Contractor Installs Heat Pumps, Instills Hope

摘要

The community of Hope Crossing, about 250 blue collar homes, is 10 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. It is a Habitat for Human-ity development that contractor Chris Ellis, 30-year-old presi-dent of Oklahoma City-based Comfortworks Inc., has spent considerable time and resources in an effort to help incoming residents control utility costs. Habitat for Humanity strives to provide affordable housing, but regulating utility costs in the homes isn't a controllable option. Oklahoma City is con-sidered a mixed-humid climate requiring significant amounts of both heating and cooling, and combating substantial humidity levels throughout the year. Air conditioning is a must in all new homes, which makes air-based distribution systems the norm. Most new homes use either a central forced-air gas furnace coupled with a split-system air conditioner, or a split-system central air-source heat pump and supplemental resistance heat.