Do I Have to Leave My Heat Pump System on All the Time?

If you have an electric baseboard heater or a hot water base board, you probably turn the heat on when the room starts to feel too cold. After a while, you feel sufficiently warm, and you either turn it down, or even all the way off. In other words, you don’t leave it running all the time — rather, you use it “on demand.”

Heat Pumps Are Different

It might surprise you, then, that if you have a heat pump, you would heat your home in a slightly different way. Heat pumps work by a process of extracting heat from the outdoors and bringing it inside your house. While the process itself is a bit complicated, suffice it to say that the system takes some time to ramp up from the point of turning it on to actually heating a room. It is during this time that the heat pump uses the most energy.

During the time the system is ramping up, the room will slowly rise in temperature, eventually reaching your desired range, at which point the system uses less energy to keep the temperature constant. So while it may seem counterintuitive, leaving your heat pump at your preferred temperature takes less energy than turning the system on and off as needed.

Heat Pumps Provide Constant Comfort

It certainly is an adjustment, especially if you’re used to oil or baseboard heat that you turn off to conserve energy. However, the relaxing comfort of heat pump heat is not only more energy efficient than these methods, but you can also enjoy a more constant state of comfort.

The home heating experts at Sunshine Renewables are happy to help you learn more about the benefits of using heat pumps to increase your comfort and lower your monthly bills. Call or use our contact form for an in-home assessment today, and let’s get started!