A lot of homeowners think that heat pumps are no match for the cold winter nights we experience in Indianapolis and across Central Indiana. But that simply isn’t true.
Not only are heat pumps able to stand up to Indiana winters, but heat pumps are also an extremely cost-effective and energy-efficient HVAC solution. If you’re interested in changing your heating system to an energy-efficient heat pump, give the heating and cooling experts at Chapman a call today at 317-953-4897. We are proud to offer professional heat pump maintenance, repair, and installation services in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas that will improve the overall comfort of your home.
Why is a Heat Pump Ideal for Central Indiana
There are several reasons why heat pump systems are great for Indianapolis area homes. If any of the following benefits could positively impact your home, consider heat pump installations services:
Low electrical rates
Marion County has one of the lowest electric rates in the country, according to Chapman owner Jeff Chapman. Instead of using fossil fuels to heat homes, heat pumps use electricity to move heat from the outdoors and into your Indianapolis home, according to EnergyStar.gov.
Because heat pumps use electricity and the rates are low here, you’ll see significant energy savings from operating a heat pump. According to Chapman, if you put a pennies worth of electricity into an electric baseboard or portable heater, you’ll get a pennies worth of heat. But if you use a pennies worth of electricity to run a compressor and heat pump, you may get 3.5 to 4 cents worth back.
Significant cost savings
Speaking of savings, you may save up to 50 percent on your electrical costs with the installation of a heat pump compared to electric resistance heating systems, including baseboard heaters and furnaces. Although you’ll spend more on electrical costs compared to a gas furnace, you’ll save overall on your energy bills by not using fossil fuels.
Ideal weather conditions
Yes, Central Indiana can be cold and snowy in the winter, but not as extreme as our northern neighbors. The average higher temperature during the winter months is in the mid-to-high-30s. Heat pumps operate most efficiently above 40 degrees but are still the most efficient heating source down to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
When temperatures dip to 25 to 30 degrees or lower, it could be a problem. When this happens, you’ll need the assistance of a secondary heating source to go along with your heat pump. Two popular options include electric heat strips or gas furnaces. However, for the majority of winter, you’ll be just fine running your cost-effective heat pump.
Provide heating and air conditioning
Unlike traditional HVAC systems, heat pumps also provide air conditioning in the spring and summer thanks to a built-in reversing valve that reverses the flow of refrigerant in the system. Depending on the season, your heat pump can either produce heating or cooling, whenever you need it most.
Quiet operation
Many heating and cooling systems are extremely loud. High-quality heat pumps, though, operate both quietly and efficiently. With the installation of a heat pump, you’ll be able to heat or cool your Indianapolis home more quietly than ever.
Safer than gas
Gas furnaces offer many advantages to homeowners, but they do come with an inherent safety concern, as there’s always the possibility of a gas leak. Because heat pumps use electricity to run, you won’t have to worry about a gas leak, which makes them a safer option. Contact us today to get heat pump services that your Indianapolis home can depend on.
Financing Options from Chapman
We understand that purchasing new HVAC equipment, like a heat pump, is a significant investment for your Indianapolis home. That’s why we partnered with Wells Fargo to offer 72 months of special financing on a new Bryant system with approved credit. With a Wells Fargo card, you can buy now and pay over time. Call our HVAC experts today to get more information.
Contact Chapman for Heat Pump Service in Indiana
If you’re interested in learning more about the advantages of having a new heat pump installed in your Marion County or Central Indiana home, including increased energy-efficiency and quiet operation, call the professional HVAC experts at Chapman today. If your current heating system breaks down at the worst possible time, the experts at Chapman will be there for you. We offer 24/7 emergency services to ensure that if you ever need heat pump replacement, repair, or maintenance services after normal business hours, you’ll be covered.
Our professional heat pump technicians can help by performing high-quality heat pump maintenance, repair, and installation services to improve the overall comfort of your Indianapolis home. Call or contact us online today to schedule an appointment for heat pump services.
