There’s nothing Pacific Northwest residents love more than escaping the gray drizzle to their cozy homes. Increasingly they are turning to the comfort and energy savings of an option that is growing in popularity: ductless heating and cooling systems, also referred to as ductless heat pumps.
A ductless heating and cooling system is a highly efficient and easily installed primary heating and cooling system for electrically heated homes. These systems are safe, quiet and heat rooms evenly at a fraction of the cost of baseboards or wall heaters.
As our region’s warm weather slips away, homeowners start thinking of the approaching cold and rainy weather, and looming heating bills. That’s when Gary Kearney, of Greenwood Heating and Air Conditioning, says his phone starts ringing.
Kearney has been praising the wonders of ductless heating and cooling systems to his customers for years, and has seen demand grow as more customers have become aware of their many benefits.
“The ductless heating and cooling system is such a versatile system. It provides a comfortable house while saving energy,” he says. “Many of our customers are surprised to learn that these systems allow you to control the temperature in different parts of the house, so you can heat or cool only the room you’re in at the time,” says Kearney.
Kearney’s customers tell him they save 30 to 50 percent on their energy bills – and sometimes as much as 60 percent – after they install a ductless system. A $1,200 rebate on ductless heat pumps for qualifying Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy customers and an $800 rebate for Tacoma Power and Snohomish PUD customers who have electric baseboard heat provide additional incentive.
One of those customers is Seattle resident Paul Wallstrom, whose 2,500 square foot home was heated with an electric baseboard system.
“It was horrible,” said Wallstrom. “My bills in the winter were well over $1,000. After the system was installed, Wallstrom said his heating bills dropped significantly, saving him hundreds of dollars on his bill. “Plus, the unit is clean and quiet, and the filters are great for allergens.” Wallstrom said he said he likes it so much that he purchased another unit to replace a window-mounted electric air conditioner in the home’s second story and expects further cost savings next summer.
In use since the 70s, ductless systems have recently surged in popularity in Washington, thanks to Northwest utilities and the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project. Since 2008, the program has helped installers like Greenwood Heating and Air Conditioning to increase consumer awareness in the region and provide technical training. These efforts have led to the installation of more than 16,000 units in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, for a savings of 56,000,000 kWh per year. That’s enough electricity to power 5,000 average homes for an entire year.
Visit GoingDuctless.com to learn more and to find a qualified installer in your area.