Your heat pump works as an air conditioner during the warmer months, removing the indoor heat and keeping your home blissfully cool. It’s called a “heat pump,” but this versatile temperature-control system handles more than hot air. Ernst Heating & Cooling of Hamel is your local heat pump expert. Read on to find out how your heat pump works in the summer.
Heat pumps vs. air conditioners
In simplest terms, air conditioners only work to cool homes. On the other hand, heat pumps can both heat and cool the indoor air. Neither has an advantage in energy efficiency, with little difference in cooling costs. But heat pumps run on electricity rather than natural gas or propane, making a costly difference depending on fossil fuel prices. Air conditioners must be paired with a furnace to ensure year-round comfort.
How does a heat pump cool your home?
The heat pump lives up to its name. Instead of pumping heat into your home during the cold winter months, it pumps heat out of your house and deposits it outdoors. Heat pumps have three components: a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator coil. The indoor component of your heat pump uses the evaporator coil to capture excess heat and humidity. It transfers the heat to the outdoor component, which relies on the compressor and condenser to release the heat outdoors. The heat pump works until your home reaches the desired temperature. Then it turns off, ready to return to work when you need cooler air.
In the winter, the heat pump works in reverse. Even winter air contains some heat, and the heat pump absorbs that heat and circulates it around your home.
Heat pump advantages
Heat pumps may cost more initially, but they can pay you back with reduced operating costs, especially when fossil fuel costs are high. There is no need for a separate A/C unit, as heat pumps take over the task in the summer by reversing the flow of heat from indoors to outdoors.
Heat pump maintenance
Fortunately, Ernst Heating & Cooling offers heat pump maintenance service. Our trained HVAC technicians inspect, clean, and calibrate your heat pump, potentially lowering your cooling and heating costs. Regular tune-ups can add months or years to your heat pump’s lifespan and keep your family comfortable regardless of the outside climate.
Is a heat pump the right heating and cooling solution for your home? Call Ernst Heating & Cooling now at 618.217.1836 or reach out online. Our trained professional technicians can help you decide if a heat pump will best keep you cool this summer.