Radiant floor heating is an effective, heat-distribution system that uses the floor to heat your home. Sounds crazy, right? The concept might be strange, but it is actually a great way to heat your home instead of using a standard ventilation system. With radiant floor heating systems, you don’t have to worry about trying to heat a large room with just one vent anymore.
In our most recent blog, the heating and cooling experts at Chapman discuss the basics of radiant floor heating. If you’re interested in learning more about this energy-efficient heating alternative, contact us today.
How Does Radiant Floor Heating Work?
Radiant floor heating provides warmth for your home from underneath the floors. But how is it possible to have a heating system underneath your floor? Electric and hydronic floor heating are the two most common types of radiant floor heating systems.
Electric
Electric radiant floor heating systems use electric wiring to produce heat. If you want to heat a smaller space, you will want to consider electric radiant floor heating. Electric radiant floor systems are more cost-effective to install, but more expensive to operate.
Hydronic
Hydronic radiant floor heating systems make use of hot water tubes to produce heat. Hydronic floor heating systems are more cost-effective to operate and are ideal for much bigger houses or larger floor areas. These hydronic floor heating systems are more expensive to install because they are very sophisticated and require heated water from a water heater. Though they are more expensive to install upfront, you’ll notice increased savings in bigger properties with a hydronic heating system.
To install heated floors in your home or business, get in touch with the professionals at Chapman today.
Why Should You Choose Radiant Floor Heating?
Increased Comfort
Whether you choose electric or hydronic radiant floor heating systems, your space is going to be comfortable. A conventional forced-air system causes radiant heat to rise to the ceiling, and then it comes back down as cool air. Radiant heating systems use heat that comes from the ground to provide the entire room with comfortable heat. A radiant floor heating system will allow you to have gorgeous tile, marble or slate floors without having to worry about cold feet. You get the best of both worlds; beautiful flooring and comfort.
Even Heating
Radiant heating distributes warm air evenly across your home so you never need to worry about cold spots or uneven temperatures from room to room. Traditional forced-air heating systems, meanwhile, use vents to distribute heat, which causes areas around the vents to feel warmer than other areas in the room.
No Ductwork
Radiant heating doesn’t require ductwork to heat your home, which is one less thing you’ll have to maintain during the year.
Energy Efficient
You’ll potentially save hundreds of dollars per year on your energy bills with a radiant heating system. With traditional, forced-air heating systems, heat rises to the ceiling before dissipating. Radiant heat provides radiant heat from the ground up to prevent heat loss and to keep those bare feet warm even on the coldest days of winter! Radiant heating is up to 25% more efficient than traditional forced-air systems, allowing you to use less energy.
Improved Indoor Air Quality
Do any of your family members suffer from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory illnesses? If so, you should consider a radiant floor heating system. Because radiant heating doesn’t use blowers or fans, no allergens are circulated in the home’s air supply, such as dust mites and pet dander. Improve your family’s health with the installation of a radiant heating system.
No Noise
Traditional furnaces make noise when they start or stop a heating cycle, and older heaters can be loud throughout their cycle. With the installation of a radiant heating system, you’ll hear virtually no noise as the system heats your home from under your very toes.
Contact Chapman for Question about Radiant Floor Heating
The installation of radiant heating systems creates a comfortable space while saving on your energy bill. It’s also great for warehouses, factories and commercial buildings. For more information about radiant floor heating, visit our website to schedule an appointment, or give us a call at 317-207-9378 today.
DIY. A great concept for trying your hand at building a coffee table or turning an ordinary jar into a colorful centerpiece for the living room. But there are a few things that really require the technical know-how of a trained professional. When something goes wrong in the home, it’s tempting to try doing it yourself. Unfortunately, this approach often leads to costly damages and dangerous situations when dealing with HVAC units.
High Voltage Electricity
What you don’t know will hurt you. These units are highly technical and utilize a large amount of voltage electricity. It’s best to stay away from these levels of electricity without knowing what can hurt you or even kill you. Doing it yourself is not worth the risk of potentially deadly consequences.
Chemical and Refrigerants
Heating and cooling appliances utilize chemicals and refrigerants most of us are unfamiliar with. Handling these chemicals can be deadly if the proper precautions are not followed. Proper training and safety gear is essential to make sure no one is injured by or exposed to deadly chemicals used in these systems. Handling these chemicals also requires certification.
