Heating and cooling dealers have a lock on the local market. They may offer discounts on installation or repairs, but they get top prices for their equipment.
A heat pump sale automatically gets the “buy it now” fever going in some people, since it is still rare to see something as expensive as a heat pump going on sale. But you should stop and think before you go pulling out your wallet just because a heat pump is for sale at a good price.
Now there are normally to major reasons why you are looking for a new heat pump. First your current heat pump doesn’t work any more. You have called out the HVAC repair guy and he tells you it is permanently broken and needs replacement. And if it is cold outside, you may not have the time to sit around and wait for the best deal.
The other reason is your heat pump is getting old and you want to replace it before it’s too late. Plus after last few winters, you notice that you electric bills have gone sky high and you simply can’t afford another season like the last one.
But there are several things you need to take into consideration before spending your money. Because heat pump sales or not, you don’t want to waste your hard earned money on some “clunker” system (that won’t do the job) just so a dealer or manufacturer can move some inventory.
The main thing to think about when checking out a heat pump sale is for you to understand what you need the heat pump to do. Because a heat pump acts as an “all-in-one” unit (both a heater and an air conditioner) you need to sure which function you need most and look for a heat pump for sale that matches your needs.
This is where understanding how heat pump efficiency ratings works comes in handy. In the US there are two ratings you need to be concerned with: SEER and HSFP ratings. The higher the number of the rating, the more efficient a unit is and the less money you will spend on utility bills.
The SEER or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating measures how much energy is used cool a home during a summer time peak. A good unit should a rating between 14 and 18. The HSPF or Heating Seasonal Performance Factor measures how much energy is used to heat a home during a winter time cold snap. A good HSPF rating runs between 8 and 10.
So if you live in a warmer part of the country and suffer with hot, sweaty summers but mild winters then you will want to find a heat pump for sale with the highest SEER you can afford. On the other hand, if you live in colder climate with chilly winters and so-so summers, then you will need to check out heat pump sales that feature units with higher HSPF ratings.
And the final thing you need to consider is the size of any replacement unit. It doesn’t matter how deep the discounts are during a heat pump sale, if the units offered are not the best size for your home. An undersized unit will run continuously and run up your electric bill in a hurry, while an over sized unit will not run enough in the winter to keep you warm and will push out too much moisture in the summer, which leads to molds.
So watch those heat pump sale papers carefully, you may be able to pick up a unit that is both good for your home and your wallet.
