Preparing Your Home for Negative Temperatures
During extreme cold weather and snow events, it is important to prepare your home accordingly. Clearing heat pumps, exhaust vents and air intakes of any snow or ice buildup can help ensure safe system operation. Additionally, it pays to know the do's and don'ts when dealing with wintry weather. Familiarizing yourself with preventative maintenance tasks can end up saving you a lot of worry in the long run. Preparation is key during these conditions, so make sure you're ready for whatever comes your way!
Heat Pump Not Working? Check for Snow Buildup
Living in New Hampshire means dealing with cold, snowy winters. While heat pumps are designed to run all year round, they can be increasingly affected when there's snow on the ground. If your heat pump isn't performing properly, or you notice it's not generating heat, it may be because of snow buildup on top of the heat pump. Snow accumulation can slow heat pumps down drastically, so a surefire way to get yours running again is to check for any high-piled snow sitting atop your heat pump. Typically, heat pumps will clear themselves via defrost mode. In defrost mode, the outdoor unit will temporarily switch to air conditioning mode to thaw the snow. However, if your heat pump wasn't running during the snowstorm, then it won't automatically thaw. So make sure to take a few moments and check if any of that New Hampshire snow has built up on top of your heat pump!
What NOT to do to your heat pump!
- Do not use a shovel or any hard tools to clean your heat pump.
- Do not clean the sides of the unit, this could cause damage to the heat pump's condenser coil.
- Do not cover your heat pump, unless the covering is above the minimum discharge clearance. (Often 5 ft (1.52 m) or more, and open on all sides)
How to properly clean snow from your heat pump.
- Shut off your heat pump before cleaning it.
- Use a broom or snow brush to gently clear the top.
- Shovel any snow on the ground which may be covering the sides. Pay close attention not to hit the sides of the heat pump.
Heat Pump Tax Credits and Rebates
Are you tired of sky-high heating bills during the winter months? It may be time to consider switching to a heat pump. In today's environmentally conscious world, heat pumps are quickly becoming the preferred method of home heating. Not only are they more efficient and cost-effective compared to traditional heating systems, but they also have a lower impact on the environment. The recent passing of the Inflation Reduction Act has made heat pump installation even more accessible, thanks to some exciting new rebate and tax credit programs.
How does a heat pump work?
A heat pump is a device that moves heat from one place to another. In the summer, a heat pump can be used like an air conditioner, moving heat from the inside of your home to the outside. In the winter, a heat pump can be used to move heat from the outside of your home to the inside. This heat can come from the ground, or from the air. A heat pump uses a small amount of electricity to move this heat. This makes heat pumps much more efficient than other types of heating, like electric furnaces. Heat pumps are most commonly used for heating and cooling homes, but they can also be used for other applications like pools and hot tubs. When used for heating a home, a heat pump can provide up to four times the amount of heat than what is provided by the electricity it uses.
How do furnaces and boilers differ?
Most people heat their homes using either a boiler or a furnace. But what's the difference between these two common heating systems?
A boiler heats water and then transforms it into steam or hot water. The steam or hot water is then circulated through pipes to radiators or baseboards which provide warmth to the rooms in your home.
Furnaces, on the other hand, heat air and then circulate it through the ducts in your home. The warmed air is then distributed through vents, which provide warmth to the rooms in your home. Furnaces are typically used in homes with forced-air heating systems, where the heated air is circulated through ducts.
Boilers are often called furnaces by homeowners. This statement is actually correct, while a furnace is not a boiler, a boiler is technically furnace. Plumbing and heating professionals typically refer to boilers when discussing forced hot water systems and furnaces when discussing forced hot air.
So, what's the main difference between boilers and furnaces? Boilers heat water while furnaces heat air.
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