Tools of the Trade
You wouldn’t try to build a table without a hammer and a saw. The same is true for HVAC repair. Specialized, professional tools are used to correctly identify and repair problems. Without these tools you run the risk of creating even more damage to the unit. Professional technicians don’t just come with experience, training and knowledge, they come prepared with tools specifically made for fixing problems.
Small Fix to a Bigger Issue
What might seem like a small issue to you could really be a symptom of a much larger issue. Even more challenging is diagnosing the real problem with the symptoms masked. If there is an issue with your unit, have a technician take a look to ensure that you aren’t just patching an issue that will eventually become a costly, dangerous and inconvenient problem down the road.
Irreparable Damage
Small problems can quickly become big problems. The most dangerous decision is trying to fix something you don’t know how to fix. One wrong decision and your left with more damage than you started with. The more you attempt to repair, the higher the risk of damaging a unit beyond repair.
Appropriate Size For Your Home
Without the knowledge of a trained technician, it’s difficult to know what your home really needs in terms of size and capacity of your HVAC unit. Making these decisions alone leads to overspending on a unit ill-fitted for your home. When considering a new unit, do your research, but consult a certified technician to help you make the right choice for your space. In the end, a brief consultation at minimum will ensure you’re making the best choice for best efficiency and comfort for your needs.
The good news is that for the handy personality type, there are still plenty of things you can do to maintain and service your unit. General maintenance and cleaning are essential for an efficient and healthy system. The next time you want to do a little work on your system, take on one of these tasks.
General Cleaning , Clean and check your filters, change them when necessary and keep your unit running at tip-top shape. This can, and should, be done frequently to make sure the air in your home is clean and your unit isn’t working any harder than it needs to. Clear out leaves and branches and maintain clear space around the unit.
Battery Check , If you don’t already have a carbon monoxide detector, go get one. Today. If you do, go check the batteries when you get home. A detector with bad batteries is just as useless as not having one at all. Check that your detector is in good working order monthly to make sure your home and family are safe from poisonous gas.
By hiring a professional for the big stuff and doing regular maintenance checks of what you can handle, you’ll have a safe and efficient HVAC unit.
Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing, your source for qualified hvac repair and installation
Most people are familiar with what ductwork looks like in a typical ceiling, wall or floor. Those ducts are there to move warm and cool air throughout a home. But what do you do if you don’t have ducts?
While most homes built in the last sixty five years certainly do, that is not the case in older homes. Those wonderful pre-war homes and apartments have great windows, beautiful floors, interesting wood woodwork, and heating and cooling challenges.
For these homes and buildings ductless, mini-split-system heat pumps are a great way to bring modern heating and cooling to these classic structures without tearing up and completely rebuilding walls.
They are also a good choice when you are adding on to an existing structure like a sun room, where extending the distribution ductwork from the rest of the hose is not practice
How do they work?
In many ways the ductless unit, also called a mini split works like a traditional air-source heat pumps. There are two main pieces: the outdoor compressor complete with a condensing coil and an indoor air-handling unit. Instead of being installed in a closet or basement, the indoor unit is mounted on a wall. A conduit links the outdoor and indoor units recycling the refrigerant as needed.
The connection between the outdoor and indoor units usually only requires a three-inch hole through a wall for the conduit. The outdoor unit can actually be placed as far as 50 feet from the indoor unit. So even if you are using mini splits to condition rooms on the front side of a house you can tuck the condensing units away on the side or back of your home.
Attractive indoor units
The indoor units are designed to blend into your room. They are typically about seven inches deep with a sleek, high tech exterior. The units can be hung high on a wall, suspended from a ceiling or mounted flush into a drop ceiling. With a hand held remote control you can control the temperature in your room from the comfort of your couch.
The small units are designed to condition an individual room so you have an opportunity to create custom comfort zones. Some systems can have as many as four indoor air-handling, each one with its own thermostat. This allows you to control the temperature in each room. Southern facing rooms with lots of windows can get a little more cool air while rooms throughout the rest of the home do not.
