Does a heat pump only provide heat?

The certified professionals at Pacific Rim Heat Pumps Inc. have been providing heat pump installation for homeowners on Vancouver Island from their Port Alberni, BC headquarters since owners Keith and Linda Ghidoni moved there in 2010 from nearby Nanaimo. Whether serving homeowners in one island community or another, the same question always comes up: does a heat pump only provide heat? The answer is NO.

In spite of the name, heat pumps provide both heating and cooling from one central unit. Ductless heat pumps are a great alternative to forced air heating systems, quietly maintaining even temperatures throughout your home without requiring ductwork. Our heat pumps provide an even temperature throughout your home. This results in improved temperature control and improved indoor air quality at a lower cost.

How do they work?

Heat pumps work, quite simply, by drawing heat from one place and pumping it to another. With the help of a refrigerant, heat energy is transferred between the indoors and outdoors. In winter, heat energy is extracted from outdoors to heat your home and, in summer, the heat energy is transferred from inside to outside, thereby cooling your home.

The monthly cost of forced air furnaces can be very high, especially in the cold, wet winters we experience on Vancouver Island. Heat pumps provide energy-efficient heating in the cold months, and cooling in the summer, which leads to real savings on monthly energy bills.

What are the options?

At Pacific Rim we only represent, supply and install Mitsubishi Electric heat pumps – exclusively – because our experience has taught us that they are among the finest available in the world today. While heat pumps do lose varying degrees of efficiency when temperatures drop below freezing, Mitsubishi heat pump technology is still able to provide the heating you need – without any backup source of heat whatsoever – down to temperatures as low as -20 to -30C, depending on which model is installed. This makes them a fantastic choice and worth considering for Vancouver Island homeowners.

See for yourself

Our customers consistently report an amazing improvement in their home comfort and lower energy cost – see for yourself on the Customer Testimonial page, where many have taken the time to share what switching to a heat pump has done for their homes. Whether the space you’re looking to improve is in Nanaimo, Parksville, Port Alberni or any nearby community, let us take a look at your heating and cooling requirements to see if you would benefit by switching to a heat pump. We are sure you will be as pleased as the rest of our happy homeowners. To book your no-cost, no-obligation home visit and estimate, please give us a call at Pacific Rim Heat Pumps Inc.