When heating and cooling your Staunton, VA home, you’ll want to use the most efficient means possible. Efficiency is important for several reasons, not the least of which is that it means lower utility bills for you, less wear and tear on your heating and cooling unit, and the more efficiently your home is heated in the winter or cooled in the summer, the less of a drain on the earth’s resources.
One of the most efficient forms of heating and cooling your Staunton, VA home is with a geothermal heat pump (GHP) system. A GHP offers many advantages over traditional heat pumps. According to the EPA, GHPs are almost twice as efficient as other heat pumps when it comes to energy consumption. In other words, they will use up to 50% less electricity than other heating and cooling systems.
Geothermal heat pumps work very well in humid areas. A big concern for homeowners in damp climates is humidity control. GHPs offer better humidity control than traditional systems because they maintain a relative indoor humidity of about 50%. The EPA considers 40-50% to be the optimum indoor relative humidity, though 30-60% is considered acceptable. A GHP can maintain acceptable humidity levels when heating and cooling.
Even though it is called a “heat pump,” a GHP is actually used for both heating and cooling so there is no need for separate furnace and air conditioning units. In addition, a heat pump is usually fitted to supply the home with hot water, too.
Another big advantage to a GHP system is that they are extremely quiet. In homes with traditional heating and cooling systems, there is often an outside condensing unit that runs so loudly it can be heard inside the home. A GHP runs so quietly, however, that those inside the home will not be able to hear it operating. The fact that there is no outside unit is also a great deterrent to vandalism. As more and more homeowners are experiencing theft of wiring from outside units, owners of GHPs have peace of mind in knowing that thieves will not be messing with a unit outside of their home.
Finally, GHPs are durable. There are very few moving parts in the unit, and because they are not exposed to outdoor elements, they rarely wear down or break. The underground piping system is so reliable that it usually comes with an extensive warranty as do many of the heat pumps themselves.
If you are interested in saving money through more efficient heating and cooling of your Staunton, VA home, contact your local heating and cooling company today and ask about a GHP system.
