Heat Pump Installation

In Northwest Arkansas & thinking about replacing your heat pump? Read on.

Tips for saving money

Despite what heating and air contractors try to tell themselves, no one likes to replace their HVAC system. Replacing a system is a big investment and it always seems to come at the worst time. There is a bit of a silver lining though: if done right, you can save a substantial amount of money when replacing an aging or broken heat pump. Here's a few essentials if you're going to reduce that costly investment as much as possible:

1. Get all the utility rebates and tax credits you can. Now is quite literally the best time in history to buy a heat pump. Thanks to their extreme energy efficiency, there are thousands of dollars in rebates & tax credits available if you want to install a heat pump. In our area, SWEPCO alone offers up to $3,000 dollars in rebates for installing a heat pump. In addition, the federal government will chip in $2,000 in tax credits if you buy a system above a certain SEER efficiency. You can read up on all the details here here.

2. Think hard on repair vs replacement. A lot of people get stuck in the predicament of having to choose between an expensive repair for an aging heat pump vs just getting a new one. A couple things need to be considered:

• I. Age of your system. The average heat pump in the United States lasts 15 years. If your system is close to or older than that, you should at the very least consider replacement. If your system is newer, repairing your current unit is likely the way to go. One thing to consider — if your system is "builder grade" (was installed with the house), it may last much less than average.
• II. Type of refrigerant in your system. Many older heat pumps use R-22 refrigerant, which was banned from manufacturing in 2020. The result is that repairs to those older systems are often quite a bit more expensive than newer systems.

3. Get multiple quotes. A lot of people skip this step, but you should always get two or three quotes when replacing a heat pump. It's a big investment and you want to make sure no one is trying to take advantage of you. If you'd like, you can also read our post here here on how much it costs to replace a heat pump in Northwest Arkansas. It has real quotes, utility bills pre and post change-out, and more.

Want to schedule an heat pump replacement quote in Northwest Arkansas? Just tap the "Schedule online" button or text/call us at (479) 282-0003.

How heat pumps work

Heat pumps are basically air condtioners that are able to work in reverse. A normal AC takes heat from the inside of your home and puts it outside. A heat pump does the opposite — it takes heat from the outside and puts it inside your home, making it much more efficient than a normal HVAC system. For a great visual explainer on how heat pumps work, see this video here.