Although heat is in the name, you can use a heat pump for air conditioning. It works by shifting heat instead of making it (furnaces burn fuel to generate heat), which is why it can be used as a dual-function appliance. It’s true that heat pumps can be very efficient, although most air conditioners are about equal in terms of SEER rating. Just look at these two luxury-level cooling systems from Lennox.
What are SEER and HSPF?
SEER is an efficiency聽rating聽for聽ACs, and the聽larger聽the number, the聽more efficient it is. The difference between 23.5 and 26 is not聽crazy, though, and the efficiency聽varies聽depending on the model. On the other hand, HSPF is聽a different standard聽that stands for “heating seasonal performance factor” and is聽unique to聽heat pumps. It tells you how efficient the聽equipment聽is at heating.聽You can tell聽from these examples聽by looking at the SEER rating, air conditioners are聽mostly聽equal, if not聽a little better, depending on the聽model聽you choose. The聽largest聽difference between聽heat pumps and ACs聽is that heat pumps can also聽add warmth to聽your home,聽while an AC聽only cools.
Does climate matter for heat pumps?
Heat pumps are聽most聽effective in聽hotter聽climates with聽mild聽winters, save for some integrated systems that use heat pumps聽as an auxiliary, such as with a geothermal system.聽You should speak聽with an聽ACE-certified聽HVAC聽tech聽who has experience in your聽city聽before聽settling聽on a heat pump. If the equipment just isn’t right for your聽area, you could have聽extremely聽high electric bills. Once the temperature聽sinks聽too low, it’s聽near impossible聽for the heat pump to draw heat out of the air, and it may never聽warm your home to the temperature you set. This means you聽could聽end up聽running your heat pump non-stop or switching on emergency heat 24/7 during聽winter, which drives your energy consumption聽way up.
How does a heat pump聽stack up against聽a furnace?
A furnace is a聽more powerful聽heating system聽and is聽necessary聽for certain聽chillier聽climates. That’s because a heat pump has聽difficulty聽when the聽weather hits聽about聽40 degrees Fahrenheit. As聽odd聽as it聽seems, during聽heating season, a heat pump is聽designed聽to聽remove聽heat from the聽air outside聽and use it to聽warm聽the inside air.聽Even when it feels cold outside, there is still聽plenty of available heat聽for the heat pump to聽work properly, but聽in exceptionally cold climates, there is not聽enough聽heat available outside to聽heat the air inside to high enough temperatures needed to keep warm. So while a heat pump may聽be ideal聽during the聽heating season聽for someone in聽Orlando, someone living in upstate New York with a heat pump聽would probably聽also need a furnace for the more extreme temperatures.聽If you don't have a furnace that kicks in when the freezing temperatures hit, the heat pump can run for hours trying to keep your home warm enough.
How to achieve maximum efficiency with your heat pump?
In聽some聽areas, heat pumps can聽be used聽with geothermal systems, and the heating source is better for the environment聽as聽it is not burning fossil fuels and, instead, uses the Earth’s聽native聽temperature to heat and cool. This is a聽fantastic聽alternative for聽specific聽northern聽climates, but聽more聽land must be available in order to install the聽proper聽piping for a geothermal system.
Just what you needed Ð one more thing to think about when it comes to your home comfort; but, remember, it’s important to聽examine聽the pros and cons of each heating and cooling system so you don’t end up聽buying聽a system that聽turns off聽when extreme temperatures hit, or investing in聽two聽systems when one would suffice.
If you can't decide which system would best fit your needs, call 天美传媒 to聽schedule聽a聽complimentary聽in-home quote. We are聽happy聽to answer any and all of your questions to聽make sure聽you聽choose the right option聽for your home.
