Our Sources for Heat Pump Research

Here is a summary of the sources and our opinions on which information sources on heat pumps were the most useful. There are not as many sources for heat pump research as there are for air conditioners, even though heat pumps and related components are manufactured by the same companies. You may wish to check out our information sources on air conditioners.

Consumer Reviews

A very important source of information on buying heat pumps is consumer reviews by consumers who actually installed a heat pump manufactured by the brand you are considering. There is still not a lot of consumer review information on the Internet about heating and air conditioning equipment but it is growing. The most comprehensive and best consumer reviews cover heat pumps that are relatively popular and have been on the market for over a year. New and less popular heat pumps do not have a large number of consumer reviews and you are taking a chance if you decide to buy one.

• furnacecompare.com is by far the best source of consumer review information on heat pumps. They have reviews from both consumers and sometimes contractors on most of the top heat pump brands. It is useful to note that installing a heat pump system is complicated and requires a qualified installer. When the system is incorrectly installed the unit does not work. As you review the comments on this site, you will see that many times there are complaints about heat pump, when in fact, the problem is related to improper installation.

• high performance hvac has a limited number of reviews for heat pump manufacturers.

Guides on Energy Savings and How Heat Pumps Work

• U.S. Department of Energy provides a detailed description of the different types of heat pumps and how they work.
• Energy Star explains SEER and HSFP ratings and how to evaluate them.