We’ve visited more than 500 Vermont homes over the past three years to determine if they are suitable for a heat pump. From that experience, we compiled a few questions that will help you get started:
Do you have an open floor plan?
Heat pumps are similar to wood and pellet stoves – they are space heaters. If a wood stove works well in your home – so will a heat pump.
Homes with open floor plans, where there are no walls or barriers between one end and the other, are excellent candidates for heat pumps. Homes with several small rooms on the same floor, connected by hallways and doors, are not suitable. Many homes fall in between these two extremes - but may still be suitable for a heat pump.
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Is your home properly air sealed and insulated?
Before you install a heat pump, it a good idea to check the quality of your insulation and air sealing. A home with good thermal efficiency requires a smaller sized heat pump and reduces the amount of energy needed to keep your home cool or warm. Our Efficiency Services Team can help determine if a weatherization upgrade would enhance your heat pump's performance.
Is there a good location for the indoor blower and outdoor compressor?
The indoor blower component of your heat pump goes on an exterior wall in an area about one foot high by three feet wide within a foot or so of the ceiling. For the best results, the wall should face a large open area of your home.
The oudoor compressor is attached to an outside wall, near the ground, ideally in a spot that is protected from rain and snow. It is about three feet wide by three feet high.
What is the distance between the indoor and outdoor units?
In order to run refrigerant lines between the indoor and outdoor units, there must be no masonry or similar materials in the way. You should also have an unfinished basement ceiling (for the electrical wiring).
Does your electrical panel have enough space?
The breaker box is usually in the basement and contains the circuit breakers for your home. It should have at least 100 amp service (the number is often written on the main circuit breaker) and at least two open slots to accommodate the heat pump circuits.
Use this list to check out your home feel free to contact us with any questions at (802) 860-4090 or send us an email. Our service manager, Joe Cobb, would be happy to talk with you and to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation site visit.
By Brian Gray
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