Heat Pump Systems for Jersey Village Homeowners

Why South Texas Homeowners Should Consider Heat Pump Systems for HVAC Replacement

It is decision time!

The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system that has served the family faithfully for so long has reached the end of usefulness and needs to be replaced. Like a trusted friend, it has kept the family warm or cool, depending upon the season, making the home a comfortable and healthy space to enjoy life. The system probably struggled for the last few years, needing repairs more than normal. After about 20 years, it is time to replace it.

Homeowners living in south Texas should really consider the purchase of a heat pump system as a replacement.

A heat pump system has all the normal components you expect from an HVAC system:

• An air conditioner, with an outdoor condenser.
• A furnace, is housed in a mechanical room or space.
• Ducts that carry the conditioned air throughout the home.

However, heat pumps function a little differently, and the difference means considerable energy (utility bill) savings year-round.

A typical HVAC system has a furnace that produces heat, usually an electric heating element or a natural gas burner. While engineers design these systems to pull as much energy as possible from the fuel source, it still takes energy to create the heat.

A heat pump uses the air conditioning components and reverses the process. In heat pump mode, it captures the existing heat in the air outside and brings it inside, heating the home. Since the sun is expending energy to provide the heat, the homeowner only pays to distribute it, not create it. The process is called heat transfer.

Refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners use heat transfer technology. They do not produce cold air or water, they remove heat; the result of removing heat is cold air or water. It happens like this.

• Heat travels towards cold. This is observable when you place an ice cube on the kitchen counter. The heat energy from the air moves toward the ice. When the water molecules in the ice absorb the heat energy, the cube melts.
• Engineers have selected a chemical that readily absorbs and releases heat energy. Then the chemical is compressed, then suddenly released, and the chemical gets very cold. Warm air flows over the cold chemical and absorbs the heat energy from the air. When it blows back into the home it is noticeably cooler.
• Heat pump technology uses the same principle during the winter. The chemical is compressed, then suddenly released, becoming very cold. But this time the process is happening outdoors. Heat energy is collected and brought into the home. Air blows over the warm chemical and returns to the home noticeably warmer.
• To be sure, this refrigerant chemical—often called Freon—is contained within a closed network of pipes.

The heat pump system works very well until the temperature drops below 32 degrees; below that temperature, there is less available heat to draw from outside. For this reason, every heat pump system has a backup heat source, usually electric heating elements. The reason heat pump systems are cost-effective in this neck of the woods is the temperature rarely falls below 45 degrees, much less 32 degrees. There is plenty of heat in the air as far as a heat pump is concerned.

Since a heat pump uses the same equipment for heating as it does for cooling, it is extremely important to keep the system maintained annually and the filter changed regularly.

Why South Texas Homeowners Should Choose Heat Pump Systems for Efficient HVAC Replacement

South Texas homeowners facing an HVAC replacement should consider replacing their aging HVAC systems with heat pump systems for year-round energy savings. Heat pumps work by transferring heat from the outside air, providing efficient heating and cooling without generating heat from a fuel source. Given the mild climate in the Texas Gulf Coast, heat pumps are an ideal choice, as they can efficiently heat homes without the need for backup heating until temperatures drop below 32°F.

Do You Have Questions About Heat Pump Technology?

Northwind Air Conditioning and Heat can help answer your Heat Pump Technology questions for your home. Contact us and get the help you need.