Wonder How a Heat Pump Works and How It Can Benefit Your Home?

Discover the pluses of this energy-saving HVAC technology for your home and family.

Interested in a reliable alternative to conventional heating and cooling for your home? It might be time for you to think about heat pump technology for your indoor comfort needs. Energy efficient and suitable for use in a variety of climate conditions, many families are going forward with a heat pump as the workhorse of their HVAC system.

Different Types of Heat Pumps for Different Circumstances

Most heat pumps fall into three different categories. The air-source heat pump is probably the most widely used. It works reversibly, drawing on outside air as a heat source to warm your home, and when it’s hot, releasing inside air to cool your home in conjunction with an external heat exchanger, evaporator, compressor and expansion valve.  And by always functioning at a variable speed, heat pump systems establish far more uniform temperatures throughout your home than a conventional, single-stage system can do.

Another type of heat pump offered is a geothermal (ground source or water source) system. These utilize the outside ground or a nearby water source to heat and cool your home. Used more frequently in home environments with extreme weather conditions, nevertheless a geothermal system can save you up to 60% in energy costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Finally, you may want to look into the newest technology on the market, the absorption heat pump. This system utilizes heat as fuel for its energy, and can be powered by gas, or other local sources.

Energy Saving and Definitely Greener

While the heat pump system does rely upon electricity to work, they typically create more power than they consume at a 3:1 ratio (for every 1 kilowatt the system uses, it generates 3 kilowatts).

Heat pumps also have typically a smaller carbon footprint than conventional HVAC systems. Connected up with solar or wind power, they represent a tantalizing opportunity to reduce or eliminate dependence on the larger utility grid we all complain about.

Operating with minimal noise and unless you use an absorption type, without natural gas or other fossil fuels, a heat pump system also requires far less maintenance, as you no longer have to service both a furnace and an air conditioning system. Your equipment will work for both heating and cooling.

Consider the short vs. long-term investment costs

However, there is no way around it. A heat pump HVAC system typically costs more to install than a conventional one.  When it comes to purchasing the right equipment, prices also fluctuate throughout the year, depending on the vagaries of the marketplace.

Anyone considering a heat pump should weigh the undeniable long-term savings from this kind of system with the initial financial outlay. But the truth is, if it’s time for new HVAC for your home, you should definitely at least price a heat pump system and discuss with your certified HVAC contractor. You may very well determine that this kind of innovative heating and cooling both saves you money and addresses your indoor comfort needs far more efficiently than a conventional system.

Considering a heat pump HVAC system for your home? Call the heat pump experts at Air-Tro to discuss how you can take advantage of this energy saving technology. (626) 357-3535.