Acadia™ vs Typical Heat Pump
Many people find our product when they are looking to
replace an older typical air source heat pump. Why should you choose the
Acadia™ over a typical system? We’ll explain below.
Heat pumps have become a dominant heating source in
the Southern United States. They have proven efficiencies that far
surpass those of fossil fuel systems and, unlike fossil fuel systems,
heat pumps can provide both heating and cooling.
Even with the proven efficiencies of heat pumps, there
are still some lingering stereotypes about comfort in the home. We talk
about each of these issues in the sections below.
Low Delivery Air Temperatures
One complaint that we hear regularly about typical air
source heat pumps is that the temperature of the air coming out of the
ductwork feels cold. This is because at certain outdoor temperatures, a
typical air source heat pump doesn’t have the capacity to provide enough
heat output to keep the delivery air at a temperature that feels warm.
Using the patented Opti-Cycle™ Technology, the Acadia™
is able to provide delivery air temperatures as high as 120°F without
degrading it’s efficiency. This is heat that you can feel, even at very
cold outdoor temperatures.
Back-up Heat Source
Since a typical heat pump cannot effectively heat your
home when temperatures are below 30°F, a secondary heat source is
required.
In some cases, this backup heat is in the form of
electric resistance strips which are expensive to use. (See our section
on Resistance Heat located here) This resistance heat is about 1/3rd as
efficient as the Acadia™ and it can be very expensive to operate. In
many cases, a typical heat pump is turned off and the home is heated
entirely with the electric resistance source.
In other cases, the heat pump is married with a fossil
fuel system to take over in heating the home. (See our section on Fossil
Fuel Systems located here) These fossil fuel burning systems are not
efficient and can tie the owner to the volatile oil market.
The Acadia™ is specifically designed for heating. It
does not require these types of backup heat because it can maintain high
heating capacity even at low outdoor temperatures.
This difference in low-temperature performance can be
attributed directly to a large difference in cost of operation. Heating
your home with the Acadia™ instead of a typical heat pump will lead to
savings of up to 60%, right from the start.
Outdoor Unit Noise
Many typical heat pumps have their operating
components open to the fan plenum of the outdoor unit and this makes
these components, including the compressors, clearly audible outside the
unit. In many cases, the noise from these outdoor units can be heard
inside the home, in the yard or even in a neighboring home.
We’ve taken extra steps with the Acadia™ to make sure
that the units are as quiet as possible. The main way that we achieve
quiet operation is by installing the compressors within an insulated
enclosure inside the unit. This means that they are not exposed to the
outdoor air and the noise from these compressors is significantly
attenuated. Additionally, both compressors are isolated from the heat
pump structure, minimizing the amount of energy that is transferred into
the cabinet that could rattle and radiate out in the form of noise.
The other main noise from a typical air source heat
pump is the outdoor fan. Our fan blade was specifically designed for
efficient and quiet operation. We use a swept wing type fan that
minimizes the air turbulence that causes loud fan noise while optimizing
fan efficiency.
Hands down, the Acadia™ can provide better performance
with less hassle and less noise than a typical heat pump.
Highlights:
- No Backup System Required
- No Fossil Fuel Needed
- Low Temperature Operation
- 3 Stage Heating / 2 Stage Cooling
- Delivery Air Temperatures Up To 120°F
- Acoustically Optimized Outdoor Unit
- Variable Speed Air Handler
- Efficient Outdoor Fan Design
*Based on $0.10 per kWh as compared with a standard
air source heat pump. Yearly heating load assumed to be approximately
120,000,000 BTU. This is intended as an example only. Various factors
including but not limited to home construction, insulation and home
location will determine actual savings over
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