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Heat pumps are
a cost-effective way to heat and cool
your home.
The
Tullahoma Utilities Board offers a financing program that will allow our
customers to install high-efficiency heat pumps in their homes. The loan
process is simple and involves the following steps:
1. Visit the TUB office at 901 S. Jackson St., Tullahoma to
receive information and fill out the loan application, or we can mail you
the information at your request. A form is also available on-line that can
be printed and brought to our office.
2. Loan approval is given
within two hours.
3. You are given a list of
heat pump contractors who are actively involved in the loan program and are
aware of the installation requirements. They will give you a free estimate
on the cost of the installation. Approval from TUB on your choice of heat
pump contractors is not required.
4. Following the installation,
your unit will be inspected, and following a passing grade, TUB pays your
heat pump contractor. The cost of the unit is then attached to your utility
bill.
6. Terms of the loan are 8% interest for a period of up to
10 years. Early
payoff is available with no penalty.
Heat Pump Loan Application
Approved Middle-Tennessee Heat Pump Contractors
Rebates of
$175 per unit are available on high efficiency models.
Why choose a
heat pump?
Simply put, a heat pump is the most
cost-effective way to heat and cool your
home in the Tennessee Valley. It's
basically a central air-conditioning
system that also works in reverse to
provide central heating.
During the summer a heat pump takes the
air in your home, makes it cool and dry,
then re-circulates it. In the winter a
heat pump pulls heat from air outside and
pumps it indoors. Believe it or not,
winter air actually contains heat you can
use.
Heat pumps also deliver consistently even
air flows, as opposed to hot blasts of
air, for more comfort.
What should I
consider when buying a heat pump?
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Initial Costs vs. Operating
Costs. The biggest expense over
the life of a heat pump (or any heating
and cooling system, for that matter) is
not the cost of buying and installing it.
It's the accumulated monthly cost of
running it year after year. Usually, as
the efficiency rating of a unit goes up,
so does its initial cost. However, as the
efficiency ratings go up, the monthly
cost to operate the unit goes down.
You'll want to consider the importance of
a high-efficiency system and the
trade-off between your initial cost
versus the monthly operating cost.
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Size. To work most
efficiently, a heat pump's heating and
cooling capacity has to match your home's
heating and cooling demands. An
undersized system won't adequately cool
your home, while an oversized one won't
dehumidify properly. A member of the
Quality Contractor Network (QCN) can best
tell you what you'll need. These heat
pump contractors have all met the high
standards set by TUB and TVA for
participation in our heat pump program.
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Duct System. This is
very important because the heat pump will
pump air all through your house using
this system. The duct work must be
insulated and sealed properly so the air
gets where it's going at the right
temperature. Proper construction of the
duct work is essential to ensure
efficient operation of the heat pump over
the life of the system. Care taken in the
initial construction and sealing of the
duct work will yield maximum efficiency
from the heat pump for years to come.
Again, a member of the QCN can best tell
you whether you'll be able to use your
existing duct work or will need new
ducts.
What are the
parts of a heat pump?
All heat pumps are made up of four
basic things. A compressor. The
refrigerant. Two heat exchangers - one
usually inside, the other outside. And
most importantly, the reversing valve.
Compressor. The main
part of the heat pump. It uses an
electric motor to compress the
refrigerant from a gas into a liquid and
circulate it through the system.
Refrigerant. A chemical
used to transfer heat. It changes from a
liquid to a gas, or vice-versa, to either
absorb or reject heat.
Heat Exchanger. You'll
have two. The indoor exchanger absorbs
heat in the summer and moves it outside.
The outdoor exchanger absorbs heat from
outdoors in the winter and brings it
inside. This is also called a refrigerant
coil.
Reversing Valve. The
device in the refrigerating circuit that
shifts to determine the appropriate cycle
- heating or cooling. The valve reverses
the flow of refrigerant allowing
"heat pumping" in the proper
direction, making the heat pump both a
heating and cooling system.
What are the
types of heat pumps?
Air Source Heat Pumps
This is the most common type of heat
pump, and there are two basic kinds. The
layout of your home will usually
determine which one you'll want.
