Everyone knows that an air conditioner cools the air in your home and a furnace warms it. But do you know what a heat pump does? An energy-efficient solution for year-round interior comfort, a pump works to transfer warmth either inside or out, depending on the season. Heat pump installation can decrease how hard your heating and air conditioning systems have to work to keep your living and working spaces comfortable. In fact, in a temperate climate, a pump can take the place of separate heating and cooling systems! Research your options and bring in an HVAC contractor to install a pump that will help keep you cool all summer and warm all winter.
How Does It Work?
A heat pump does exactly what it sounds like: it pushes heat out of your home in the summer and into your home in the winter. Air-source pumps use a system of fans and refrigerant-filled coils to draw heat from the air outside into your home for warmth during winter and reverse the process to draw hot air back outside during summer. Ground-source pumps, meanwhile, draw warmth from the ground outside your home using a series of underground pipes filled with water or refrigerant. Also known as geothermal heat pumps, ground-source pumps take advantage of the relatively stable temperature below the ground's surface to move heat into and out of a building. In most cases, the warm or cool air is distributed through your home via your existing ductwork; however, ductless pumps are available if your home doesn't have a ducting system.
Benefits of Heat Pumps
Whether you install a pump instead of or in tandem with an existing furnace and air conditioner, you should see increased energy efficiency in your home. That's because a heat pump doesn't create hot air through combustion, a process that requires a fuel source; instead, a pump simply moves the existing air around. Heat pump installation should result in a decrease in your energy bills. As far as the system itself, heat pumps are designed to be quiet and unobtrusive, and certain units can be completely built into walls, floors, or ceilings, with only the duct grille visible.
Considerations
When choosing a system, you have to consider the size of your home. A heat pump system that is not powerful enough for a large home will be ineffective, while a pump that is too large for your space can result in higher-than-necessary energy bills. You also must consider how much heat loss your building allows; improving insulation before installing a heat pump will help the pump function its best. Climate also plays a major role in how easy your home is to heat and cool. Extremes of either heat or cold will require specialized pumps to effectively modulate interior temperatures. Speak to your installer to discuss the specifics of your space and how a pump can best accommodate your heating and cooling needs.
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