Ductless Heat Pump Homeowner Guide & FAQs

Transcription

1 Ductless Heat Pump Homeowner Guide & FAQs

2 No matter what temperature the outdoor thermometer reads, Dead River Company provides year-round comfort in any weather. A ductless heat pump requires no ductwork, making it quick and easy to install, and can be used year-round so that your home is a cooling oasis during the summer and a warm and cozy hangout during the cold winter months. FAQs What is a ductless heat pump? A ductless heat pump is a highly efficient heating and cooling system that uses a small amount of energy to move heat from one location to another without requiring ductwork. It can be used to: heat in the winter cool in the summer dehumidify the air circulate and filter the air What are the benefits of a ductless heat pump? more than 100% energy-efficient quiet operation allergen filtration precise comfort control environmentally friendly can be placed just about anywhere in the home wireless remote control reduces heating costs up to 50% A ductless heat pump consists of an outdoor compressor unit and one or more indoor units, linked by refrigerant lines. How do ductless heat pumps work? Installing a ductless system is not only easy, but it allows for flexibility in where you deliver heating (and cooling) in your home without the use of ductwork. An outdoor unit is placed outside your home often at ground level and is connected to an indoor unit by small cables and a refrigerant line. The indoor unit can be preset to run automatically or be adjusted by a remote control.

3 Do ductless heat pumps just heat or are they air conditioners as well? A ductless heat pump system can provide efficient heating in the cold-weather months and cooling all summer long. Are ductless heat pumps efficient? Yes, ductless heat pumps are more than 100% energy-efficient and can reduce heating costs up to 50%. It is important to remember that while your overall heating cost will be lower, your electricity bill will increase. Are ductless heat pumps quiet? Although ductless heat pumps are remarkably quiet during operation, they do make some sound. In addition to the low-level fan sound (both indoor and outdoor units), you may also hear low whirring, clicking or rushing fluid. Do ductless heat pumps really heat well in our climate? Yes, the ductless heat pumps use innovative technology to keep heating efficiently, even when the temperature gets down to -13 F. How much does a ductless heat pump cost? The average cost to install a ductless heat pump with a single indoor unit is approximately $3,500. Contact Dead River Company for information on available rebates and Federal Tax Credits. How long will a ductless heat pump last? With proper maintenance and care, a ductless heat pump should perform for years. What kind of maintenance does a ductless heat pump require? Dust filters should be vacuumed or washed as needed and allergen cartridges should be washed or replaced according to manufacturers recommendations. The outside unit should be professionally cleaned every year or two.

4 Ductless Heat Pump Homeowners Guide Ductless heat pumps are more than 100% energy efficient and among the most advanced heating and cooling systems. These systems operate differently than other traditional systems. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the manufacturer s owner s manual to find out more about the system s features, benefits, operation and maintenance. This Homeowner s Guide provides an overview of suggestions to help you enjoy your ductless heat pump and get the most out of this energy-efficient technology. General Operational Guidelines Set the system to HEAT or COOL setting. Located on your ductless heat pump may be an AUTO mode that allows the system to automatically switch between cooling and heating. Instead of using the AUTO mode, we suggest setting the system control to the HEAT mode (or the heating symbol) during the cold months and to the COOL mode (or the cooling symbol) when you want air conditioning during the warm months. Set the fan speed to AUTO setting. For the fan speed, the AUTO setting (or auto symbol) is suggested over the other options (usually quiet, low, medium, and high). As indoor and outdoor conditions change, the unit automatically uses the optimal fan speed. Set the temperature. Depending on the location of your ductless heat pump, you may need to set the unit s temperature slightly higher or lower than the desired temperature in the room to find a setting that s comfortable. Avoid adjusting the temperature setting back and forth. Ductless heat pumps are designed to automatically and efficiently adjust to changing conditions in the room. Once you find a comfortable temperature setting, try not to excessively change the settings. Determine your effective zone. It is possible your ductless heat pump can provide efficient heating to a larger area of your home than just the room in which it is located. The total area served by the heat pump is called the effective zone. Depending on the size of your ductless heat pump and the configuration of your home, you may be able to increase the area of the effective zone by opening doors between rooms. Multi-zone systems. Multi-zone systems have one outdoor and two or more indoor units. These systems allow you to set the indoor units at different temperatures. However, the entire system must operate in the same mode (Heat or Cool). Understand the defrost function. During periods of cold weather, the coil on the outdoor unit may accumulate frost while in Heat mode. Don t worry, this is normal. Your ductless heat pump is designed to defrost itself automatically. While the unit is in the defrost mode, the indoor unit will stop and a light on the unit may come on or start blinking. Do not interrupt or override this function. You may notice water below or around the outdoor unit as the frost is removed from the coil. This is normal. After typically 5 to 10 minutes, the unit should return to heating operation. Let the ductless heat pump do the work. To maximize the benefits of your ductless heat pump, it should be used as the primary heating system in your home s effective zone. To do this, try the following strategies: Set the existing heating system as a back-up. This can be best achieved by setting the thermostat(s) of the existing heating system 4 F to 5 F cooler than the ductless heat pump thermostat setting. The existing system will automatically turn on to keep your home from getting too cold if back-up heating is required. In severe cold weather, you may need to make temperature adjustments to provide optimal comfort. The ductless heat pump may not be able to provide desired comfort levels to all areas in your entire effective zone. To maintain comfort and efficiency, try increasing the thermostat setting on your existing heating system and/or reduce the size of your effective zone by closing doors to unused portions of the house.

5 For more than a century, we ve remained focused on ensuring that every customer feels perfectly at home with Dead River Company by delivering on our promise of customer service excellence. DRC-1220