If you’re exploring heating options for your home, you may be considering a heat pump. Heat pumps are fantastic because they offer energy efficiency and space-saving benefits thanks to the fact that they are an all-in-one heating and cooling solution. With a heat pump, you have both a heater and an air conditioner.
Traditionally, they were ideal for mild climates, but technology has advanced enough to make heat pumps a great solution no matter where you live. Just give us a call to schedule your appointment for heat pumps in Advance. You can also keep reading to learn more about heat pumps and whether they’re the right heating solution for your home.
What Makes a Heat Pump an Efficient Option?
When it comes to comparing a heat pump to a central air conditioner, the two are very equal. This is because a heat pump is essentially a central air conditioner with a little bit of extra functionality. It’s when you compare a heat pump to a furnace that you will really see a clear difference.
With a furnace, whether gas or electric, the system has to create heat to transfer into the air for your home. A heat pump is more efficient because it does not have to create heat and instead transfers heat energy from one place to another. During the winter season when you set your thermostat to heating, the reversing valve on your heat pump engages.
Refrigerant begins to cycle in the opposite direction and absorb heat from the outdoor unit, then transferring it back into your home as a way of increasing the temperature. This uses far less energy compared to a furnace, ultimately saving you on your monthly energy costs for system of operation.
Pros and Cons of a Heat Pump for Heating
The one downside to consider for a heat pump is that it may struggle to get your home as warm as you would like on the coldest days of the year. Here in North Carolina, we have some winter days that are mild and enjoyable, and others that are more intensely cold. We recommend that you invest in a cold weather heat pump that offers a little bit more heating ability for those coldest days.
This will ensure that you don’t come home from work one day to find that your home is less comfortable than you expect because temperatures outside have dipped too low. You also have to consider that a heat pump requires maintenance twice per year. A lot of homeowners get hung up on this because they are used to scheduling maintenance once per year for a separate air conditioner or heater.
However, a heat pump is operating around the clock all year long without taking any breaks as another system takes on the load. Because of this, you need to schedule maintenance once for your heat pump as a heater and a second time for your heat pump as an air conditioner. This will ensure the best overall energy efficiency, as well as extending the lifespan of your heat pump.
How to Choose the Best Heat Pump for Your Home
Be sure to consider both SEER2 ratings and HSPF2 ratings for energy efficiency when selecting a heat pump. When possible, choose a high efficiency model that consumes less energy overall compared to a standard heat pump. Although you’ll spend a little more upfront for the installation, this selection will help you to save money over the life of the unit.
Contact All-Phase Cooling and Heating for furnace service in High Point, NC. Making Your Home More Comfortable Is What We Do Best.