Heat Pumps

Heat pump service.

Ben's Heating & Air Conditioning is experienced in the service, repair, and installation of heat pumps in Portland, OR, and its surrounding area. A heat pump is a device that transfers heat from one place to another, from indoors to outdoors or from outdoors to indoors. For homes with no access to natural gas, heat pumps offer an efficient and reliable solution for heating and cooling.

How Do Heat Pumps Work?

In the winter, a heat pump works like a heater, extracting heat energy from outside and transferring it inside. In the summer, the process reverses, and it will remove heat from your home and transfer it outside like an air conditioner. Heat pumps do this so well that many people in warmer climates exclusively rely on a heat pump for year-round comfort. For those living in colder climates, they use electric-powered heat pumps in conjunction with their gas or oil furnace resulting in lower heating costs.

Heat pumps work with a series of coils drawing energy from air, water, or the ground. In this way, they are very environmentally friendly and are the most energy-efficient way to heat and cool your home. Heat pumps also work extremely efficiently, because they simply transfer heat, rather than burn fuel to create it. This makes them a greener alternative to traditional gas or oil furnaces. Though you may think you’re unfamiliar with them, they traditionally heat swimming pools and hot tubs, so you most likely have come in contact with them and not even known it.

Different Types of Heat Pumps

There are three types of heat pumps: air-to-air, water source, and geothermal. As mentioned above, they collect their heat from the air, water, and outside-your-home ground and concentrate it for use. Call Ben's Heating & Air Conditioning to discuss the basic differences between these types and which one would work best for you and your home.

Are Heat Pumps Expensive?

Installation costs of heat pumps are higher than with a traditional furnace or air conditioner, but the savings over time in annual energy costs make up for the difference in five to ten years. Performing proper operation and maintenance of your heat pump will also save you money, as you’ll use less energy, thus resulting in less cost. Be sure to ask your HVAC professional for the proper thermostat setting and the indoor pump’s fan operation. Not following the recommended guidelines can inhibit the maximized running of the pump and can degrade the unit itself. Regular maintenance can prevent degradation as well. Consistent filter changing or cleaning is necessary for a well-running heat pump. Seasonal cleaning of coils and fans go a long way in preventing poor energy efficiency that can end up costing you more money. The energy difference between a well-maintained system and a neglected one can be anywhere from 10 to 25 percent.

To determine the appropriate type of heat pump for you, which can be contingent upon the geography and climate around your Portland, OR or surrounding-area home or office space, or to discuss any of these topics, call us today at 503-233-1779 or request service online for an evaluation.

“I was wanting to bring a new system online that had sat unused for several years and called the Company that installed it only to find they had been sold and the new owners had no records related to my install. In fact the person who answered the phone didn't even know a furnace could run on propane! I took a chance with a local company I had driven by in town and ended up speaking with Allison who was confident in her answers and assured me she had the perfect tech for me. Jason showed up several times as I coordinated this project through the permit process and propane hookup. He is a friendly, positive and patient person who went above and beyond to troubleshoot my situation and saves me literally thousands of dollars! I cannot recommend this company highly enough and am proud to know that there is a local company hiring good people to do good work.”
- Chris F.

“Walker, Kit, and Bruce were a pleasure to work with! Given the major “quirks” of this particular install, they were all super professional in the way they handled the situations. They explained the various steps they were taking and instilled me with confidence in the work they were performing. If I ever need another system installed (which shouldn’t be for a few years), they would be the guys I wanted on site! JR V.”

- JR V.

“Aaron has performed every maintenance service for me since March, 2017, and I have the utmost confidence in his work. He is always thorough and prompt, and he does an excellent job of answering my questions and explaining the performance of my heat pump system to me. He is the best possible service person and a credit to his company.”

- Yvonne C.

“Zach worked very diligently to assist us with our heat pump issue. He made every effort in order to locate the problem and spent a long day of hard work. I’m taking a few minutes to let everybody know how much I really appreciate businesses like Ben’s and equally appreciate workers like Zach. Our house uses 3 heat pumps so we rely on Ben’s and with service 7 days a week- they have never let me down! 100%”

- James C.

Need Heat Pump Service?

Contact the experts at Ben's Heating & Air Conditioning.

Call us at 503-233-1779!