If you’re a homeowner in Vancouver looking to upgrade your heating system this winter, this is probably a question you’re asking yourself. Heat pumps are great options for your both heating and cooling your home, but this system isn’t always the best option for everyone. We’re not the type of HVAC company that’s going to put any old system in your home just to make a profit, we want you to be as comfortable as possible in your home and we’ll find the right system to ensure this comfort at a reasonable price. If you’re looking into heat pumps in Vancouver, WA then come to our team. Our technicians are licensed, trained, and knowledgeable.
Understanding Heat Pumps
The first step to knowing if a heat pump is right for you and your home and is understanding how heat pumps work. A heat pump is a climate control system that’s set up similarly to an air conditioner (an outdoor unit and an indoor unit) but what makes this system unique is its ability to both heat and cool. A heat pump is able to do this through a component called a “reversing valve” a reversing valve is a four-way valve that sits in the refrigerant line and changes the direction the refrigerant flows between the two units based on signals that come from your thermostat.
The Benefits of a Heat Pump
If you’re looking for the following benefits from your heating system, make sure that you consider a heat pump for your home.
- Two-In-One Functionality: Arguably, one of the best aspects of a heat pump is its ability to both heat and cool your home from the same system. This means that less of a hassle on you and less of a cost for installation because you only have to buy and install one system.
- Energy-Efficiency: Heat pumps are great because they use less energy than an air conditioner or furnace system. This is because they’re moving air rather than generating it like a classic air conditioner or furnace. You won’t notice any difference in comfort, but you will notice a difference in your energy emissions.
- Cost-Savings: When the system you use to heat and cool your home is energy efficient, that means that you’ll benefit from cost-savings too.
The Drawbacks
The only real drawback to a heat pump is the effect of extreme temperatures on these systems. Here in Vancouver, our winter weather can get pretty chilly and when this happens it can be hard for a heat pump to provide heating for your home in a manner that’s still energy-efficient. If that’s the case for you, it’s typically better to team your heat pump with a gas furnace system (what we call a dual fuel system in the industry) so that you can still receive the energy-saving benefits of a heat pump while getting the added warmth when you need it.
The only way to definitively know if a heat pump is right for your home is through the recommendation of a professional. Contact Area Heating & Cooling, Inc. today to have a member from our team come out and assess your home.