The 'packaged heat pump' is a
self-contained unit that allows the
compressor and both heat exchangers to be
located outside your home. The unit uses
duct work to heat and cool your entire
home. Some special packaged heat pumps
called 'packaged terminal,'
'self-contained through-the-wall,' and
'window heat pumps' are used for single
rooms and don't need duct work.
The 'split system heat pump' is the more
common of the two air source choices.
Here, the indoor air handling unit and
heat exchanger are separate from the
compressor and the outdoor exchanger.
This way, you have more options as far as
how and where you install it. Whole-house
heating and cooling happens via duct
work.
The heating efficiency of an air source
heat pump is measured as the Heating
Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF), and
typically ranges from 6.6 to 9.1. Cooling
efficiency for these heat pumps is
indicated by the Seasonal Energy
Efficiency Ratio (SEER), which typically
falls between 10.0 and 15.0. The higher
the number, the better the system.
Variable Speed Heat Pumps
Offering some of the newest advances in
heating and cooling technology, variable
speed heat pumps use a variable or
multi-speed compressor that adjusts
itself as temperatures change.
What that means is that this heat pump
knows when it has to work harder to keep
the temperature in your home consistent
and does it automatically throughout the
year. It's also a type of air source heat
pump.
Unlike most heat pumps, the variable
speed heat pump runs more often at lower
speeds - making it exceptionally good at
controlling humidity and offering more
constant temperatures. It's also
draftless and practically noiseless. You
may not even be aware it's running.
And because it often runs at such low
speeds, the variable speed heat pump also
saves money. It's the miser's answer for
a better heating/cooling system. And it's
available in both "split" and
"packaged" configurations.
Dual-Fuel Heat Pumps
With the dual-fuel heat pump you get the
high efficiency of an electric heat pump
in moderate temperatures, assisted by a
gas furnace for supplemental heat in
extremely low temperatures.
The unit monitors the temperature outside
and adjusts itself accordingly, running
the heat pump or the gas furnace
automatically, to give you a consistently
comfortable environment. Like the other
air source and variable speed heat pumps,
this one, too, is available as both a
"split" and
"packaged" option.
The dual-fuel heat pump offers the lowest
possible heating costs in areas of the
country where the temperature
occasionally drops below freezing.
Installation procedures are identical to
those for conventional electric
air-conditioning systems with gas heat.
Geothermal Heat Pumps
An Innovation Two Billion Years in the
Making
Just a few feet under the surface, the
ground maintains a relatively constant
temperature. The earth stores 47% of the
sun's energy, which is more than 500
times the energy mankind needs every
year. So there's more than enough heat to
go around. For years the question has
been finding a means of tapping into this
source.
At last, we have the answer: geothermal
heat pumps. By transferring heat from the
ground into the home, geothermal heat
pumps produce nearly four times the
energy they consume.
How geothermal works
When a geothermal heat pump is
installed, a series of pipes, called a
loop, are buried underground. These pipes
hold a fluid that absorbs the ground's
heat. Once this fluid is carried inside,
compressors and heat exchangers
concentrate this heat so it can be
released into the house at a warmer
temperature. A well-designed duct system
delivers that warm air throughout your
home.
In the summer, this process is simply
reversed. Excess heat is drawn from the
house and reabsorbed by the ground.
Free heat means free hot water
With the addition of a desuperheater,
some geothermal systems can provide all
or part of your home's hot water. A
desuperheater is a small water heater
device which uses refrigerant from a heat
pump's compressor to heat water. Once
heated, this water circulates to the
home's water heater. In the summer, the
water heater uses the excess heat that
would otherwise be sent back into the
ground.
A conventional water heater will be
used if the desuperheater doesn't produce
enough, or if the geothermal pump is
turned off. But when the geothermal pump
is running frequently, a family can get
their hot water virtually for free.
Other benefits of a geothermal
beat pump
Efficiency. Without a doubt, geothermal
heat pumps are the most efficient heating
and cooling system you can buy. The
reason is simple. A conventional gas
furnace must burn fuel just to create
heat. While a furnace wastes energy
creating heat, a geothermal system uses
energy to move and compress existing heat
which is renewable energy from the
ground.
Cost-effectiveness. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency estimates
that, compared to conventional systems,
geothermal heat pumps save homeowners
30-70 percent in heating costs, and 20-50
percent in cooling costs. So, on average,
the initial cost of installing a
geothermal heat pump can be recovered in
three to five years. Pay a little more up
front, save a lot more down the road.
