There was a time when the only way to heat the house during the winter months was with a traditional wood stove or a fireplace. However, those times are long gone. There were a lot of issues that came with traditional house warming techniques, including the smoke, the odors, and the dangers of having an open flame.
These days the best way to heat a house for the winter is with a heat pump. They are more efficient, can warm up even the most complicated house designs, and best of all can be left unattended unlike an open flame heat source.
If you had to choose between the already tried-and-proven single-stage heat pump or the new 2-stage heat pump, what should you go for?
Two-Stage Heat Pump vs. Single-Stage Heat Pump
How does each one work?
The two heat pump systems are actually very similar. However, the main difference between the two is the type of compressor they use.
In a single-stage heat pump, after the compressor is turned on it runs at full load capacity. After the optimum temperature has been reached, the compressor turns off. This heat pump only has one
temperature setting.
In a 2-stage heat pump, the compressor can operate at part load or full load capacity, depending on how cold it is outside.
This heat pump has a variable setting. When it comes the time for cooling, the 2-stage heat pump compressor turns on, but after stage two of the thermostat has been reached the compressor
continues to run at the lower level stage one.
The single-stage heat pump was top-of-the-line when it first came out, but now more and more people are using 2-stage heat pumps
Advantages of a 2-stage Heat Pump
Even Room Temperature – We already mentioned that in a single-stage heat pump the compressor turns off after it reaches the right temperature. This results in noticeable changes in room temperatures before the temperature stabilizes.
On the other hand, with the 2-stage pump tenants can enjoy a more even room temperature.
Variable Heat – A single-stage heat pump only operates at one setting, therefore it will always settle at
the same temperature, no matter how cold it is outside. So you might end up turning it on then turning
it off again because the house has become too warm for the coldness outside.
With the 2-stage heat pump, you can adjust for mild to severe cold.
Single-stage heat pumps are also known to produce a blast of air at startup, but the 2-stage heat pump slowly ramps up to the right temperature.
Quieter Performance – The startup of a single-stage heat pump is usually accompanied by operating sounds and loud noises. On the other hand, 2-stage heat pumps run at low stage most of the time, resulting in greatly reduced operating and performance sounds.
More Savings – Compared to a conventional single-stage heat pump, a 2-stage heat pump uses about two-thirds less electricity. This is because during the cooldown stage less power is being used. Imagine how much money you can save in the long run!
Call us at HeatSource Mechanical today for an evaluation of what meets your heating needs.
