As temperatures and energy bills spike this summer, it might be time to consider installing a heat pump. Despite its name, a heat pump cools your home as well as warming it in winter, but the device is far more efficient than a conventional air conditioner and fossil fuel furnace.
People are also reading… "We do see in places like California that because of wildfires, folks want to have AC because they want to shut their windows," says Lacey Tan, manager of the carbon-free buildings program at the nonprofit Rocky Mountain Institute. Equipment and installation costs typically run from $4,000 to $12,000 for an air-source heat pump, depending on the size of the pump, the brand, and whether you use a ductless system. The price of a conventional air conditioning system ranges from $3,800 to $7,500 while a gas furnace costs $2,000 to $6,000. In other words, installing a heat pump to cool and heat your home costs roughly the same as buying a separate air conditioner and furnace.
Some states offer incentives for air-source heat pumps, such as rebates up to $4,800 in California, $1,200 in Maine and 0% financing and other rebates in Massachusetts. Try to keep it organized and easily accessible; it’s very easy for a tool box to dissolve into chaos if you don’t keep things in proper order. You’ll thank yourself later on when you need to find a particular screwdriver for a task.
The standard 12-volt cordless drill you can find at many big-box stores should provide more than enough juice for most home purposes.