How mini split heat pumps work in a LEED or Passive House high efficiency zero net energy home - video

When looking for a heat pump for a home, we would recommend checking the specs page on whatever heat pump brand you are looking into, but first make a short list by eliminating any that don’t carry an ENERGY STAR certification. WE have used a couple of different brands, here is our heat pump installation video that may help you choose –

How heat pumps work in LEED or Passive House high-efficiency zero net energy homes - video

In our 2015 demo house build  (the LEED V4  Platinum Edelweiss House) we used the Mitsubishi Mr. Slim Mini-split heat pump as seen in the video on that link above, and we were really happy with it. That one is not ducted, and it has an infrared sensor that tracks occupants to provide additional heating and cooling comfort by directing itself towards you when you are in the room.  

Our most recent build is a LEED Platinum prefab kit home with a solar air heated floor to provide most of the heat, and we included a ductless heat pump on the second floor.  We used the CS11M model from Direct Air. Both of those manufacturers have 24k BTU models, so you really can’t go wrong with either. Heat pumps are the most efficient heating system, and performance is improving all the time. If you find another manufacturer or model you like better, please let us know about it! 

Heat Pump Water Heaters take in warm air from your home to generate hot water. Whether you power them with electricity of gas, how efficient they are really depends on how you heat your home. Where is your home located? Are you switching your heat to electric as well? And how clean is the electricity in the grid where you are?  Heat pumps are a very efficient way to generate heat and can save money, but there are subtleties that will determine if its really a wise investment for you that will offer a reasonable return on investment time period.  Read more here about the hybrid heat pump water heater we installed to help achieve LEED V4 Platimum in a demonstration home – 

Air to air heat pump and heat pump water heater working in tandem

As for tankless heaters, they can sometimes be beneficial but they have draw backs, you can read about the pros and cons here –  

Are tankless on-demand water heaters a good idea?

Once you get through those articles you should have a better idea of how much sense they make, we can help you further from there, and also check out our buying guide to find the best heat pumps here .