Consumer Reports: Poorly installed heat pumps are much less reliable
In a recent report on central air conditioners, Consumer Reports found that “19 percent of systems installed by new-home builders failed compared with 12 percent installed by homeowners. The gap was even wider for heat-pump units, where 28 percent of the builder-installed units failed compared with 18 percent for owner-installed systems.” (Note systems “installed by homeowners” refers to homeowners who hired a heating & AC contractor, not to homeowners who performed the installation themselves.) This shows the type of installer chosen can increase breakdowns by more than 50%.
Note that these figures do not include minor problems. They also don’t take into account the difference in quality within each category (quality will also vary within the heating & AC contractors category). It’s also important to remember that a poor installation can reduce efficiency as well as reliability. The EPA states that “More than half of new systems in U.S. homes do not perform to their rated efficiency as a result of improper installation. In fact, improper installation can reduce performance by as much as 30%.”
Energy Saving Trust (UK) Study: Air source heat pumps often underperform due to improper installation
In the UK, a study found that most air source heat pumps achieved well below their potential efficiency due to improper installation.
UK Study: Only 4 of 28 air source heat pumps were “well performing”. Several of the heat pumps achieved less than half of their potential efficiency due to poor installation.
Good Guys: Your choice for top quality heat pump installations
At Good Guys, our heat pump installers have received manufacturer’s training as well as weekly company training, to ensure they are able to install heat pumps to the manufacturer’s specifications. Our 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee (available on most installations- call our office for details) and labour warranties are your assurance that we will perform a quality installation.
Learn more about heat pumps on our heat pumps page.
To schedule a free quote on a new heat pump, call 604 GOOD GUY (604 466 3489) or use our online form.