Every home has unique heating and cooling needs, requiring a different system for homes of different shapes and sizes. The biggest heating system or cooling system is not necessarily the best. In fact, choosing an air conditioner or heater that is too large for your home can result in short cycling—the system running too often and wearing down its parts. And of course, a system that is too small will not do a sufficient job of heating or cooling your home.
While homeowners will choose different efficiency ratings for their comfort systems based on what they can afford, and while sizing changes based on the size of the home, there is still one type of system we recommend time and time again. In our area, the heat pump is the way to go.
Heating and Cooling in One
What’s special about a heat pump is that it combines heating and cooling into a single unit. The heating elements and cooling elements are not actually separate, save for a backup electric heating strip for when it’s really chilly outside. Instead, the same process used for cooling—refrigeration—is used for heating as well!
How is this possible? It’s a complex process, but in brief, you should know that refrigeration is not used to create cool air, so much as to remove heat. An air conditioner moves heat from the air inside to the outdoors. A heat pump can use this process and apply it to heating: removing heat from the outdoors and moving it inside. This works even in very cold weather, as there is always some level of heat in the air even as temperatures approach freezing.
High Efficiency Means Savings
The main draw of a heat pump is that it’s usually rated quite highly for efficiency. This is true for the cooling season, and especially for the heating season. Using electricity to heat a home can be quite pricey—unless you are using a heat pump. Moving heat is a more efficient process than generating heat, which means heat pumps save many homeowners a lot of money in the cooler months.
Ductless Options Are Available
If you don’t have any air ducts running throughout your home, it’s no problem! Ductless air conditioners are available, but ductless heat pumps are even more common! Air handlers are mounted high up on the walls, without blocking windows or requiring you to cut a huge hole into the wall. Instead, a professional drills a small hole to feed a refrigerant line and wiring to the outdoors, and the outdoor unit helps to move heat—just like with a regular central system!
So Why Doesn’t Every Home Have a Heat Pump?
While heat pumps come highly recommended in our climate, they may not be right for people who live in colder areas like the Northeast and run their heaters more often than their air conditioners. Then, of course, there’s the price. A heat pump may cost more than some other home comfort systems, but we think the savings are well worth that initial cost!
For more information about your heating and your air conditioning in Hilton Head, SC, contact AAction Air Conditioning & Heating Co. Inc. today!