FAQ
Answer: Yes, but it depends on the type of heating system you have.
A. Radiant floors:
If you have a radiant floor heating system, that’s ideal. With radiant floors, you’ll see the biggest energy savings.
B. Hot-water radiator, water baseboard unit, or other high-temperature heating system:
If you have one of these heating systems, you’ll need some minor modifications to make your current system efficient. You may need to add low-temperature heat emitters to make sure your home stays warm enough in colder periods.
Answer: No, that’s not necessary. If you buy an air-to-water heat pump, it will heat the radiant floors in your basement, and the rest of the house can be combined with a forced air unit and/or fan coils of the right size. The heat pump will be able to heat or cool the rooms connected to the forced-air system. So you won’t need to buy two heat pumps to meet your heating and cooling needs.
Answer: No. Your installer will probably suggest keeping your electric boiler as a back-up and adding the air-to-water heat pump and the components needed for your heating system to operate efficiently.
Answer: To answer your questions as accurately as possible, we’d need to know exactly how much you pay annually to heat your home with your electric boiler. However, if your radiant flooring is in concrete, you will save an average of 40% to 60% on your heating costs. You will then need to get a quote from an installer and divide the cost of the quote by how much you’ll save on heating, which will give you a rough idea of how long it will take to recoup your investment.
Formula:
- Total cost of heating (excluding lighting, household appliances, etc.) x % savings (40% to 60%) = annual savings
- Quote amount ÷ annual savings
Answer: The issue is not the capacity of the heat pump, but rather how the heat is distributed in your home. To work efficiently and emit enough heat or BTUs, your water baseboards must operate at temperatures ranging from 160°F to 180°F. Our heat pump, which is highly efficient, will give you a maximum output temperature of 131°F. This means that if you only install a heat pump and make no changes to your current system, you won’t have enough heat in the winter. Not because the heat pump isn’t powerful enough, but because the water coming into your baseboards isn’t hot enough. However, you can fix that by installing a few low-temperature fan coils in your home. You’ll make up for the insufficient heat in your home and thus boost the coefficient of performance (COP). Your system will be able to operate at a lower temperature and more efficiently.
Answer: No. To air condition your house using the air-to-water heat pump, you will have to add water-to-air emitters that circulate air. For example, you could have wall ports, fan coils, duct units, ceiling cassettes, a ventilation cabinet, or any combination of the above, installed in your home. Those are all ways to cool your house using an air-to-water heat pump. You just need to find out which will work best in your home and for your needs.
Answer: Yes, but in conjunction with something else. The real answer is “partly,” because the heat pump has a maximum hot water output capacity of 131°F. Usually we preheat the water, and that hot water is fed into either a standard electric water heater, a tankless water heater, or a preheat tank. Even if you don’t heat your hot water entirely, you’ll still benefit from significant energy savings.
Answer: No doubt you have excellent skills and knowledge in many different areas, but we only sell our heat pumps to certified heating and cooling contractors. To comply with the manufacturer’s warranty and ensure maximum efficiency, we need to make sure that installation meets certain standards.
Answer: At the moment there are no residential subsidies for air-to-water heat pumps. So the answer is no, not yet. But it’s only a matter of time before the government or another organization gives us access to the same financial incentives available for the air heat pumps currently on the market. In any case, having an air-to-water heat pump installed right now is still a way to save money every year and enjoy the comfort of a hot-water system.
Answer for businesses: Yes, you are definitely eligible. There are several subsidies available for your business. To find out how much you could qualify for, you’ll need to contact your installer. They’ll ask you some questions to verify your eligibility, get started on your application, and determine the amount you could be entitled to.
Answer: Of course! It’s pretty easy to do. Your installer might suggest exchangers on your home hot water tank, spa, and/or pool and will connect everything to your existing system. It will all work very well together, and you’ll get an even bigger return on investment. You can also air condition your home with fan coils.