Durability. The savings
won't end with your heating and cooling
bill. This system is highly reliable.
Since it has no defrost cycle, there is
less wear on critical components and no
loss of operating efficiency. Housed
indoors, the geothermal heat pump isn't
subject to harsh weather conditions. So
it requires little maintenance, and can
last for many years.
Comfort. A
geothermal heat pump lets you live in
comfort. By heating and cooling in an
even fashion, it eliminates hot and cold
spots. And since a geothermal system
doesn't generate air as hot as a gas
furnace, your home maintains a
comfortable level of humidity.
Environmental safety. Geothermal heat pumps help minimize
environmental threats posed by the
burning of fossil fuels, like acid rain,
air pollution, and the greenhouse effect.
And because the geothermal heat pump has
no outdoor components, it won't add to
noise pollution. In fact, you won't even
be able to tell when it's on.
Allergy resistant. If you
have allergies or asthma, a furnace won't
do you any favors. But since a geothermal
system doesn't require make-up air for
combustion, spores and pollen won't be
drawn into your house during allergy
season. And since a geothermal system
runs longer than a gas furnace, it
filters the air more. And filtered air is
clean air.
Cleanliness. A geothermal
system won't add combustion by-products
into your home. There are no pilot
lights, no chimneys, no odors, no fumes.
And no worries.
Customer satisfaction. If you're
still not convinced that a geothermal
system is right for you, ask someone who
owns one. A survey published by the
National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association found that 97% of geothermal
system owners would purchase one again,
and 99% would recommend one to a friend.
Types of Loops
Horizontal Ground Closed Loops.
If you have the room, this system is your
best option. The shallow trenches are
easy to dig, making this system
cost-effective. But it is best installed
when a house is under construction.
Expect every ton of heating and cooling
capacity to require 400 to 600 feet of
pipe.
Vertical Ground Closed Loops.
This system is a good choice if yard
space is insufficient, the ground is too
rocky, or you want to retrofit with
minimal landscape disruption. Vertical
holes, between 150 and 450 feet deep, are
bored into the ground. Each hole contains
a single loop of pipe with a U-bend at
the bottom. These vertical pipes are then
attached to a horizontal pipe which
connects to the house. This system is
more expensive to install. But it does
require less pipe, because temperatures
are constant deeper underground.
Pond Closed Loops. If
you live near a body of water, this is
your most economical option. However, to
ensure sufficient heat transfer, this
system should only be installed if the
water level never drops below six feet.
This system has no adverse effect on the
pond.
Open Loop System. When
groundwater is plentiful, this system is
the simplest to install. Groundwater from
an aquifer is piped directly into your
home. Once the water leaves your home,
it's pumped back into a second well.
Local environmental officials should
always be consulted when this system is
being considered.
Standing Well System.
This system draws temperate water from
the bottom of a well, circulates it
through the heat pump's heat exchanger,
and returns it to the top of the same
well. This well usually also provides
potable water. Good water quality and
suitable well design are required.
A few tips before purchasing a
system
Look for equipment that is certified by
the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Institute, a non-profit organization
rating residential and small commercial
systems.
To ensure a high-quality system, make
sure any performance guarantee is for a
completed heat pump system covering the
equipment and installation, and is not
limited to the heat pump itself.
If your system is too large, it will
waste energy, and it won't provide proper
humidity control. So be sure that your
contractor determines your home's heating
and cooling requirements by using
accepted measures, such as those
recommended by the Air Conditioning
Contractors Association. The actual size
of your system should be within 15
percent of the calculated load.
Consult the Quality Contractor Network
for an experienced contractor. The
contractor should select the size of your
system, the type of loop, and the fluid
to be circulated in the loop. In
addition, the contractor should examine
your home to make sure it is as
energy-efficient as possible. Homes that
are more energy-efficient require smaller
systems.
Enjoy tomorrow's heater today
Geothermal heat pumps are fast becoming
the system of choice all over the
country. However, because more builders
and contractors now offer the systems,
costs have dropped substantially. Today,
homeowners in all tax brackets can enjoy
this technology.
To learn more about installing a
geothermal heat pump for your home, visit
the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium
Website at www.energyright.com..
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