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Before we start our discussion on Goodman heat pumps, let's begin with a description of what heat pumps are and the role they play in air conditioning your home. A heat pump is part of a larger whole called heating, vacuuming, and air-conditioning system or HVAC in short.
Parts of a Heat Pump
The main parts of a heat pump system are listed below:
- An evaporator or heat exchanger
- A compressor
- A refrigerant
- An evaporator
- Expansion valve
How it Cools Your Home
When you use a heat pump to cool your home, the heat in your home warms up the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger, in turn, transfers this heat to the refrigerant liquid running through it. On absorbing the heat, the refrigerant liquid changes state into gas.
This refrigerant then moves to the evaporator side of the heat pump system. The evaporator has a cooling mechanism which releases the heat from the refrigerant to the outside and the cool air into your home.
The refrigerant then changes state back to a liquid and is pumped back to the heat exchanger side to begin the process all over again. Through this cycle, the heat from your house is transferred to the evaporator and lowers the temperature in the house.
How it Warms Your Home
When you want to warm your home with a heat pump, the direction of the refrigerant is reversed. The refrigerant absorbs the heat from the outside ambient air which is warmer, changing state from a liquid into gas.
It moves on to the home where it releases its heat energy to the home through the heat exchanger, then changes state to a liquid. The pump now pressurizes it and forces it back to the evaporator.
Cost Saving
You may have noticed that in the warming up cycle we discussed above we did not mention actively generating heat. We were simply moving air from the outside into your home.
In other heating systems like gas furnaces, the heat is generated by actually burning gas fuel. Now, although the Goodman heat pump does use electricity to operate the compressor and the cooling fan on the evaporator side, the electricity consumption is low compared to using a furnace.
Heat Pump Installation Costs
The total system cost of a 3-ton Goodman heat pump, which can serve a 2,200 square foot home is $4,570. Our research reveals that only one other brand out of the top 15 brands beats this price. Some heat pump systems cost up to $8,000 for the same rated system.
Since all heat pump systems work on the same basic principle we have outlined above; when it comes to heating or cooling your home, you may be wondering why there is such a large price variance.
A large part of the price differential can be attributed to paying for the brand name. Honestly speaking, the physics behind all heat pumps is the same.
Simplicity and Longevity
The simplicity of Goodman heat pumps means that there are fewer parts to break down which translates to lower maintenance costs. Again, remember that the physics of all heat pumps is basically the same, but those with more parts and components, like some of the higher-end heat pumps, can be very costly to maintain.
Installing a Goodman Heat Pump
Before any installation is carried out, a licensed HVAC company will run a cooling and heating load calculation on your home. The size of the unit required is dependent on how energy-efficient your home is and the area of your home in square feet.
Increasing the Energy Efficiency of Your Home
To reduce your utility bills, we suggest that you have your home professionally insulated to ensure insulation material is installed in areas of your home where heat loss and unwanted heat gain to and from the environment can occur.
For example, ensuring that your attic is well insulated will reduce the heat lost during the cold weather which will reduce the runtime of your heat pump and lower your electric bills.
In summary, Goodman heat pumps are reliable and a good value for your money. The typical warranty is ten years on parts and a lifetime warranty on the compressor which shows that you can trust the quality of a Goodman heat pump.
