Heat Pump Types and Benefits to Consider

If you’re looking for a home upgrade that can help with both efficiency and comfort throughout the year, one great option to consider is a heat pump. What exactly are heat pumps, which types are available, and why do many homeowners utilize them to great effect for their HVAC needs throughout the year?

At Thompson’s Comfort Connection, we’re happy to offer a range of AC and heat pump replacement, repair and related services for any client around Sandy, Draper or nearby areas. Let’s go over some basics on heat pumps for those just learning about them, from how they work and their common types to some of the key benefits they bring to many homes from an HVAC perspective.

What’s a Heat Pump?

If you’re just learning about them, heat pumps are simply a type of HVAC system that pumps heat – but there’s more to it than this. During the summer, heat pumps pump warm air out of the home; in winter, heat pumps bring warm air inside.

Heat pumps are powered by electricity and use a compressor to move cold or warm air away from the home, frequently via piping that leads to an external unit on your home’s exterior.

Types of Heat Pump

While there are certainly distinct varieties with individual features created by specific manufacturers, heat pumps can be separated into three broad categories in terms of basic operations:

• Air to air: Likely the most popular type of heat pump, air to air pumps move heat between the home’s exterior and interior spaces, with an outdoor unit that works in tandem with an indoor evaporator coil.
• Air to water: Also known as a “water source” heat pump, these models can either work with a body of water or with geothermal loops buried underground to transfer heat. They transfer heat from your home to the water, and are more efficient than air to air pumps – but also more expensive to install in most cases. 
• Air to ground: Another geothermal option, these pumps use pipes buried in the ground to transfer heat. They don’t have as much fluctuation in efficiency depending on the season, and they’re often seen as a mid-range cost option between air to air and air to water.

Our next several sections will go over some of the main benefits that heat pumps offer.

Covering Both Seasons

One of the chief features and benefits of any heat pump is how it can handle both cooling and heating, unlike many other HVAC systems which only do one or the other. This makes them highly versatile and often more affordable when compared to other options.

Rather than needing to maintain two different systems for your home’s comfort throughout the year, you only need to maintain one with a heat pump. This means less maintenance and upkeep costs over time.

Efficiency

Heat pumps are generally more energy efficient than other HVAC options – something we know is important to many homeowners these days. Because they don’t burn fuel or use a major amount of electricity, their bills each month can be significantly lower.

Some of this is because of their elimination of two systems, but some is also because they operate on a more moderate basis rather than constantly running at high levels.

Low Installation Costs

Another area where heat pumps have an edge over many other HVAC systems is in installation costs. Generally, installing a traditional furnace plus air conditioner will cost significantly more than installing a single heat pump. And with just one system to worry about maintenance and repair for, you’ll likely save on long-term costs as well.

No Combustion

We know that some homeowners are rightfully wary about having combustion or fossil fuels running in their home for an HVAC system. Heat pumps don’t have any of these concerns – they operate solely on electricity and avoid these risks.

Dehumidifying in Summer

Another great quality of heat pumps is how they can also dehumidify the air in summer. This helps prevent mold or mildew growth, and also makes for a more comfortable overall atmosphere.

Indoor Air Quality

Finally, we can’t forget about indoor air quality – something everyone should be concerned about these days. Heat pumps improve air quality by eliminating combustion, as mentioned above; they also generally have more advanced filtration systems to keep pollutants out of the air. This means fewer airborne illnesses, allergies or other respiratory concerns.

To learn more about heat pumps, our heating and cooling services, or any of our products, speak to the staff at Thompson’s Comfort Connection today. We look forward to helping improve your home’s comfort throughout all seasons, whether you’re in Sandy, Draper or any nearby area.