Heat Pump Myths & Facts
MYTH: Multi-zone systems cost less than multiple single-zone units.
FACT: Multi-zone systems often cost more to operate, and with the higher rebates available for single-zone systems, multi-zone systems can also cost more to install.
MYTH: Heat pumps aren’t efficient in the cold.
FACT: Though they lose efficiency as the outdoor temperature drops, even at temperatures near zero degrees Fahrenheit, rebate-eligible heat pumps can be nearly 200% efficient.
MYTH: To maximize overall efficiency, use your heat pumps in mild weather when they are most efficient, and use your furnace or boiler in the dead of winter when it is most efficient.
FACT: While there are temperatures at which an oil boiler is cheaper to run than a heat pump, there are very few hours per year when this is true. Modeling shows the potential savings of switching to a furnace or boiler during those hours is minimal, and failure to switch back at precisely the right temperature could actually increase costs.
MYTH: When switching exclusively to heat pumps, you need to leave your boiler on to prevent it from leaking.
FACT: Rather than leaving your boiler on, you can install new gaskets or drain it if it is not going to be used.
MYTH: Heat pumps only work in super insulated homes.
FACT: Properly sized heat pumps can be used to heat virtually any indoor residential space.
MYTH: Turning down heat pumps at night saves energy.
FACT: While this is true for furnaces and boilers, it is not true for heat pumps. Heat pumps save the most energy when allowed to maintain a constant temperature. That’s why we recommend that people, “set it and forget it.”
MYTH: Heat pumps need backup in the cold.
FACT: As long as a heat pump system is properly designed, there should be no need for backup. Some heat pumps work at temperatures as low as negative 15 degrees Fahrenheit. It is increasingly common for new houses to be heated and cooled exclusively with heat pumps. Older homes are also converting exclusively to heat pumps.