Special to Spring Home Improvement

Spring is a great time for all types of home improvement. Besides raking the leaves that were still on the ground when we got our early snow, improvements on my list include thinning some cedars to make room for a relocated shed to be used as a primitive “outdoor kitchen”; reclaiming an area of the barn that will become a gardening shed; replacing four windows, and re-siding a small section of the house.

Ah, the pleasures of owning a 150-year-old farmhouse. I only hope I finish the last sections of siding before it’s time to go around the house and barn again.

Another project growing in popularity in our state is adding an air-sourced heat pump (ASHP) to the home. As they remember the heat and humidity that has been making their homes more uncomfortable over the past several years, Mainers in all types of homes and businesses will be installing one before spring turns to summer.

ASHPs will cool and dehumidify your home, improving indoor air quality and, of course, sleep on a hot summer night. Lower relative humidity in your home also means that your furniture and hardwood floors will be less likely to swell and buckle.

However, the benefits of air conditioning are not the usual motivator for the purchase and installation of an ASHP.

Usually, the lower cost of heating your home, and improved airflow, are the reasons. Improved airflow creates space much more comfortable than you may be used to – while saving money on the one thing that makes up the highest portion of your home’s operating cost.

(Efficiency Maine, at efficiency.com, has great calculators to help you determine your expected savings.)

Efficiency Maine offers rebates on qualifying systems, providing that they are installed by a company listed as a “registered vendor.”  A registered vendor can help with the most important considerations: sizing and application of your new heat pump.

No matter which brand of heat pump you choose, if it is installed and serviced properly, you should get years of reliable and efficient operation. Improper installion is sure to lead to premature failure and many hours of frustration.

When choosing an installation company, check that it is registered with Efficiency Maine, to be sure to get your rebate. You should also confirm that they regularly install heat pumps as part of their normal business offerings.

Too often, ASHPs are not installed properly, and sometimes the installer has no idea how to fix it. Be leery of anyone who has hopped on the heat pump bandwagon, so to speak.

Finally, use your heat pump properly. If you know that it is going to be 90 degrees, close the windows and turn on the air conditioning early in the day, so that the heat pump can manage the moisture and keep the space cool.

It’s also fine to turn it off and open the windows on one of Maine’s beautiful days.  In the winter, you will want to set it and forget it.

Heat pumps work best when they can just “cruise along” and maintain the room temperature, but be sure to turn down the thermometer on your main heating system so that you are not using them both at the same time.

The only thing you have to do is clean the filters a few times per year and have them professionally cleaned every two years or so – which is a lot easier than cleaning the gutters.

Keep cool this summer!

Scott Libby is the founder and owner of Royal River Heat Pumps (royalriverheatpumps.com) in Freeport.

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