Heat Pump Tips for New Users

For climates with moderate heating and cooling needs—like Chicago—heat pumps are a great option. They’re not only energy-efficient alternatives to ACs and furnaces, but also work well in every season. In summer, they keep the warm areas in your house cold. In winter, they keep the cold areas warm.

Other than that, a heat pump can reduce your energy usage by around 50% compared to furnaces.

If you’re new to heat pumps, the following tips may come in handy:

Adjust the thermostat accordingly

When a thermostat is in ‘cooling mode,’ it works the same way as an air conditioner. When you turn it up, it’ll save energy.

On the other hand, when it’s in heating mode, you don’t need to set back the thermostat. In fact, this will make the system less efficient and cancel any savings that you may have achieved earlier.

We recommend keeping it at a moderate setting throughout. These days, specially designed programmable thermostats have also become quite popular. They make the process of setting back the thermostat more cost and energy-efficient with the help of special algorithms.

Programmable thermostats can be both digital and electronic.

Avoid auto mode

You should always set your heat pump on ‘heat’ in winter and ‘cool’ in summer.

Most homeowners assume that setting the heat pump on auto mode will result in cost-savings and lower utility bills. This is not a great idea. This can lead to scenarios where the system is heating or cooling more than it should.

Once the heat pump’s settings have been successfully set to either heat or cool, don’t change the temperature over and over again. Avoid turning the unit off and on. This will affect the efficiency of the heat pump, since it takes time for the system to completely reheat.

Optimize airflow direction

The direction in which the fan blows air out is also important for optimum heat pump performance.

Ideally, in winters, you should direct warm air far away from the room’s occupants and toward the floor. In summers, cool air should be directed at the room’s occupants upwards.

To ensure peak performance, don’t forget to get Chicago Heat Pump Repair and maintenance routinely. If you’re based in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Global Heating and Cooling would love to help. You can read more about our Chicago Heat Pump Installation.