Heat Pumps

Heat pumps are a great solution for your home comfort system when electricity is your only source of energy because they work to provide both heating and cooling. Heat pumps have SEER/SEER2 and EER/EER2 ratings like air conditioners and Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF/HSPF2) ratings for measuring heating efficiency.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) new minimum efficiency national standard for Heat pumps is 15.0 SEER/14.3 SEER2/11.7 EER2 and 8.8 HSPF/7.5 HSPF2. This is a standard across the United States. Higher SEER/SEER2 and HSPF/HSPF2 ratings mean greater energy savings.

SEER/SEER2 and HSPF/HSPF2

SEER2 is an updated rating standard introduced by the DOE. SEER2 standards are intended to provide a better gauge of typical home operating conditions whereas the older SEER rating utilized very precise protocols to determine ratings in ideal conditions. SEER2 standards include updated testing means that give a better indication of how a unit will operate in the real world.

HSPF2 is the newest type of rating system that expands on the basic HSPF scale.

Much like miles-per-gallon for a car, SEER/SEER2, EER/EER2 and HSPF/HSPF2 offer an easy way to compare efficiencies of different products – the higher the rating, the more efficient the unit. Just be sure you are comparing either SEER vs SEER or SEER2 vs SEER2 (same for EER/EER2 and HSPF/HSPF2).

EER2 Versus SEER2

EER2 and SEER2 both evaluate an air conditioner’s energy efficiency, but they’re concerned with two different types of temperature conditions:

• EER2 measures an air conditioner’s efficiency at the peak cooling temperature of 95°F.
• SEER2 measures an air conditioner’s efficiency throughout an entire cooling season, with temperatures ranging from 65°F to 104°F.

Let Hickman Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Walk You Through All The Heat Pump Choices

Heat pumps are a very efficient alternative to electric baseboard heat alone. A heat pump works the same as an air conditioner in the summer, but it runs in reverse in the winter to heat your home. If needed, the system will be matched with a backup heating source, most often electric strip heating elements, for those extremely cold days of winter.

Just like our air conditioners, many of our heat pumps have advanced features, such as 2-stage compressors and variable speed fan operation. These features not only improve the comfort level of your home, but can provide additional energy savings as well. Call us now at (410) 957-2459.