Do you to know which ductless heat pump is the best option for your home?
By now you have seen the ads, heard it from your friends and neighbours and have been inundated by Nova Scotia Power trying to finance a new ductless heat pump system for you. You are doing your homework and getting quotes from the top heat pump contractors in Halifax and everyone seems to have a different opinion, sells a different brand and each one claims to know it all. We hear it from prospective buyers everyday and this is why we have taken the time to answer the most common questions and expose the most common tricks and gimmicks used to get you to buy a new ductless heat pump system in Halifax.
Heat Pump Ratings Explained
Similar to shopping for a new car or refrigerator there are certain numbers and ratings that ensure you’re buying an efficient product. Heat Pumps have their own set of ratings and we have comprised a list of the main ones that you should familiarize yourself with when looking at the purchase of a new heat pump system.
What is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump is an air conditioning system that has an additional valve and other components that reverse the cycle of cooling. Instead of just taking heat from your home and rejecting it outside for cooling your home, a heat pump system reverses itself taking heat from the outside and rejecting it inside your home during the heating season. A heat pump can be retrofitted to work with your existing forced air-ducting from your oil, electric or gas furnace. Ductless ceiling or wall mount systems are also available for homes that are not heated by forced air ducting as a distribution source. Geothermal heat pump systems remove and reject heat to the earth or a water source and can be used with either in-floor hydronic heating or forced air ducted systems.
The EnerGuide Ratings for Heat Pumps
HSPF – Heating Seasonal Performance Factor
The Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) is the EnerGuide rating given to heat pump systems that indicates the level of HEATING efficiency the system is rated for. In Atlantic Canada we live in a heating predominant climate and therefor the HSPF of the heat pump system is the most crucial number you should be considering when reviewing and comparing heat pump systems. A heat pump with a higher HSPF means lower operating costs and improved performance at much lower outdoor operating temperatures. Using more efficient compressors, larger heat exchanger surfaces, improved refrigerant flow and other controls are largely responsible for what makes up a higher HSPF rating.
WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW
The HSPF rating for heat pumps changes depending on the area in which you live. Most of the United States is located in REGION 4. Most websites and brochures indicate the HSPF rating for REGION 4. The misleading part of this is that in Atlantic Canada we are located in REGION 5 and this makes the HSPF numbers LOWER than what is advertised or conveyed to the consumer.
Manufacturers websites and consumer brochures only advertise their highest HSPF ratings on a particular model and this is why you will always see the term “UP TO” when they list the HSPF/SEER ratings for that particular model.
To further explain this as an example; when they advertise a new truck and show the MPG rating they always use the most fuel efficient model when making the claim. If you end up purchasing the same model with a larger engine than the MPG rating is going to be worse than that of the model advertised. Many companies have been advertising like this for a long time and it is just standard practice that they push the most efficient product in their marketing.
The HSPF rating decreases as the size of heat pump increases. For instance a 9000BTU heat pump will generally have a higher HSPF and SEER rating because it will draw less electricity and do less work than a 12,000BTU and so on.
** If a Heat Pump system does not come from the factory with a Basepan Heater installed then the HSPF rating of that system will be reduced if the addition of a basepan heater is added as an “accessory” or “add on” equipment to your heat pump. Many equipment manufacturers do not supply a basepan heater as a standard feature so that they get higher EnerGuide ratings and lower manufacturing costs on their systems.
SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio
The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is the EnerGuide rating given to heat pump systems that indicates the level of COOLING efficiency the system is rated for.
SEER ratings are ratios derived by calculating the annual cooling output during the cooling season divided by the total electric energy input. The total cooling output is the heat pumps British Thermal Unit per hour (BTU/h) multiplied by the number of cooling hours per day and the number of cooling days per year.
For example a typical cooling season in Halifax would look like the following:
12,000 BTU/h x 10 cooling hours per day x 70 days per year = 8,400,000 BTUs per year.
Using the example above, if a heat pump has a SEER rating of 42 BTU per watt-hour (Wh), you could calculate the estimated annual energy use as follows:
8,400,000 BTUs per year ÷ 42 BTU/Wh = 200,000 Wh per year or 200kWh
To calculate the annual average power use, divide the heat pumps BTU/h by the SEER rating.
