When considering the purchase of a home, the prudent buyer will weigh a variety of factors before arriving at a decision. Near the top of his checklist will be the projected monthly cost of heating and cooling the home. Therefore, he will ask about the R factor of the insulation, storm doors and windows, attic fans, and perhaps most importantly, the type of cooling and heating system in the home.
Without advocating or endorsing any particular type of heating system or fuel source, suffice it to say that many home buyers consider the heat pump to be the most efficient and economical means of heating and cooling today's homes. Consequently, home sellers and their agents are quick to point out to these would-be buyers that the home is serviced by a heat pump.
Unfortunately, mosr purchasers cannot by visual inspection or otherwise distinguish a heat pump from a conventional heating system. And perhaps even more disturbing is the fact that many real estate brokers and salesmen are unable to tell the difference. They merely accept the owner or builder's statements and blindly record the information on their listing and MLS sheets. As a result, the Real Estate Licensing Board has received numerous complaints from persons who purchased homes which were represented by the real estate agent as having a heat pump only to find out later that it did not.
Hence, the question: "How can you tell a heat pump from a furnace or other conventional heating/cooling system?" The answer: "Look at the thermostat!" And follow these helpful hints:
If the thermostat is round, it's probably not a heat pump.
If the thermostat has a switch for "STAND-BY HEAT", it's a good sign that it is a heat pump.
If the thermostat is labeled " HEAT PUMP", it is almost assuredly a heat pump.
And if you are still in doubt, take off the cover. If it has more th-an one mercury-filled bubble, chances are 99 out of 100 that it is a heat pump.
Go through these simple steps even if you are told by the seller that the home has a heat pumpEven he may not know for sure. You will surely be doing yourself and the buyer a favor.