Heat pumps are gaining popularity as they are extremely energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. Central heating pumps pump hot water from your boiler into your taps or shower heads, while central air conditioning is required separately. On the other hand, the heat pump is highly efficient as it heats and cools the space and eliminates the need for separate AC and furnaces. But have you ever wondered how many watts does a heat pump use? Let us explore this factor in detail.
The most popular heat pump in common households in the US market is a 3-ton cold climate heat pump. How many watts does a 3-ton heat pump use? It uses about 830 W to 6.9 kW of power. The exact calculation depends on several factors, including weather, heat isolation, etc.
Key Takeaways About Powering A Heat Pump
- An air-source heat pump absorbs heat from the environment, even in below-freezing temperatures, and transfers that heat to the inside of your home. It keeps the house warm and comfortable.
- Air source heat pumps (ASHP’s) are generally 200-400% efficient. It gives 2-4kWh of heat output for every 1kWh of input electricity.
- The factors affecting heat pump performance are heat pump design, insulation and building design, installation quality, and regular maintenance and servicing.
How Many Watts Does A Heat Pump Use?
We need some background knowledge before discussing how many watts a heat pump uses. Understanding different terminologies and jargon is important to grasp the concepts fully.
Definition Of Amps, Volts, Watts, Running Watts, Rated Watts, Watt-Hours.
- Watt: A watt measures the amount of energy consumed by the appliance. Wattage is the product of voltage and amp. Wattage = volts x amp.
- Volt: A volt is a unit of voltage, i.e., the potential energy between two circuit points.
- Amp: An amp is the unit of electrical current, i.e., the rate at which electricity flows in a circuit.
- Running Watts or Rates Watts is the energy your appliance needs continuously throughout the operation.
- Watt-Hours shows the capacity of power (watts) moving over time. For example, it shows how many watts a heat pump usesin one hour.
How Many Watts Does A Heat Pump Use?
How many watts a heat pump uses depends on several key factors, including;
- Weather conditions—if it's cold outside, the heat pump has to work harder to extract heat from the air, which increases electricity usage.
- Home insulation—Well-insulated buildings ensure there is no or minimal heat leakage and require less heat to stay warm. This factor reduces the heat pump's wattage requirement.
- Thermostat settings – the more thermostats there are, the more electricity is used.
- Heat pump size—Proper sizing of the heat pump according to the space it is required to warm is important. If it is oversized, it will toggle on and off more, thus increasingthe number of watts a heat pump uses.
- Age of system – Older and less maintained heat pumps use more power than new ones.
How many watts a heat pump uses can be calculated using a simple formula, i.e.
Cooling wattage = BTU / SEER [SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio]
Heating wattage = BTU / HSPF [HSPF stands for Heating Seasonal Performance Factor]
Three factors determine the heat pump's electricity consumption:
- The heat pump’s size or capacity.
- The heat pump's SEER rating shows its energy efficiency. The higher the SEER rating, the less electricity the heat pump uses.
- The type of heat pump. A geothermal heat pump is more efficient than air source heat pumps.
The following table summarizes the wattage of typical heat pumps according to SEER ratings in cooling mode.
|
Heat Pump Size |
Wattage (14 SEER) |
Wattage (16 SEER) |
Wattage (18 SEER) |
Wattage (20 SEER) |
Wattage (22 SEER) |
|
1 ton (12,000 BTU) |
857 W |
750 W |
667 W |
600 W |
545 W |
|
2 tons (24,000 BTU) |
1,714 W |
1,500 W |
1,333 W |
1,200 W |
1,091 W |
|
3 tons (36,000 BTU) |
2,571 W |
2,250 W |
2,000 W |
2,000 W |
1,636 W |
|
4 tons (48,000 BTU |
3,429 W |
3,000 W |
2,667 W |
2,600 W |
2,182 W |
|
5 tons (60,000 BTU) |
4,286 W |
3,750 W |
3,333 W |
3,200 W |
2,727 W |
The next table shows how many watts a heat pump uses depending on its size in heating mode.
