Are Cold Climate Heat Pumps a Good Fit for Windsor’s Winters?
Here in Windsor, ON, cold winters are a given. So, every home here needs a reliable heating system. However, heating your home can be pretty costly. If you’re looking for the most efficient heating solution possible, you will inevitably consider a heat pump. However, heat pumps have a reputation for struggling in extreme cold. That’s where cold-climate heat pumps come in. Here’s everything you need to know about them and whether they’re a good fit for the cold Windsor winters.
Why Do Heat Pumps Struggle in the Cold?
A heat pump is a device that gathers heat in one place and releases it elsewhere. In an HVAC context, a heat pump extracts heat from outdoor air and uses it to heat your home. For that reason, a heat pump can achieve efficiencies no other heating system can. Since they don’t consume fuel to make heat, heat pumps can exceed 100% efficiency. In mild winter weather, a standard heat pump often runs at close to 400% efficiency. The trouble is that as the temperature drops, so too does a heat pump’s efficiency. It’s because the colder the air, the harder the system must work to extract sufficient heat energy.
At about -6.5 degrees Celsius, a standard heat pump may be only 80% efficient. That means it will cost you even more to run than an electric space heater. In fact, at very low temperatures, standard heat pumps often engage electric heat strips to augment their heating output. It happens because the heat pump can’t absorb enough heat from the outdoor air to meet your home’s needs. That can send your home’s electric bills skyrocketing, especially if the cold weather persists.
What Is a Cold-Climate Heat Pump?
A cold-climate heat pump works a bit differently than a standard heat pump. It still collects heat from the outdoor air, but uses an optimised process to improve cold-weather performance. For starters, almost all cold-climate heat pumps use inverter technology and variable-speed compressors. That lets them vary their output to match your precise heat demand. As a result, you’ll use less energy at all times with a cold-climate heat pump than with a standard model.
Cold-climate heat pumps also frequently rely on vapor injection technology. That’s a process that creates greater temperature differentials in the system’s refrigerant. It also improves operating pressures, thereby increasing heating capacity at extremely low temperatures. To further help the process along, many cold-climate heat pumps also feature oversized outdoor heat exchangers. That extends the heat-absorption cycle and provides greater surface area to improve heat transfer.
How Well Do Cold-Climate Heat Pumps Work in Windsor?
There’s no universal standard that defines cold-climate heat pump minimum performance. However, any cold-climate heat pump should exhibit a few impressive operating characteristics. The first is their ability to maintain 100% of their heating capacity down to at least -9.5 degrees Celsius. That means you should rarely, if ever, need auxiliary heating with a cold-climate heat pump. The other common operating characteristic is the ability to operate at a minimum efficiency of 175% down to -9.5 degrees Celsius. That means you won’t need to worry about skyrocketing electric bills, even during a prolonged cold snap.
In practice, a cold-climate heat pump in Windsor should operate at 250% efficiency or higher for the majority of the winter. That’s high enough to ensure lower heating costs, even when compared to a high-efficiency gas furnace. You can save even more if you also upgrade your home’s insulation and improve its air seal.
Your Trusted Local Heat Pump Specialists
If a cold-climate heat pump sounds like a good option for your Windsor home, Guaranteed Comfort Heating & Cooling can help. We sell and install high-quality models from leading manufacturers, such as Lennox and Amana. Plus, we’ve served local homeowners for 20 years. So, we understand the comfort demands created by the local climate.
Our technicians have the latest industry training and decades of combined experience. And we’re Better Business Bureau-accredited with an A+ rating, reflecting our commitment to quality service. We can even offer you financing options on approved credit to help you afford a new cold-climate heat pump. When you’re ready to upgrade to a cold-climate heat pump in Windsor, contact Guaranteed Comfort Heating & Cooling right away!