If you’re thinking about installing a new HVAC system in your home, you may be considering a heat pump replacement for your current central air conditioner. While heat pumps and central air conditioners are very similar, heat pumps to offer some key advantages.
If you are interested in heat pump installation in Charlottesville, VA, you can give our team a call to schedule your appointment today. You can also keep reading to learn more about the benefits of a heat pump and what sets it apart as a highly effective HVAC system.
How a Heat Pump Works
First let’s address how a heat pump is different from an air conditioner. A central air conditioner and heat pump both have refrigerant. However, the heat pump also has a reversing valve that allows this refrigerant to cycle in the opposite direction and bring heat into your home in the winter in addition to cooling the air in the summer.
Heat pumps also put a strong emphasis on transferring energy instead of creating energy to cool down the air. This means that heat gets transferred outside of your home as a method of cooling and transferred into your home as a method of heating. This unique operation makes heat pumps more energy efficient than a standard central air conditioner.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is important for a couple of reasons. The first is that you can save more money on your monthly energy bills if a heat pump uses less energy. You may save a little, or you may save a lot. It really depends on your usage habits.
Setting your thermostat slightly higher in the summer and slightly lower in the winter can help you save even more on your energy bills. And a heat pump that is more energy efficient also takes on less wear and tear. The system does not have to work as hard to provide heating and cooling, so there is less strain on the system.
Lifespan
A system that takes on less strain will naturally have a longer lifespan. The average lifespan of a heat pump is around 15 years. But with proper monthly homeowner maintenance and regular professional maintenance your heat pump can actually last for 20 years or longer. And the more life you get out of your heat pump, the more you’re getting out of that initial investment. And let’s face it, no air conditioning system is cheap for upfront installation so you want to get as much out of it as you can.
Reliability
Heat pumps are also very reliable. They don’t face too many unusual issues, and should make it all the way to the end of their lifespan without significant problems. Keep in mind that there is one caveat to this. You do have to prioritize maintenance and take excellent care of your heat pump if you want it to be reliable. The whole idea of professional maintenance is to catch problems early and fix them before they get out of hand.
Maintenance Expectations
And speaking of maintenance, you should know that a heat pump requires professional maintenance twice per year. The first time is for the unit as an air conditioner and the second time is for the unit as a heater. Even if you had a separate air conditioner and heater, you would still be scheduling maintenance twice per year, once for each of the separate systems.
Instead of scheduling maintenance for two separate systems, you’re scheduling maintenance twice for one system. Your heat pump doesn’t get a break at all during the year. It operates every day around the clock to keep your home comfortable, and as a result you have to invest in the maintenance to take care of those components.
We can’t control the weather outside of your home, but we can control the weather inside your home. The team at Mack Morris Heating & A/C is here to help with heat pump service, so schedule your appointment today.