IT'S TIME TO RECONSIDER A HEAT PUMP WITH HYPER HEAT

In the past, Heat Pumps weren't a great option as a stand alone system in our area. This was because traditional heat pumps, the efficient home heating solution that works so well in the south, started to lose their efficiency when the temperature dipped below 40 degrees. All of that has changed with Hyper Heat.

WHAT IS HYPER HEAT?

Hyper Heat is a new home heating system designed by Mitsubishi. It’s the perfect home comfort solution for a range of homes and sizes, and has the advantage of being both a heating and air conditioning system that doesn’t rely on ductwork, making it a perfect option for older and historic homes that have relied on oil or radiator heat in the winter, and perhaps window air conditioners for summer months.

Hyper Heat is a heat pump system, but it adds an exclusive inverter technology that allows it to maintain its efficiency when temperatures drop, all the way down to -13 degrees Fahrenheit.

By contrast, traditional heat pumps start to lose their efficiency when temperatures go below 40 degrees, requiring a backup system- around here, which has meant heat pumps were not an option at all. So let’s take a look at a typical Rochester, NY  winter, and how a Hyper Heat system might compare to a traditional heat pump.

UPSTATE NEW YORK WINTERS

Rochester and the surrounding area is known for cold winters and lots of snow.  We know how to handle cold. Last winter, we had three days of low temperatures below zero. That's cold even by our standards!  A heat pump that would require a backup system when it gets really cold makes no sense.  

However, the new Hyper Heat system and its inverter technology allows for performance down to 13 degrees below zero. That means no additional fuel costs for a backup system even in an extreme Rochester winter. That's a benefit for every wallet!

For our region, It's also important to note that Hyper Heat heat pump systems also can act as air conditioning systems in the summer, not only giving you all the benefits of a heat pump during the winter, but letting you get rid of those messy and heavy window air conditioning systems at the same time, while giving you year-round comfort.

UNDERSTANDING HEAT PUMPS

Heat pumps work by removing heat from outside air and transfering it into your home or office to warm it. The process can be reversed in warmer weather, to remove heat from your home and transfer it outside, cooling the indoor air. 

PERFECT COMFORT TO MINUS 13 DEGREES!

Mitsubishi’s new Hyper Heat system is a game changer for colder climates like ours.  Hyper Heat uses something called inverter technology. By using a special phase-changing liquid, it can still withdraw heat from the surrounding environment until temperatures dip below -10 degrees.

The best way to think of this is to compare it to an ice cream scoop with heat exchange liquid built in.

The scoop can remain warm enough to easily go through rock-hard ice cream, due to the phase-changing liquid in the handle, a kind of “anti-freeze”. The same principle allows Mitsubishi’s hyper heat system to still extract heat out of the air and warm your home, even when temperatures drop well below the range where most heat pumps simply give up.

Hyper Heat kicks in when the compressor motor is signaled that a burst of heat is required. The motor revs up to max speed and the systems funnels the additional heat thrown off the compressor magnets back to your blower, super-charging your heat output and quickly responding to the dropping temperature outside.

WHAT ABOUT SUMMERS?

These Hyper Heat systems can cool your home in the summer as well, by reversing the heating process that is removing heat and humidity from your indoor environment and piping that excess heat outside.

However, these systems are only as efficient as conventional air conditioning systems, and cost the same to run, meaning the bulk of the cost savings for homeowners will come by reducing the high cost of traditional heating fuels including oil, natural gas, and electric. However, in areas like ours where so many older homes don't have traditional air ducts, this kind of system delivering both heating and cooling solutions can finally bring new, youthful comfort into your older home.

I HEARD THE WORD “DUCTLESS”- WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Another key benefit of installing a Hyper Heat system is that it will work with an existing heating duct system, boosting efficiency, or as a “space heater” in areas that do not have or have room for traditional ductwork.

If you live in a home with hard to heat spaces, like attics, finished basements, garage workshops, additions, bonus rooms over a garage, anywhere where you might consider a space heater, electric baseboard or other device to boost comfort in an area, a ductless system might be just the solution you are looking for, without the danger associated with traditional space heaters. It can even turn your “three season porch” into a full year-round space for the whole family, and we’ve had several customers tell us it’s the perfect system to bring extra comfort to elderly relatives, who may not be as tolerant of cold as others in the family.

One of our employees who grew up in one of the turn of the century homes near Cobbs Hill, and had a great room up on the third floor of the house. However, she spent every winter under piles of blankets to stay warm through the night.  In the summer, the window air conditioning unit would ice up, trying to keep up with the demand, leaving her sweltering.  A ductless system like Hyper Heat could have turned that entire floor of the house into more functional living space, and increased comfort dramatically.  "I wish this existed when I was growing up!" she said," I loved the privacy the top floor gave me as a teenager, but the temperature swings were simply awful. "

If you have one of the great historic homes in our area or an older home that doesn’t have ductwork, or rooms that are always too cold or too hot no matter how you set your thermostat, give us a call, and learn more about what a Mitsubishi Hyper Heat system can do for you.