Cooling with a heat pump may not be the first thing that occurs to you when you think of this appliance, but despite its name, a heat pump is efficient for both heating and cooling. Because heat pumps transfer or “pump” heat rather than produce it, they heat more efficiently than furnaces and, unlike furnaces, they can condition your Dayton area home year round.
Heating and cooling with a heat pump is possible thanks to the heat pump’s reversing valve, a component that changes the direction of the refrigerant flow. In cooling mode, the heat pump draws heat out of your home and releases it into the outdoor air. The outside coil works in the condensing unit, and inside is the evaporator coil/air handler. In heating mode, the heat pump works in reverse, drawing warmth from the outdoor air and bringing it inside. Both processes use refrigerant as the medium of heat exchange.
Heat pumps offer a number of benefits, including:
- Convenience and efficiency – Because a heat pump provides efficient heating and cooling in one system, there’s no need to install a separate furnace and air conditioner (though you may decide to utilize a furnace for back-up heating). An air-source (conventional) heat pump’s cooling efficiency is similar to that of a central air conditioner, but geothermal (ground-source) heat pumps offer greater efficiency. A geothermal heat pump can lower your cooling costs by up to 40 percent and your heating costs by as much as 70 percent.
- Better humidity control – Cooling with a heat pump dehumidifies your home more effectively than using a central air conditioner. Lower humidity helps you feel cooler, so you can turn up your thermostat to reduce energy use.
- Reliability – Heat pumps work very much like refrigerators and are just as reliable. Heat pumps last an average of 15 years, but can run for 20 years or longer with regular professional maintenance.
For expert guidance on choosing a heat pump or other heating and cooling equipment, get in touch with us at Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc. Since 1978, Dayton area homeowners have relied on our highly trained technicians for top-level HVAC advice and services.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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