Heat pumps are great HVAC systems to own in Orlando, FL. They provide excellent cooling during our long summer months and with the touch of a button on your thermostat, they can just as easily switch to heating during the short winter months. Heat pumps are known for their efficiency, which is why so many people choose them as their household HVAC systems. But do you know how to tell exactly how efficient your system is? It’s something called HSPF.
The Rating
The acronym HSPF stands for heating seasonal performance factor. Heat pumps are powered by electricity, not a fuel like oil or gas. This means to determine how efficient your heat pump is, the electrical use needs to be analyzed. The rating system is a short one, on a scale of 1.0 to 10.0; however, all heat pump systems need to operate at a minimum of 7.7 HSPF to be in compliance with federal laws. As such, the absolute lowest HSPF your heat pump will be at is 7.7.
What HSPF tells you is the ratio of BTU (British thermal unit) heat output over the heating season to the amount of watt hours of electricity used.
What’s Best for Your Home?
If you are installing a new heat pump system, it can be easy to say “just give me the one at 10.0 HSPF.” However, as with any other heating system, the more efficient the system is, the higher the initial costs. This is where you want to work with trained experts to determine what HSPF rating gives you the amount of energy efficiency you want without over-extending on initial costs.
What If I Already Have a Heat Pump?
During bi-annual maintenance, the pros from Downtown Air and Heat can tell you what your heat pump’s HSPF rating is.
Want to know more about HSPF? Call the experts at Downtown Air and Heat today!
