FAQs

A heat pump is a heating and air conditioning system comprised of an outside condenser and an inside evaporator, which alternately takes the hot or cold air from the outside and transfers it to the inside (or vice-versa, depending on which mode the unit is on-heating or cooling).

The heat pump contains a very cold refrigerant liquid in the outside condenser (-40 degrees Farenheit) that absorbs heat molecules from the outside air and transfers them through the inside unit. Imagine we have a shoe box that is -20 F inside, it is 100 cubic inches and has 20 heat molecules evenly spaced out. If we were able to extract the same twenty heat molecules and place them in a smaller space the tempature would rise because the molecules would be closer together. The same would be true if we were to close the sides of the shoe box in. These systems, by way of absorption, move the abundant heat molecules from the outside air to the small-in-comparison homes we live in.

The price of each unit fluctuates and there is a wide range of products so pricing varies as well.  All quotes we do include the labor and materials required to install the unit.  Depending on the size of the home, its heating requirements, layout and floor plan, and any existing installation, additional units may be required to optimize heat usage and savings.  One of the many advantages of installing a heat pump system in your home is that should you need multiple units, installation can occur in stages, one unit at a time, to take the sting out of the cost of installing multiple units at one time.  

Efficiency Maine is now offering rebates through the Home Energy Savings Program on the installation of eligible high efficiency ductless heat pumps.  Some models are eligible for rebates ranging from $400.00 to $800.00.

A heat pump can easily blend into the interior of your home. We will work with you to make sure that we place the interior evaporator where it works best for air flow and appearance.

The Fujitsu heat pumps we install run at approximately 45 decibels, equivalent to a person's whisper. You will likely not notice your heat pump any more than you would your refrigerator when it cycles.

To better compare the cost for home heating please visit the link below for Efficiency Maine's cost comparison.

https://www.efficiencymaine.com/at-home/heating-cost-comparison/

We at Northeast Heat Pumps do not install a multi- zone heat pump with the interior evaporators on different floors of a home or office building. The reason is because if that single condenser ever has an issue and goes down both interior evaporators will not operate while that condenser is out of service. Additionally, each floor of a home or office building typically has different heating/ coolings needs. When installing a multi zone system both the interior evaporators need to remain on the same setting (Heat, Cool, Dry, Fan etc.) if one of the evaporators is on a different setting the entire system will either recieve an error code or will stop working. Lastly, and a more technical reason is if during the installation there needs to be a longer line-set installed for one of the units verse the other unit the system will not operate as efficiently as should since it will need to work harder to push the refrigerant through the system to get to the longer run line-set for that particular evaporator. 

We are numbers people here at Northeast Heat Pumps. We believe in installing the most efficient system in the most efficient way possible to ensure customers are getting the most bang for their buck. What we have found based on efficiency ratings given to us by the manufacturers of these systems is that single zone wall mounted units are the MOST efficient model produced. Each brand we install (Daikin, Fujitsu & Mitsubishi) all have their own efficiency ratings and each wall mounted model have their pros and cons but what we have found is that systems such as floor models and ceiling ducted cassettes are not as efficient (rating wise) compared to the wall mounted single zone units. Even multi-zone units have a slightly lower efficiency rating than the single zone units.

Heat Pumps use electricity to heat your home, so their carbon footprint depends on the power generation that serves the regional energy grid. The mix of generation that serves the grid in Maine is among the cleanest in the country. If you have a heat pump that offsets just one third of your home's annual heating load, and if you heat with oil like most Mainers, the heat pump would eliminate 2,400 pounds of CO2 per year, the equivalent of eliminating the carbon pollution from three months of average driving. The more your heat pump offsets your home's heating from fossil fuels, the more you will reduce your carbon emissions.