Unraveling the Heat Pump Mystery

I don’t think that I need to spout the wonders of the internet on an online blog.  If you are reading this, then you are already aware of how much information is available online.  Sometimes the information can be a little too technical for my taste.  This happened to me while I was searching for information on heat pumps.  Therefore, in this blog, I am hoping to explain a heat pump in easy to understand terms.

In a nutshell, a heat pump is like a furnace and air conditioner combined.  During the summer months, the heat pump can work as an air conditioner, bringing cooled air into your home.  As the temperature starts to drop the heat pump will use a reversing valve to reverse the process by bringing heat from the outside to the inside.  Instead of removing heat from the home, it brings heat in.  A heat pump makes it possible to heat your home without turning on the furnace until the outside temperatures are 20 degrees F and lower.

Depending on where one lives, with a heat pump a furnace might never be necessary.  However, in Michigan we often have winters with temperatures below 20 degrees and so it would be necessary to have a supplemental heat source with the heat pump such as a furnace.  So, if you have to purchase a heat pump AND a furnace, what is the point of purchasing the heat pump? A heat pump can heat your home without using gas for a longer period of time therefore reducing your utility bills.  For example, say in Metro Detroit the temperature does not drop below 20 degrees until the beginning of December, that would mean that the furnace in your home would not have to begin working until that time.  The same could go in the spring as well:  if temperatures are above 20 degrees in March, bye bye furnace!

A heat pump is a larger initial investment than just an air conditioner or furnace, however the fuel savings would more than make up for the initial cost.  If you are in the market for a new air conditioner, this might be the time to seriously consider a heat pump and how it could work for your home.  There are many different levels of heat pumps including the new Bryant Evolution® Extreme Heat Pump with a 20.5 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating and a 13.0 HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor).  This heat pump is very, very efficient.

When in the market for a new air conditioner, consider a heat pump as a way to save money in the future.  Questions? Concerns? Comments?  Please contact FLAME!