Energy Star Certified Heat Pump Installation Experts

In the winter, a heat pump works like a heater, extracting heat energy from the outside and transferring it inside. In the summer, the process reverses, removing heat from your home and transferring it outside like an air conditioner. Heat pumps do this so well that many people in warmer climates exclusively rely on them for year-round comfort. Those living in colder climates use electric-powered heat pumps with their gas or oil furnaces, resulting in lower heating costs.

They work with coils drawing energy from air, water, or the ground. In this way, they are environmentally friendly and the most energy-efficient way to heat and cool your home. Heat pumps also work exceptionally efficiently because they simply transfer heat rather than burn fuel to create it. This efficiency makes heat pumps a greener alternative to traditional gas or oil furnaces. Though you may be unfamiliar with them, they traditionally heat swimming pools and hot tubs, so you most likely have come in contact with them and not even know it.

There are three types of heat pumps: 

• air-to-air, 
• water source, and 
• geothermal. 

As mentioned above, they collect their heat from the air, water, and outside your home and concentrate it for use. 

Call Coastal Air Plus to discuss the basic differences between these types and which one would work best for you and your home.

Heat pump installation costs are higher than with a traditional furnace or air conditioner. Still, the savings over time in annual energy costs

• Heat pump installation costs make up for the difference in five to ten years. Performing proper operation and maintenance of your heat pump will also save you money, as you’ll use less energy, thus resulting in less cost. 
• Ask your HVAC professional for the proper thermostat setting and the indoor pump’s fan operation. Not following the recommended guidelines can inhibit the maximized running of the pump and can degrade the unit itself. 
• Regular maintenance can prevent degradation as well. Consistent filter changing or cleaning is necessary for a well-running heat pump. 
• Seasonal cleaning of coils and fans goes a long way in preventing poor energy efficiency that can end up costing you more money. The energy difference between a well-maintained system and a neglected one can be pump's maximized running and 10 to 25 percent.

To determine the appropriate type of heat pump for you (which can depend upon the geography and climate around your Surfside Beach, Myrtle Beach, Conway, Charleston, SC, or surrounding home or office space) or to discuss your options, call us today or request service online for an evaluation.

Principal residence owners can use Federal income tax credits.

Upgrades must be to an existing home & your principal residence. New construction and rentals do not apply.

A principal residence is the home where you live most of the time. The home must be in the United States. It can include a house, houseboat, mobile home, cooperative apartment, condominium, and a manufactured home. 

You can claim: 

• 30% of the project cost, up to a $600 maximum credit. 

Under the tax code, eligible equipment must “meet or exceed the highest efficiency tier (not including any advanced tier) established by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency which is in effect as of the beginning of the calendar year.”  The eligibility described above is consistent with this requirement.

• In addition to limits on the amount of credit you can claim for any particular equipment installation or home improvement, there are annual aggregate limits.  
• The overall total limit for an efficiency tax credit in one year is $3,200.  This breaks down to a total limit of $1,200 for any combination of home envelope improvements (windows/doors/skylights, insulation, electrical) plus furnaces, boilers and central air conditioners.  
• Any combination of heat pumps, heat pump water heaters and biomass stoves/boilers are subject to an annual total limit of $2,000. (Note: ENERGY STAR certified geothermal heat pumps are eligible for a separate tax credit and not counted against these limits.)

Given the way the annual aggregate limits are structured, it may be prudent to spread your improvements over a few years.  

•  If your heating or cooling system is old, and you are considering a new air source heat pump, it is always wise to optimize your attic insulation first, so you don’t pay for more heating and cooling than you actually need.  
• Making these upgrades together in one year would allow you a tax credit of up to $1,200 for the insulation and up to $2,000 for the heat pump. Similarly, you could combine a heat pump installation with window/door replacements.  
• In that scenario, the $2,000 credit for the heat pump could be combined with tax credits up to $600 total for the windows/skylights plus $500 for two or more doors. 
• If you replace your water heater the following year, you would be eligible for another 30% tax credit, up to $2,000 plus up to $600 if you need an electric panel upgrade to accommodate the new water heater.

• ENERGY STAR is program developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to reduce the nation's energy consumption.
• ENERGY STAR® -qualified heating equipment can be up to 15 percent more efficient than standard models. ENERGY STAR® -qualified cooling equipment can be up to 7 percent more efficient than minimum-standard equipment.