We love heat pumps and we’re thrilled to see that more and more people are looking to have them installed in their homes. We’re the heat pump contractor in Greenville, SC to rely on if you want a great heat pump installation or you need any other service.
Today, we’d like to answer some of the most common questions people have about heat pumps.
Is a heat pump two different types of comfort systems?
No, it’s a single system—but it can work in two different modes so that it takes over both the job of a heating system and a cooling system.
How does a heat pump work as both a heating and cooling system?
Think of an air conditioner at work: it uses refrigerant to draw heat from inside your home and then exhausts it outdoors. A heat pump works the exact same way, but it can change the direction that operates so it can also move heat from outside your home and exhaust it indoors.
Will heat pumps work in cold weather?
Because heat pumps draw the heat energy they use to warm a house from the outside air, people often think they won’t function during cold weather. But heat pumps work extremely well in weather conditions down to freezing—and our winters are ideal for this. There are also cold-weather heat pumps capable of dealing with much more extreme cold, so you won’t have to worry about staying warm with a heat pump.
Is it worthwhile to install a heat pump to replace a heater, but leave the AC?
No, it’s not. A heat pump is designed to take the place of both a current heating system (like a furnace) and an air conditioning system. Heat pumps are more expensive to purchase than either a single heater or AC, so only installing a heat pump to do only one of its jobs is wasteful. You’ll end up saving money when you install a heat pump to replace your old furnace/AC combo.
Do heat pumps need maintenance once or twice a year?
Twice. Heat pumps do twice the amount of work as a furnace or air conditioner because they run in summer and winter. The wear and tear the heat pump takes on each of these seasons requires it to have a maintenance tune-up before the next.
Can a heat pump installation save me money?
It probably will—especially if you once used an electric furnace. Heat pumps don’t generate heat, they move it from one place to another, and this consumes less energy than using electrical resistance heating. You may see a significant difference in your winter utility bills.
Why is there smoke coming off my heat pump in winter?
Don’t worry—that’s not smoke. It’s steam. When in heating mode, ice will start to condense along the outdoor refrigerant coil of the heat pump, which will prevent it from effectively absorbing heat. To counteract this, a heat pump will occasionally switch into a defrost mode where it will send heat out of the coils to melt the ice. What you’re seeing is the steam from the melting ice.
Rely on Carolina Climate Control when it comes to heat pumps and all your home comfort needs. The Moose Is Loose in Your Neighborhood!