The Purpose Of A Heat Pump
A heat pump looks like an air conditioner. In fact, it even acts just like an air conditioner in the summer time by compressing refrigerant to chill it, and sending the chilled refrigerant inside to the indoor coil. Once the indoor coil is filled with cold refrigerant, the fan motor in the furnace or air handler forces warm air from the home through the chilled pipes to both cool and dehumidify the air.
The difference in a heat pump and air conditioner is the fact that a heat pump can also heat your home in the Winter. A heat pump is all electric just like an air conditioner. It is able to heat by reversing the cooling process. Instead of chilling refrigerant, it extracts heat energy from the air outside, and uses this heat energy to heat up the refrigerant, and then send that inside to the indoor coil. Even when the air is cold, heat energy still remains.
Heat Pump Efficiency
The efficiency of a heat pump is measured with a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) for cooling and a Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) for heating. The higher the ratings, the more efficient the equipment. Indoor components such as the coil and fan motor also play a role in overall efficiency. For a heat pump only installation, an air handler (also called a fan coil) is used inside. A fan coil in a basic sense is the combination of the coil from an evaporator coil and the fan motor from a furnace.
Hybrid Heating
As a leading West Virginia air conditioning company, we also offer hybrid heating solutions. Hybrid heating means that instead of a furnace and air conditioner, or air handler and heat pump, we install a furnace and a heat pump. But why two heating sources? Because at certain temperatures an electric heat pump is more efficient than a gas furnace. With a hybrid heating installation, your thermostat will intelligently switch between heating sources depending on the temperature.
Heat Pump Brands We Recommend
AirXperts is committed to providing the finest West Virginia heating and air conditioning solutions by using industry best equipment, and providing technical excellence in installation, repair and maintenance services. Although we are experienced and capable of working on any brand of equipment, we have found that Goodman, Rheem, York & American Standard air conditioning products have some of the highest efficiency ratings and performance capabilities in the business! As a leader in West Virginia heating and air conditioner solutions, we encourage you to give us a call today at (304) 562-7300!
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