And since each room has its own thermostat, you can actually turn off units in unoccupied rooms, saving energy and lowering your utility bills.
No ductwork means less energy loss
There is one more energy benefit owners of mini splits enjoy since there is no ductwork , no energy loss in the ducts. In a traditional forced air system, you often see as much as 30% of the energy consumption lost in unconditioned spaces as the ducts run through attics or crawl spaces. No ducts? No wasted energy.
Compared to traditional duct central air systems, ductless mini split air conditioners have a slight advantage in Seasonal Energy Efficient Ratings (SEER). On average, central air systems have a rating between 21-18, whereas ductless units range between 23-21.
New technology requires new skills
At Chapman Heating and Cooling, our technicians have been specially trained to correctly size, install and service these units. Call us today to see if a ductless heat pump is a good solution for your home.
Looking for ductless air conditioner or heat pumps contact Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing, today
If you have worked with us before, there is a good chance you have had the pleasure of talking to our Sales Representative, Kent Odom. Kent has been in the industry for 42 years and brings all of that experience and knowledge to each new customer and their specific needs. We sat down with Kent this month and got to know a little more about him. He also shared some insights on heat pumps and how they work to heat the home.
I’ve been in the industry for 42 years, doing everything from installing, management and service. I was looking for a new position and a friend told me about Jeff and he told Jeff about me, we were pretty much referred to each other and it’s been a great fit ever since.
Kent came to Chapman with years of experience and unmatched customer service skills, when asked what he likes most about working at Chapman he had this to say. Everyone promises things, but Chapman is different because we put it in writing. There’s a 99% chance we’re going to do everything right the first time, but there’s a 100% chance that if we don’t, we will be back to fix it and do everything we can to satisfy the customer.
Kent understands the needs of each customer and his strength is matching the right product to the customer. With the cold season in full force, we asked about heat pumps for heating the home and he had great advice for those looking to update their heating system.
The Evolution V Series heat pump is a good option for the home, mostly because of how efficient they are. I like to describe the difference between a regular heating system and the Evolution V heat pump like the difference between city and highway driving. Regular heating systems are stop and go. They start up and get up to speed/heat, just to slow down and stop in traffic.
Heat pumps work up to a temperature, much like driving on the highway, you gradually get up to speed. It steadily adjusts heat for your needs without completely stopping and starting. We all know highway driving is much more efficient than city driving, that’s basically how a heat pump works too.
When he isn’t working, Kent likes to spend time with his grandkids and spend time outdoors. We’re lucky to have Kent on our team taking care of customers. When it’s time to update your system, give us a call and let Kent help you find the perfect fit 317-291-4909.
Think you have what it takes to be a member of our team? Apply Today!
We sat down with Jeff Chapman and asked him to fill us in on whole home humidifiers. We wanted to know what the benefits of adding a humidifier to the home would be and what makes a whole home humidifier so special. Listen to the clip to learn more from Jeff.
Humidifiers are for more than keeping the house comfortable, they provide health benefits, structural benefits and added home comfort. Whole home humidifiers spread the benefits to every room of the house, not just one. When you’re ready to make your home even more comfortable and healthy, give us a call at 317-291-4909 to schedule your appointment.
Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing, your source for hvac contractors
It’s time to meet another one of our outstanding employees! This month we’re featuring Tom McKinney. He’s the Manager of the Scott Plumbing office and has some excellent advice for keeping your plumbing in tip-top shape this winter! Want to learn more about Tom? Keep reading.
Tom originally began his career at Chapman as a service technician. He then went on to become manager of our Scott Plumbing office and has been in the position for four years. Some of his responsibilities include; overseeing day-to-day activities in the plumbing department, assisting the dispatcher, scheduling calls, assisting plumbers on repairs, trouble shooting and quoting customers.
So what is an average day like for Tom? We’ll let him explain. Tom said, I’lI arrive at the office around 7 a.m. and I’ll go over the service calls for the day. I will also go over the equipment and materials needed for the calls that day. Then the rest of my day pretty much consists of assisting the plumbers, problem solving and helping out where I can. Also, a big part of my job is talking to customers and answering their questions. Customer service is very important to us so we will do whatever we can to make sure our customers are happy and the problem is solved.
