioners, using a refrigerant to trap heat energy and move it around. However, they have one key difference: Heat pumps can reverse the refrigerant flow to cool for one direction and heat for the other! They don’t need to use electricity to generate heat within the home; they can capture heat energy from the outside air and pull it inside.
They can accomplish this even if it feels cold outside to us. The heat pump’s efficiency is reduced somewhat when the temperatures are well below zero. However, a heat pump can still keep you comfortably warm even in harsh winters, as well as bringing several other benefits.
Three Big Benefits to Heat Pumps
1. Reduced heating and cooling costs
THEreason to buy a heat pump is that it is by far the most cost-effective way to heat and cool your home. There isn’t even any real competition. A heat pump will cut anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 off your heating bills in the winter, and their cooling is somewhat less costly than traditional A/C units as well.
A heat pump can quickly pay for itself, just from cost savings alone.
2. Only one unit to manage
Another significant benefit to heat pumps is that they’re an all-in-one unit. Rather than having separate heating and A/C units, you only have one piece of equipment. This reduces initial installation costs, as well as reducing maintenance needs in the long term. Having only one unit adds up to more savings!
3. Better humidity control
On top of being more efficient, heat pumps are also excellent at controlling humidity since they can move moisture in and out of the house. You might even find you don’t need a separate de-humidifier when you have a heat pump!
If you’re experiencing problems with your heat pump, you should be able to troubleshoot minor issues yourself before contacting a heat pump repair company. To help you determine why hot air isn’t blowing from your heating system, our team of experienced technicians at Melton’s Heating & Air Conditioning has created a brief guide for inspecting heat pumps for potential issues.
4 Reasons Your Heat Pump Isn’t Blowing Hot Air
1. Blocked Airflow
Heat pumps rely on both an outside and inside the unit to absorb and convert cold air into heat. Over the course of the year, it’s possible that the intake vent on the outdoor component can become blocked. Blocked vents prevent fresh air from entering your home. One of the first steps of DIY heat pump repair is to carefully inspect the exterior unit for anything obstructing Airflow, such as leaves or grass.
2. Ice or Snow
While yard waste may prevent your heat pump from working properly during the spring and summer, ice or snow can prevent your outdoor unit from converting cold winter air into heat as well. If you’ve noticed that your heating system isn’t blowing hot air, check your heat pump’s exterior component for ice and snow. Make sure to have a snow shovel on hand to fix the problem quickly.
3. Lack of Electricity
Sometimes, a heat pump will stop blowing hot air because the circuit breaker was tripped, thus cutting off the outdoor unit’s power. To convert cold air into heat, the system relies on the combination of a fan and hot coils; however, without electricity, the fan blows cold air over cold coils, which would explain why your heat pump isn’t blowing hot air.
4. Malfunction or Leaks
Since heating systems are composed of many moving parts, it may not be surprising to read that internal components sometimes malfunction. Before contacting a heat pump repair company, you can check to see if your auxiliary heat system is working properly and then carefully inspect your unit for a refrigerant leak or the return ductwork for lost air. If it’s the latter problem, you may want to consider installing a ductless heat pump system.
Get Expert Heat Pump Repair
Contact the heat pump repair team at Melton’s Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. in Salem, Oregon today to learn more about their products and services.
Knowing when to change your HVAC filter is vital if you want to maintain a healthy home or office and avoid unnecessary furnace repair or replacement. If you’re unsure how to tell whether your HVAC filter needs replacing, the furnace service experts at Melton’s Heating & Air Conditioning have come up with a list of signs to keep an eye out for these signs.
3 Signs Your HVAC Filter Needs to be Changed
1. Pet Dander
The more animals you have in your household or business, the more often you will need to replace your furnace filter. When dogs and cats shed, the hair can find its way into your HVAC system, thus clogging your filter and negatively affecting your system’s performance. While you can decrease the amount of fur that enters your vents and ducts. Simply by grooming your pets regularly outdoors and cleaning indoor areas daily. You can also use the following as a rule of thumb for determining when to change your filter if you only have one animal in your home or workspace:
One to two-inch filter: every two months
Four-inch filter: every four months
Five-inch filter: every six months
If you have more than one pet, you will need to change your filter more often.
2. Cigarette Smoke
If you smoke indoors, you should replace your furnace filter regularly. You’ve probably noticed that tobacco smoke leaves a residue on the surfaces in your home or office, but what you may not have known is that this happens inside your HVAC system as well. Even if there are only a few people in your building that smoke indoors, here are some basic guidelines for changing your filter:
One to two-inch filter: every month
Four-inch filter: every two months
Five-inch filter: every three months
3. Dust & Pollen
Depending on the time of year and how often you clean your home or office, fine particles of dirt, pollution, and pollen could be collecting on your furnace filter. To promote well-being, maintain your HVAC system, and avoid unnecessary furnace replacement, our team of furnace servicing experts suggest switching out your filter as follows, especially if you suffer from allergies:
One to two-inch filter: every month
Four-inch filter: every two months
Five-inch filter: every three months
Get Professional Furnace Services
For furnace repair, replacement, and servicing in Keizer and Salem, Oregon, contact Melton’s Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. today.
