What is the Heat Pump Installation Process?
A heat pump is an efficient option for heating and cooling your home that doesn’t burn fossil fuels. It will replace your current furnace or HVAC system and lower energy costs. Since a heat pump differs from other systems, you may be curious about what to expect during installation. Advantage Air HVAC shares all of the must-have information for the heat pump installation process.
Air Source or Ground Source Heat Pump?
You have two choices for heat pumps: air–source and ground–source. As the name implies, an air-source design takes warmth from the air, while a ground-source pump obtains warmth from the ground around it. Ground-source heat pumps, also known as geothermal heat pumps, are often more efficient because the temperature underground remains more consistent than that in the air, allowing them to not work as hard to provide the same level of heating.
Installing a Heat Pump
Before installation begins, a Manual J load calculation is necessary to determine the proper size heat pump you need. Contrary to popular belief, this process is more complex than determining the square footage of your home. A Manual J load calculation considers many things, including your home’s insulation, the number of windows, and how many people live there. Our experts can perform this calculation for you and help you figure out what kind of heat pump you would need for your home.
Geothermal Heat Pump Installation
Geothermal heat pump installations involve four steps, and the digging extends the installation timeframe to two or three days.
- Ground loop installation will require heavy equipment to dig holes for the ground loops. Horizontal loops need approximately 6’ deep and 3’ wide trenches, while vertical loops may require drilling several hundred feet into the earth.
- Ductwork installation is only sometimes necessary. If your home has existing ductwork in good shape, retrofitting it for a heat pump is straightforward.
- Heat pump installation comes next. If your new heat pump will replace a furnace or central air unit, these components will be removed first.
- Final wiring connects your heat pump to the ground loop and your home’s electrical system, allowing the fan to move air through the house.
Installing an Air Source Heat Pump
Installing an air source heat pump takes about eight hours to complete. We will arrive in the morning and finish up in the late afternoon. An air source pump sits on a pad several inches from the ground to prevent snow and ice from blocking the coils. We will disconnect and remove your current heating system, install new wiring, and mount a service disconnect box using the power from your home’s electrical panel. After we connect the components, we will run testing to ensure your system is operating correctly. This commissioning process will take between one and two hours.
Upgrade your heating system and decrease energy usage with a new heat pump from Advantage Air HVAC. We have served the community since 2007, and our team has over 30 years of combined experience. You can rely on us for residential, commercial, and geothermal heating & cooling services.
Contact us today to schedule an installation or service appointment. Advantage Air HVAC is in Lexington, Kentucky, and is happy to serve Versailles, Winchester, Georgetown, Paris, Wilmore, Nicholasville, and the surrounding area.
