That New Heat Pump: Is Your Middletown-Area Home Primed for It?

When you’re getting a new heat pump, preparing your home ahead of time will help to ensure optimal performance. Anything you do to improve your home’s energy efficiency will help you control your cooling costs. Here are some things that you and your contractor can do to make sure your home is primed for that new heat pump.

Insulating and sealing

The insulation levels in your attic, walls and floors all affect your home’s cooling and heating load. Before that new heat pump goes in, assess your home’s insulation, and improve it wherever possible. Pay special attention to the insulation in your attic. Attics are susceptible to considerable heat buildup, and that heat can radiate into your living space if insulation is inadequate.

In addition, go through your home, and look for spots that need to be sealed against air leaks. Check windows and door frames, along with places where wires, cables and plumbing come into your home. Seal these leaks with caulk and weatherstripping.

Using the right installation procedures 

Your HVAC technician should do a load calculation using Manual J prior to the installation of your heat pump. This will determine the size of your new system. The calculation takes into account factors such as the orientation and size of your home and the number and location of the windows in your home.

After he does the Manual J calculation, your technician needs to inspect your ductwork for configuration, capacity and integrity. He should use Manual D, the software companion to Manual J. After installation, your ducts shouldn’t lose  more than 10 percent of the air flowing through them. In addition, each room in your home should have a return register.

The outdoor condenser should be placed in as shady a place as possible, preferably on the north side of your home. Placing the condenser away from heavy landscaping also improves its efficiency. The condenser should have plenty of space on all four sides.

Taking one additional measure   

Well before that heat pump goes in, consider having a  professional energy audit done on your home. An energy audit will show you where your home is losing energy and what you can do to make your home more efficient.

To learn more about preparing your home for a new heat pump, contact C.R. Wolfe Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide HVAC-system services to homeowners in the the Middletown area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Middletown, New York about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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