For example:
12,000 BTU/h ÷ 42 SEER = 285 watts (or 0.285 kilowatts)
To calculate the cost of electricity when using the heat pump, multiply the average kilowatts from the formula above by your current electricity rate in kilowatts per hour (kWh). For instance, 0.285 kW x $0.16 kWh = $0.05 per hour. The EnergyGuide label on the HVAC unit will also indicate the amount of energy the equipment consumes.
EER – Energy Efficiency Ratio
The energy efficiency ratio (EER) measures the steady-state cooling efficiency of a heat pump. It is determined by dividing the cooling capacity of the heat pump in Btu/h by the electrical energy input in watts at a specific temperature. The higher the EER, the more efficient the unit.
COP – Coefficient of Performance
The coefficient of performance or COP (sometimes CP or CoP) of a heat pump is a ratio of useful heating or cooling provided to work required. Higher COPs equate to lower operating costs. The COP usually exceeds 1, especially in heat pumps, because, instead of just converting work to heat (which, if 100% efficient, would be a COP of 1), it pumps additional heat from a heat source to where the heat is required.
Things to consider when shopping for a ductless heat pump
Efficiency isn’t the only thing that should be considered when shopping around for a new ductless heat pump system. Some of the other items that are often overlooked or unknown to a prospective buyer when shopping for their new heat pump are:
Warranty – Many manufacturers require that a heat pump system be registered online within 60-90 days after installation. If registration is neglected then the warranty term for the system is generally much less than if registered.
Labor Warranties – Most heat pump manufacturers do not include labor coverage for thier heat pump systems and in most cases the labor portion (If any) is either purchased seperately from a 3rd party or provided directly by the HVAC installing contractor. The issue that many homeowners have run into is that these so called “labor warranties” are not anything more than a handshake agreement between you and the installing contractor. When the time comes that you need service the only one you can call on is the same company that did your installation. This has been a nightmare for many Nova Scotia homeowners who have become victims HVAC companies going out of business or simply not answering the call for service in a timely manner. When this happens and you’re left to contact another service provider and you will be required to pay the labor charges since you dont actually have any official warranty documentation with the manufacturer or 3rd party provider.
Warranty transferability – There are only a few heat pump manufacturers that allow warranty transfer from the original to a subsequent owner. We have seen customers who have purchased new heat pump systems such as Daikin and learn the hard way that the warranty on thier brand new heat pump system will not transfer over when they sell thier home before the warranty period expires. Customers that are doing renovations or flipping are especially susceptible to these warranty issues.
Actual heating output values – Below is a breakdown of the most popular ductless heat pump brands sold in Halifax. Each system listed is rated at 12,000 BTU/HR or greater when the outside temperature is +8.3C or higher. What is almost ALWAYS overlooked is how that same system preforms when the outside temperature drops below 0C, -10C, -15C and so on. As the outside temperature drops, so does the output BTU/HR of a ductless heat pump. This is crucial when designing and sizing systems for the different areas of your home and for choosing which system is actually going to get the job done. As you will see with the systems below the actual heating BTU output of a 12,000 BTU system varies greatly with Carrier coming in at over 17,000BTU/HR at -8.3C compared to Daikins LV series 12,000BTU model coming in at just over 9000BTU/HR at the same outside temperature.
Basepan Heater – A basepan heater is a much needed item for a ductless heat pump system in Nova Scotia. The high level of precipitation and fluctuating temperatures cause heat pumps to be overun with ice and snow. Although all heat pumps have a defrost cycle that is intended to keep the system clear and free of ice and snow buildup, there can be times when the defrost cycle isnt enough to clear it all away and a basepan heater is the answer. In order to save money and keep HSPF ratings higher many manufacturers skimp on the addition of a basepan heater and rely on the installing salesperson to offer it to the homeowner as an accessory or additional purchase which can run anywhere from $400-$1000. A snow shelter will not offer the same effect as a basepan heater and in many cases a snow hood reduces airflow and system preformance.