Frequently Asked Questions

• Air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) are reversible air conditioners. Just like an air conditioner, in the summer they transfer heat from inside your home to the outside. In the winter they "concentrate" and transfer heat from the outside to inside your home.
• Heat pumps provide both heating and cooling for your home, all in one unit. Heat pumps consist of an outdoor unit connected to one or more indoor units by refrigerant lines. ASHPs can use ducts to transport the warm or cool air throughout your home, like most home heating and central air conditioning systems.
• There are also "ductless mini-split" and "mini-duct" systems (the latter being a hybrid of ductless and ducted systems). Air-Source heat pumps can also be used to supply heat to in-floor radiant heating systems "air-to-water heat pumps" (source: LoveElectric Heating & Cooling website).
• Check out this video from "This Old House" to learn more 

• Cold climate air source heat pumps and geothermal heat pumps are able to function at cold temperatures that residents typically experience even in the coldest winter months. It is important to purchase a heat pump capable of meeting heating requirements at the expected cold winter temperatures.
• Electric resistance heaters can be installed as backup heating to help heat pumps meet heating load even at temperatures below what they are rated for. Alternatively, if a building has an existing natural gas heating system, that can be maintained to be used as a backup option.
• Cold climate air source heat pumps can meet heating loads even at temperatures of -10 degrees or colder (NEEA (PDF)).
• If in an area where high volume of snow is expected, the exterior units may need to be raised slightly above the ground to keep clear of the snow.

For a new home in all areas of Colorado except for the mountain areas, a cold-climate heat pump system can work very well without a backup furnace depending on how efficient the home was designed and built. However, for an existing home in these areas with a gas furnace, it will probably be more cost-effective to keep the existing furnace as a backup. You can learn more here.

• Induction stoves have superior temperature control, quicker heating time, and even heating, allowing for easier, better cooking experiences compared to either electric resistance or gas stoves. They also do not heat up the stovetop itself, but rather the pot or pan, and therefore minimize the risk of burns. Indoor air quality is improved from not having indoor combustion of fossil fuels, which produce harmful pollutants. Induction stoves are energy efficient and are easy clean up due to their completely flat cooking surface.
• Electric resistance stoves are cheaper than gas or induction stoves, are easy to repair, and more energy efficient than gas stoves

• Electric heat pumps generally offer the cheapest way to cleanly heat and cool single-family homes in all but the coldest parts of the United States in coming decades, according to research released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
• Learn more about cost comparisons on the ACEEE website.

Check out the webinar "Heat Pump Myth Busting": Heat pumps have been around for over 80 years, but they have come a long way in just the past ten. Hear from Shawn LeMons from Mitsubishi about the latest in heat pump technology, and how this technology can meet the demands of even the coldest of Colorado winters. In this webinar, Shawn busts common myths about heat pumps and answers questions in this engaging session. Note: This webinar was put on by the City and County of Denver, the requirements Denver has in-place do not apply to Westminster.