But not every day goes smoothly. Sometimes the job can get stressful. Tom said, You know, most days go smoothly, they really do, but sometimes you just have those days where it’s hard to do everything in one day. You really have to juggle a lot of responsibilities and focus on a lot of different things, and sometimes that can be difficult when unexpected issues pop up, but you work around them.
Tom has worked with Chapman for six years and one thing has never changed. Tom said, The best part of my job and working with this company are the people I work with. Our team is just the best. We are like a family and we do great work. I consider myself really lucky to work for such a great company.
Since Tom is a professional, we thought we would have him pass along some important plumbing tips. Tom said, Frozen pipes are a huge issue during the winter. Make sure all outside vents are closed and if you have plumbing in the garage make sure the water lines are protected and keep the garage door closed as much as possible. Also, you can easily conserve water during the colder months and lower your utility bill by investing in a Rinnai tankless water heater.
So why should Indianapolis residents choose to work with Chapman Heating and Air Conditioning? Tom said, We are a locally owned and operated company that takes customer service very seriously. We have the right tools and resources to provide the best customer service possible. We offer our services at a fair price and our team is exceptional. To me, it’s a no brainer.
Interested in learning more about the employees that make up Chapman Heating and Air Conditioning and Scott Plumbing? Need to schedule a maintenance check up? Give us a call at 317-291-4909 or visit our website today!
Think you have what it takes to be a member of our team Apply Today!
One of the worst casualties of winter is frozen, cracked and leaky pipes. You try your hardest to prepare for the frigid weather by having your furnace tuned up and utilizing your whole home humidifier, but sometimes your plumbing doesn’t receive the right amount of attention it should. This winter, use some of these great tips to help keep your plumbing running smoothly all winter long.
We have mentioned some of these tips before, but we are mentioning them again because they are that important and easy to forget.
- Pay attention to the weather , This sounds a little obvious, right? But how many times have you neglected to check the weather and wake up to freezing temperatures, ice and snow without properly preparing for it? It’s probably happened more times than you’d like. Avoid being surprised by bad weather by checking the weather before you go to sleep. Whether you look at an app on your phone, a website on your computer or watch the local news, just make sure you’re aware of any bad weather headed your way.
- Leave the water running , We have mentioned this tip a few times, but it’s the easiest way to avoid frozen pipes in the winter. If you leave a steady trickle of water running in your kitchen sink and bathroom sinks you’ll be in excellent shape when the temperatures drop. This will reduce the pressure in your pipes, keeping them from freezing and cracking.
- Go the extra mile , Don’t forget to open up the cabinet doors under your sinks to allow heat from inside your home circulate around the pipes. It seems like a silly extra step, but it could make the difference between hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of damage or no damage at all. Also, be sure to use insulating faucet covers, rags or trash bags around your outdoor faucets. This is a step most people forget. Disconnect your hose and store it in your garage or basement until the weather warms up.
- Plan ahead , If you’re planning on taking a trip during the colder months you’ll want to tell your friends, family members or neighbors who are watching your house to be mindful of all of these tips. You don’t want to come home from a relaxing vacation to frozen, cracked or damaged pipes.
All of these tips will help you save money and give you peace of mind about your plumbing throughout the winter. These tasks are easy to complete and almost anyone in the family can help! Don’t let Mother Nature get the best of you or your home. Stay a step ahead by avoiding frozen pipes all winter long. If you have a plumbing emergency call us at 317-291-4909 or visit our website.
Give Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing, to provide plumbing services for your home today
You have already been introduced to a few employees at Chapman Heating and Air Conditioning, as well as Scott Plumbing. Now it’s time to introduce you to Shirley Stewart,
Chapman’s Office Manager. She juggles a lot of responsibilities and has to wear a lot of hats (not literally). Read on to learn why Shirley is such an important member of the Chapman team.
