A Virginia Beach tenant called me today with a common concern for people who have heat pumps, so I thought I would share the answer. The tenant stated, "I think something is wrong with my heat pump since the air feels cool to the touch when the heat is on."

If your house has a heat pump and the heat normally feels luke warm or even cold, it is because of the way a heat pump works by extracting heat from the cold air outside. Gas and oil heat will always feel warmer to the touch, since it is actually burning fuel to create heat.

There is an easy way to improve how the temperature feels inside a house with a heat pump and that is by using a whole house humidifier during the colder months. The extra moisture in the air will make it feel warmer. Since the heat is also dry, the added moisture in the air will also eliminate most static electricity too.

I have a whole house humidifier in my own home and love it, especially on cold nights it will make a big difference. I just don’t recommend using it over 55 degrees or so, because it makes it feel too warm and humid for me. If you have a 2-story home, the best place to keep it is near staircase, since the humidity will also travel upstairs too.

Jorge Gonzalez

Virginia Beach Property Management