Is A Heat Pump Right For Your Texas Home?

Heat pumps are generally considered a much more energy efficient way to heat and cool your home than most air conditioning or furnace alternatives. The simple fact of the matter is that a heat pump is capable of delivering one-and-a-half times more heat energy than the amount of energy it uses to run. Because of this, heat pumps are quickly becoming an increasingly popular option among Texas homeowners as an alternative heating and cooling option as opposed to the standard setup of having a separate air conditioning unit for the summer and a furnace for the winter.

There are actually a number a local homeowners who are making the switch and installing heat pumps in their homes. These are a much more energy efficient alternative to running a furnace in the winter and an air conditioner during the hot summer months. In addition, heat pumps are also better at dehumidifying the air inside your home than a central air conditioning unit, which, as any homeowner who has spent a summer here in Texas can tell you, is a massive relief in and of itself. As an added benefit on top of this function, heat pumps will also regularly result in better and more consistent indoor air quality for your home. To help you determine if a heat pump is the right option for your home, our team of skilled Waco HVAC contractors have taken the time to put together this short list for your reading pleasure.

Less Need For Maintenance

Unlike a standard furnace unit, a heat pump is relatively low maintenance, and like your refrigerator, it runs on electricity. However, its best feature is undoubtedly that it can produce up to four times the amount of energy that it consumes because it moves the heat throughout your home rather than having to generate it from a fuel source.

More Consistent Heating, Less Energy Waste

Heat Pumps work by drawing warm air from the air outside to provide the interior of your home with heat and hot water. In warmer weather, this system basically goes into reverse, pulling in heat from outside your home, and then working to evenly distribute it throughout your house, helping to cool the interior of your home and provide relief from the scorching Texas summers.

Because heat pumps move heat as opposed to creating it, they are extremely energy efficient units, particularly if you live in a climate with your moderate winters, like those here in Texas. Additionally, because the heat pump unit can deliver both heat in the winter, and cool air during the summer, it can really help to streamline your home's comfort process, and make it much easier to maintain and care for your system.

Multiple Types For Multiple Needs

The most common type of heat pump is the air source type, which basically functions a lot like your home's refrigerator. This system uses a compressor and two coils, wherein the liquid refrigerant in the outside coil absorbs heat from the outside air, evaporates it into gas, and sends it indoors to another coil, and then a fan will push the air throughout the home. This is generally a much more cost effective heating solution than a furnace as the heat pump doesn't require another source of fuel to produce the heat.

In addition to the air source heat pumps, there are also the geothermal variety, which work by drawing their heat from underground. This is usually more advantageous in colder climates as the temperature in the ground stays fairly consistent throughout the year, but in hotter climates like ours, an air source heat pump is generally the preferred method.