When you’re shopping for new heating and air conditioning equipment, you may want to give a second thought to a heat pump. Heat pumps use electricity to heat a home, but they do not use nearly as much energy as conventional electric furnaces. Plus, a heat pump is primarily an air conditioner, so you get an all-in-one system that requires less maintenance and works more efficiently.

Want to know more? Our heating and AC technicians are here to answer all of your questions and make sure you end up with the right home comfort equipment for your home. For more information, contact our friendly technicians, and read on for a brief overview of the heat pump system.

A heat pump uses your central duct system to move heated or cooled air out to the various rooms of the home. It also has an outdoor compressor unit, just like a conventional whole-house air conditioning system. The indoor unit is joined to it by the refrigerant line.

Refrigerant is a chemical blend capable of moving heat from one place to another. When in cooling mode, refrigerant absorbs heat from the inside of the home and moves it outside. That’s how the cooling process is started.

A reversing valve works along with some other parts to give a heat pump the ability to switch into heating mode. The refrigerant can work in reverse and also absorb heat from the outdoors and move it inside for whole-home heating.

What makes a heat pump so efficient is that the process of moving heat from one place to another uses so much less energy than the process of generating heat (like furnaces and boilers do). When you examine other electric heaters, like portable units and electric furnaces, there is no comparison in the amount they are able to save each month.

Sometimes, a gas heating system is a better option. Efficiency does suffer as temperatures drop, and the cost of gas heating is typically lower than the cost of electricity. Ask a technician to help you decide what the best choice is for your home.

Is it time to replace your old dryer? Great news: The federal Energy Star program has started certifying clothes dryers, making it easy to pick out the most cost-effective and efficient models. Read on to find out what the change means and how to pick out the best model for your home.

Moisture and Heat Settings

The upside is clear: “ENERGY STAR certified dryers use 20 percent less energy than conventional models without sacrificing features or performance,” the program promises. So what took so long for dryers to get the federal efficiency stamp of approval?

“With dryers there are fewer major variables to manipulate — mostly it’s drying time and the amount of heat provided,” said Emilio Gonzalez, a Consumer Reports test engineer, so it was harder to find adjustments to meet the standard.

How did manufacturers finally find the extra energy savings?

The savings are not trivial. Energy Star claims that if every household in America switched over, consumers would save a total of $1.5 billion annually in utilities. The reduction in pollution would be the same as taking 2 million cars off the road.

Upgrade the Laundry Room

The first certified models are already available -- find a list of them on the Energy Star directory, which allows you to compare size, fuel type, energy use and other factors.

If you have a gas hookup in your laundry room, consider purchasing a gas-powered dryer. These models have a higher price tag but are more efficient across the board than their electric cousins. No matter what kind of dryer you buy, make sure you adhere to the following tips so you get the most for your money:

Outdoor lighting provides homeowners with the ability to make their property safe and easier to walk around at night. Not only will you feel more comfortable knowing what’s in your front yard, but you will also add visual appeal to your home too. If you want to improve outdoor safety through lighting, and at the same time add a little character to the outside of your home, then follow along to understand the potential upgrades you can make for outdoor lighting options.

There are many electrical hazards in industrial plants including arc blasts, shock and arc flash. These can result in serious injuries. Accidents involving electricity may sometimes be fatal. Industrial plant environments create potential for these events to occur not only to plant owners, but also to maintenance staff.

Electricians often assume that these hazards do not apply to them. These beliefs often persist until a major incident occurs that results in both financial and personal repercussions, that result in a change in policy within the plant.

Implementing policies that encourage a culture of electrical safety doesn’t have to be reactive. Taking steps to minimize the risks associated with electrical hazards will create a safe working environment for everyone, and not just the maintenance team.

One of the most important aspects of enhancing safety is establishing a routine for the maintenance of electrical equipment in the facility. This is not only vital for optimizing the performance of the equipment, but also ensuring reliability, safety and preventing unnecessary downtime.

Simply put, these are electrical protection gadgets that can be used with a wide range of voltages. MCCBs, as they are commonly known, have adjustable trip settings and can hold as much as 2,500 amps in current ratings. They are also used with frequencies that are 50 and 60 Hz and have the following 3 functions: