What Does A Heat Pump Do?
When deciding on a heat and AC system, most homeowners stick to the traditional heating and cooling split system. This consists of your traditional air conditioner unit and heater connected through ductwork. However, if your system is working less efficiently than before and you’re considering replacing it entirely, then you have a few options.
One of those includes heat pumps – a modern, energy-saving alternative to standard air conditioners and heaters. Below, Absolute Comfort Air explains what a heat pump is, how they work and why many people are installing them today.
What is a Heat Pump?
HVAC systems use two different types of technology: central air conditioning or heat pumps. Traditional (or central) ac systems use an air conditioner to cool and a heater to heat your home. On the other hand, heat pumps use advanced technology to perform both jobs in one unit. Therefore, heat pumps offer an alternative to the traditional ac system you see in most homes.
How Does a Heat Pump Work?
Heat pumps work almost the same way as refrigerators: they use electricity to transfer heat from one location to another. A refrigerator absorbs heat from the freezer or evaporator and discards this heat outside the refrigerator. Similarly, a heat pump absorbs heat from inside your home and sends it outside during hotter months, and absorbs heat from outside and sends it inside during cooler months.
Traditional ac systems cool homes in the exact same way as a heat pump – by removing heat from indoors and transferring that heat outdoors to your condenser unit. Where heat pumps and air conditioners differ, however, is in how they heat your home.
Central AC requires a heater to perform this job. This is a separate unit of its own that generates heat through combustion. But, as suggested, heat pumps can perform both tasks in one unit through heat transfer.
Advantages of a Heat Pump
Because a heat pump performs both heating and cooling functions in one unit, they require less energy than traditional heating and cooling systems. In fact, according to the Department of Energy, many homeowners can save $1,000 per year by switching to a heat pump.
And while heat pumps are more expensive to install upfront, they recover these costs in the long run. Not only can they drastically reduce your monthly energy bill, but their preventative maintenance costs are also much lower than other types of heating and cooling systems on average.
Disadvantages of a Heat Pump
While heat pumps are a great, energy-saving alternative for HVAC systems, they’re not for everyone. For example, if you live in an area with particularly harsh winters, then a heat pump won’t be enough to warm your home entirely. If the outdoors are extremely cold, a heat pump will require more energy to maintain warm temperatures inside your home.
As a solution, most heat pump systems also have an auxiliary electric heater added to the indoor unit to supply extra heat when outdoor temperatures drop below freezing. However, if electric auxiliary heating is still not enough to keep your home warm, you can also add a furnace to your heat pump. This creates a system that relies on the heat pump as the primary heat source but automatically switches to the furnace when necessary.
Choose Absolute Comfort Air!
Are you interested in making a switch to heat pumps for your HVAC system? Or do you have a question regarding heat pumps in general? Absolute Comfort Air is ready to help! Along with being certified as an Accredited Business with Better Business Bureau with an A-plus rating, Absolute also holds several other industry licenses, such as the Factory Certified Heat Pump Dealer certification. Whether it’s heat pumps installation, replacement or preventative maintenance, Absolute can assist with all your heat pump questions or concerns.