Stewart has worked for Chapman since September of 2008. However, she has worked in the heating and cooling industry for 18 years. You could say she is a bit of an expert in her field. Stewart said, I originally started out as a part-time dispatcher. Working part time allowed me to have some flexibility with my kid’s school schedules, but as they got older and didn’t need to rely on me as much, I started to work my way up to the position of office manager.
So what are some of the job responsibilities of an office manager for an HVAC company? Stewart said, I oversee all of the operations in the office and manage all of the customer service representatives. I juggle a lot of different responsibilities and no two days are the same, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Depending on the time of year, an average day for an office manager can be pretty hectic. Stewart said, Most days I come into the office and review the schedule for the day. I will also review customer calls from the night before. You really never know what the day is going to be like, and there’s certainly never a dull moment. It’s my job to keep everyone on schedule and on track so the office can run efficiently. Sometimes it can be difficult to be everything to everyone. I try my very best to give my time and attention to every customer and every employee.
Even though Stewart’s position can be stressful at times, she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Stewart said, We have a great team at Chapman. We’re like a family. I love my coworkers. They are the best people I have ever worked with. I love hearing everyone talk about their families and what’s going on in their lives. We really, truly care about our customers at Chapman. We have an excellent company culture. It’s just a really great group of people to come into work and see every day.
So what’s one heating and cooling tip Stewart wants all of Chapman’s customers to know this time of year? Stewart said, You need to make sure you have your furnace tuned up and inspected. Not only because it’s good for your unit, but also for safety purposes. Early fall is the perfect time to schedule a maintenance check up.
So why should Indianapolis residents choose to work with Chapman Heating and Air Conditioning? Stewart said, Jeff Chapman, the owner, cares so much about his customers. It is extremely important to him that every customer receives great service at a fair price. He doesn’t want to give his customers anything less than the best and I think that says a lot about him as a business owner and us as a company. We always put our customers first and making sure they are happy is our first priority.
Want to meet some of the other employees that make up Chapman Heating and Air Conditioning, as well as Scott Plumbing? Are you ready to schedule a maintenance check up for your furnace? Give us a call at 317-291-4909 or visit our website today!
Think you have what it takes to be a member of our team? Apply Today!
You are probably familiar with the phrase, get some fresh air. For example, you might tell your child to Turn off the video games and go outside and get some fresh air. Did you know the phrase applies to your home as well? A fresh air ventilation system helps bring fresh air into your home, but still keeps your home energy efficient.
Today’s homes are built tight to be energy efficient. This means they are more resistant to infiltration by outside air. However, the tightness that helps a home stay energy efficient is also restricting fresh air from getting inside your home. This means dust, allergens and debris are becoming trapped in your home. The lack of fresh air coming in means you are constantly breathing in the stale, allergen-filled air while hanging out inside your house.
So why can’t you just open a window? Well, unless you have unlimited funds to spend on your energy bill, you’re probably like the rest of us and want to reduce the cost of your energy bill each month. Opening a window brings fresh air in, but a fresh air ventilation system retains most of the energy used to heat or cool your home. A window can’t do that. Using a fresh air ventilation system is also much safer than keeping your windows open all day long.
There are a variety of different brands and models of fresh air ventilation systems to choose from. At Chapman Heating and Air Conditioning we offer two models by Honeywell. Both models are quiet and require very little maintenance. The first is the Y8150 Fresh Air Ventilation System. This system works with your existing heating and cooling system. You can simply, set it and forget it. The Y1850 system allows you to receive optimal ventilation without you having to worry about changing the settings.
The second system is called the Perfect Window Ventilation System. There are two types of Perfect Window systems; a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) and Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV). Either of these systems can be connected to your existing HVAC system. The Perfect Window system allows you to manually or automatically adjust the amount of fresh air flowing into your home.
Allowing fresh air to flow through your house without raising your energy bill can be achieved. Installing a fresh air ventilation system will retain the energy used to heat or cool your home, but it will also help eliminate allergens, dust and debris from building up in your home. Interested in learning more about fresh air ventilation systems? Give us a call at 317-291-4909 or visit our website!
Give Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing, to provide air filters for your home today