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As rising energy costs and extreme weather conditions caused by climate change continue to push homeowners toward cleaner, more efficient heating and cooling solutions, Heat pumps It emerged as a compelling alternative to traditionalism Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
Sales of these effective devices It doubled between 2015 and 2020 And keep going up, even Excellence ovens in 2023According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. more than 17.5 million American families Industry studies show that heat pumps are now relied upon to provide year-round comfort.
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While heat pumps can reduce heating costs by more than… $1000 annually Compared to electrical resistance heating Reduce cooling expenses by 30% Compared to standard air conditioners, making the switch isn’t always as easy as a direct replacement. One critical factor that many homeowners ignore is whether their existing electrical panel can handle the additional load.
Before joining the heat pump revolution to help both your wallet and the planet, it’s essential to understand the electrical requirements and potential upgrades needed to operate these energy-efficient systems.
Why does electrical service and electrical panel limit your options?
You’ll need to make sure the heat pump is compatible with your home’s electrical panel.
Your home’s electrical service and panel determine the total power available to your home at any given moment. The service that provides electricity from the utility company has the maximum capacity. For most homes, this capacity ranges from 100 to 200 amps. Your electrical panel then distributes this power through individual circuit breakers, each designed to handle a specific maximum load to prevent overheating and fire hazards.
The capacity of your electrical service may limit your options when it comes to heating and cooling solutions. “Many older homes only operate on 100 amps or so,” said CEO Gabe Abshire. Concierge transfer. “That’s not enough energy to run the heat pump and everything else in the house that uses electricity.”
What happens when you try to draw more electricity from your service than capacity allows? You get a power outage.
“Think about the scene Christmas story said Jason Altschuler, Founder and CEO My electric home. “Just because there is an open space to plug something in, doesn’t mean the system isn’t at full capacity.”
Run multiple high-draft appliances at once – for example, electric dryer, furnace, air conditioner, and Electric car charger – It may approach or exceed your system’s capacity. This can trip circuit breakers, or in a whole-house scenario, cause the main breaker to trip power completely.
Your electrical panel can limit you in another way, too. Altschuler said there could be “physical limitations, with no open spaces for breakers in the panel,” which could prevent you from adding a heat pump without rewiring the circuits.
“Think about the scene Christmas story The father finds an open plug for the leg lamp, but he has plugged too many things into the outlet. Just because there is an open space to plug something in doesn’t mean the system isn’t at full capacity.”
– Jason Altschuler, Founder and CEO of My Electric Home
Do you have the ability to add a heat pump?
Once you are sure that you have the necessary capacity for a heat pump, you can move forward with installing one.
The first step to determining if you can add a heat pump is to check the capacity of your electrical panel. Abshire said it will inspect the main crusher, which should have the crusher rating listed. This will usually appear on or near the large switch on the panel. The most common ratings for modern homes are 100, 150, or 200 amps.
Additionally, you will need to check how many physical breaker spaces are available on your panel. Ideally, you’ll want two open spaces next to each other, Altshuler said. If you have two spots open but they’re not adjacent, don’t worry. “Sometimes an electrician can rearrange circuits to make room,” he explained.
Why two breaker spaces? A heat pump typically requires a dedicated 240-volt circuit and a 20-60 amp double-pole breaker, depending on the size of the unit.
To properly assess your capacity, consider all of your existing major electrical loads. A licensed electrician can perform a load calculation to see if your current service can handle the additional load of the heat pump. A professional can help you evaluate the overall electrical usage patterns in your home and determine if you need a panel upgrade or service upgrade from your utility company to support the addition of a heat pump.
What options do you have?
If your home’s electrical panel doesn’t have the capacity to support the heat pump’s load, you may be able to upgrade to a 200-amp panel. This will typically cost between $1,000 and $3,000.
For homes with older or smaller electrical panels, invest in a Smart boardsuch as those offered by SPAN, can help facilitate your heat pump. These power management systems allow 100 amp or 150 amp homes to support new electrical loads without the need for expensive feeder wiring upgrades.
“Basically, the panel software can regulate loads, disconnect power or temporarily turn off circuits based on set priorities,” Altschuler said, allowing households to go fully electric without upgrading to 200-amp service. It can also help reduce up to 10% of your electricity bill, According to the Ministry of Energy.
While smart panels are more expensive up front — costing $2,000 to $5,000 — they can save homeowners thousands of dollars by avoiding panel upgrades and infrastructure costs. This makes them an attractive option for those looking to incorporate energy-efficient technology like heat pumps while keeping overall project costs manageable.
If that proves to be too expensive, Altshuler suggests looking at a heat pump that consumes less electricity, and usually a smaller capacity, such as a 240-volt, 15-amp option. Heat pumps like these “require less coil energy but (have) a slower hot water recovery rate.”
These types of models are often considered “plug-in” and do not require load calculations or significant electrical work. However, due to lower capacity, these models are typically less suitable for high-demand households or colder climates where inlet water temperatures are lower. Using this model typically requires planning hot water use throughout the day since recovery can take 3 to 6 hours, or even longer in cold conditions.