|
Heat Pump Size |
Wattage (8 HSPF) |
Wattage (9 HSPF) |
Wattage (10 HSPF) |
Wattage (11 HSPF) |
Wattage (12 HSPF) |
|
1 ton (12,000 BTU) |
1,500 W |
1,333 W |
1,200 W |
1,091 W |
1,000 W |
|
2 tons (24,000 BTU) |
3,000 W |
2,667 W |
2,400 W |
2,182 W |
2,000 W |
|
3 tons (36,000 BTU) |
4,500 W |
4,000 W |
3,600 W |
3,273 W |
3,000 W |
|
4 tons (48,000 BTU |
6,000 W |
5,333 W |
4,800 W |
4,364 W |
4,000 W |
|
5 tons (60,000 BTU) |
7,500 W |
6,667 W |
6,000 W |
5,455 W |
5,000 W |
How Long Can Jackery Run A Heat Pump?
Heat pumps are becoming popular because they save energy and are environmentally friendly. An average heat pump uses between 545 watts and 7,500 watts of electricity. Though this power consumption is less than conventional heating systems, it still contributes a big chunk to your monthly electricity cost. Using alternative sources to power your heat pump is more cost-effective. Solar power generators work on sun energy, so there is no fuel cost, and it is very economical in the long run.
The Jackery solar power generators are available in a wide range according to capacity and size. We recommend the Jackery solar generator 2000 plus and 3000 pro for powering the heat pump. These generators are weather resistant, ensure fluctuation-free power flow, and have library-level noise, so you can easily use them indoors without any safety issues.
Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus
The Solar Generator 2000 Plus starts with a basic 2kWh capacity that can be expanded up to 24kWh by adding a battery pack and solar panels. The capacity is enough for home backup, camping, and off-grid living. With its multiple output ports, it can power up to 18 devices simultaneously, including AC, DC, and USB connections.
The solar generator 2000 plus has enough capacity to support even large home appliances, including a heat pump, portable air conditioner, air fryer, electric oven, and kettle. The expanded 24 kWh setup supports two weeks of home backup.
The following table summarizes the working hours of different devices on fully charged Jackery 2000 Plus.
|
Appliances |
Working Time |
|
Portable Air Conditioner(1150W) |
1.9 H |
|
Microwave(1050W) |
1.5 H |
|
Kettle (850W) |
1.9 H |
|
Coffee Maker (550W) |
2.8 H |
|
Drone (90W) |
45 Times |
|
Electric Oven (800W) |
2.1 H |
Jackery Solar Generator 3000 Pro
Jackery Solar Generator 3000 Pro has a large capacity of 3024Wh and a massive 3000W power output. Its industry-leading BMS (Battery Management System) provides 12 layers of protection against short circuits and overvoltage. It is great for indoor use as its noise level is only 30- 55dB noise rating, which is like library-level noise. Also, there are no gas emissions or heat dissipation.
How long can the Jackery solar generator 3000 Pro power the heat pump? Once you know how many watts the heat pump uses, you can calculate this. Then, using the following formula, calculate the working hours.
Working time = Capacity of the generator 0.85 / running watts of heat pump
Working time of an 800 watts heat pump on 3000 Pro = 3024 * 0.85 / 800 = 3.2 Hours
The following table summarizes the working time of different Jackery solar generator 3000 Pro appliances.
|
Appliance |
Working Time |
|
Refrigerator(520W) |
5 H |
|
TV(60W) |
35 H |
|
Light(5W) |
220 H |
|
Heater(1800W) |
2.2 H |
|
Microwave(960W) |
2.2 H |
|
Electric grill(850W) |
2.4 H |
Conclusion
How many watts does a heat pump use? This is an important question as it determines the electricity usage and its cost. Once you determine the required size of the heat pump, you can decide how you plan to power it. Apart from the grid power, you can choose an alternative power source, such as solar power, to heat your space economically.
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