Are Heat Pumps Efficient All Year-Round?

People talk about heat pumps like they’re the best thing that ever happened to air conditioning. Unlike a normal AC, they can be used for cooling and heating. But is it really as good as they say? Is it going to last you through the hot and cold seasons alike?

In this post, we’ll see if heat pumps are truly efficient all year-round.

Just What Is a Heat Pump?

Heat pumps aren’t so different from your typical central air conditioning system.

The main ingredients of an air conditioner are the coils, the compressor, and the refrigerant. Refrigerant cycles through the coils, and the compressor helps make that process happen. The flowing refrigerant facilitates the transfer of warm air, taking it from the inside and sending it outside. As a result, the absence of warm air will cool your home.

Normally, this process only goes one way. Heat pumps, however, can reverse the flow of refrigerant, giving you the ability to put warm air back in your home during the cold months.

They’re also more efficient in the long-run and can save money on your monthly energy bills.

How Much Maintenance Do They Need?

Since a heat pump can work all year round, it does bring to light a certain problem:

Unlike a traditional air conditioner, it won’t be able to take a break during the cool months.

This means that you can expect to be calling a Fort Worth HVAC contractor for maintenance on your unit, as the wear-and-tear on the unit will increase. However, there are a few points to consider here:

• With a separate heating and air setup, you’d still need to run maintenance for both of those units separately. It doesn’t alleviate the need to have year-round maintenance.
• All maintenance will be done on the same unit, consolidating costs and making it easier to diagnose and fix any problems that arise.
• The average lifespan of a heat pump is about 14 years, which is just about the same as the average for a central air conditioning system. Combined with the monthly savings you’ll get, the maintenance will be worth it.

Does It Hold up in the Winter?

Another very good question. A heat pump is designed to remove heat from the air. When it comes to winter, how is a heat pump supposed to pull hot air from the cold air outside?

But there are easy answers for this. Even when it’s cold out, there is still heat in the air. The heat pump can still take this warm air. However, when the air gets to be near freezing in temperature, that’s when a heat pump will start becoming less efficient.

Ultimate Verdict

Functionally, a heat pump is a great choice, even with the expectation that it might need a little more maintenance.

In truth, there are cases where a heat pump is less efficient. But in a climate where the winters barely drop below 40 degrees, your heat pump will be unstoppable, making it an excellent choice all year-round.

Is a heat pump your next heating and cooling solution? Contact Frymire Home Services today for a higher degree of comfort.