Fact: ALL HEAT PUMPS REQUIRE SOME FORM OF BACK UP HEATING.
If a Designer, Installer, or Supplier were to size a heating system for 100% of the Worst Design Day of the year, the equipment would be about twice as large as it should be, the hardware cost would be near double, and the operating costs will be high. In order to be large enough heating capacity for the Worst Day, it is over-sized for the other 364 days, resulting in expense, waste, and shortened life span from short cycling.
Allow me to repeat the lesson: ALL HEAT PUMPS REQUIRE SOME FORM OF BACK UP HEATING.
For 2016-17 SP3.x models come with 6,000 watt electric elements to boost recovery.
- 6 kW booster is about 100% for models with nominal heating capacities up to 7 kW.
- Models above 7 kW are required to have full capacity alternate heating sources
- A 10-14 kW SunPump needs 10-14 kW of backup heating in total
- Alternate sources can be Electric, Natural Gas, Propane, Wood, Pellets, or other fuels.
- Retrofit homes often use the old heating system as back up, only used during bad weather or service outages.
If you are planning on taking a chance that bad weather or interruptions will not occur in your home,
please do not call us with an emergency.
