Like many homeowners, you’re probably constantly on the lookout for ways to reduce the costs of heating and cooling your Wichita, Kansas home. With heating oil a top choice for heating fuel in the Wichita area, rising oil prices are currently a major concern. Fortunately, there may be a far more cost-effective solution. Heat pumps reliably provide the same whole-house heating that gas and oil-fired furnaces do, and at a far lower cost. Read on to discover six solid reasons why you should invest in a heat pump this winter.
1. The Cost of Heating Oil Is Only Going Up
Maintaining your current oil-fired heating system might seem like the cheapest option, but the rising prices of heating fuel beg to differ. Sadly, the cost of home heating oil has been on a sharp incline for the past several years. Moreover, the rate of increase has risen as well. This poses a serious problems for households on tight budgets. It also makes the costs of putting a heat pump in seem evermore worthwhile. Over time, this is an upgrade that will pay for itself in more ways than one. As you use your heat pump, you’ll gradually limit your reliance upon heating oil, cut your costs in this area, and avoid intervals throughout the coldest stretches of winter when you may not have access to heating fuel at all.
This investment will effectively solve the problem of heating oil shortages, delayed heating oil deliveries, and other supply issues. Many Wichita homeowners who invest in heat pumps use them in tandem with their existing heating equipment. This provides greater flexibility and ensures that a backup heating plan is always available. When temperatures drop too low and render a heat pump ineffective, you can fall back on your heater. When heating oil prices are too high or when heating oil is simply inaccessible, your heat pump will kick into action and save the day.
It’s also important to note that average daytime temperatures in Wichita rarely fall below 40 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter months. At night, winter temperatures remain fairly static at about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Most heat pumps are capable of extracting adequate heat from the outdoor air and transferring into the buildings they service when outdoor temperatures fall as low as 40 degrees. Other heat pumps can continue harnessing and transferring outdoor heat indoors even when the outside temperature dips below 20 degrees.
2. You’ll Pay Less to Use Your Heat Pump
Unlike fuel-burning heaters that produce heat through combustion, heat pumps simply collect it. They’re currently ranked among the most efficient heating systems available due to their intelligent heat transfer process. These units work like air conditioners in reverse. They use refrigerant to absorb heat and move it while using minimal energy along the way. They produce virtually no energy waste. Adding a heat pump to your home is a great way to reduce the size of your carbon footprint. Absent of combustion and combustion-related exhaust gases, heat pumps have a very nominal impact on the natural environment overall.
As you move toward using your heat pump as your primary heat source, your home energy bills will noticeably decline. This will leave you with more cash for other home improvements or more money to stash away for rainy days.
3. You’ll Get Efficient Summertime Cooling
A heat pump offers both whole-house heating and whole-house cooling. You should definitely invest in a heat pump if you have yet to get a whole-house air conditioner and have been relying on inefficient window ACs instead. With a heat pump, you can seamlessly transition from winter heating operations to summertime cooling. In fact, these units are designed for easy, intuitive functioning all-around. Best of all, you won’t have to pay for or maintain two separate units to get both of these important functions.
4. A Heat Pump Will Boost the Value and Marketability of Your Home
Heat pumps are fast-increasing in popularity. Not only are more homeowners choosing to install them, but more homebuyers are currently looking for properties that have these features as well. If you intend to put your home on the market within the next several years, you can add the cost of this upgrade to your sales price. You can also expect to have a much easier time attracting motivated and qualified prospects. People love the efficiency of these home heating solutions, the flexibility they provide, and their overall cost-effectiveness.
5. You’ll Get Better Humidity Control
Heat pumps certainly stand out from other wintertime heating solutions due to their efficiency. However, there’s yet another important way in which these units outperform central, forced-air systems. Much like air conditioners, heat pumps extract excess humidity from the indoor environment. Although excessively dry indoor air is a common problem during winter when heaters are being run all the time, many households suffer from the exact opposite problem. With more people indoors and milling about, and everyone engaging in humidity-producing activities like cooking and bathing, it is not uncommon to have condensation on the windows, water droplets on windowsills, and damp surfaces and building materials. This extra indoor moisture sets the stage for mold growth and increases the likelihood of serious indoor air quality issues.
When heat pumps are being used for cooling, dehumidification is part of their normal operations. During the cooler months of the year, when heat pumps are used for heating, they can alternatively be set to “dry mode.” In dry mode, heat pumps extract excess moisture without modifying indoor temperatures. Having a heat pump in your home, especially if you’ve got lots of active household residents or other factors that raise your indoor humidity, could eliminate the need to invest in secondary dehumidification equipment.
6. There’s No Fear of Harmful Exhaust Gases Entering Your Home
With every fuel-burning appliance comes the potentially deadly risk of carbon monoxide (CO) exposure. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that’s formed when fuels are incompletely burned. With home heating systems, the CO gas that’s produced gets routed outside through a venting system.
Unfortunately, venting systems for home heaters don’t always do their job. Certain conditions can cause exhaust gases to get pushed back into the home. This might occur during a particularly heavy snowfall if the outside vent gets coated in snow, ice, or other heavy precipitation. Although every home in Wichita should have CO alarms installed that alert building residents of carbon monoxide exposure, even these alarms aren’t infallible.
With a heat pump as your nighttime heat source, you don’t have to worry about the fatigue, headaches, nausea and other symptoms that CO exposure causes. In fact, there’s no risk of carbon monoxide exposure with these heating systems at all. Given that absolutely no fuel is burned during the heat transfer process, you can sleep soundly and without fear of having venting system problems compromise your health.
Fahnestock has been a trusted provider of home heating and cooling services since 1946. Residents of Wichita, KS can also turn to us for plumbing and electrical services, preventative maintenance plans, and geothermal solutions. If you’re ready to experience the benefits of having a heat pump in your home, give us a call today!
