A Heat Pump Is An Alternative To Traditional Furnace And Air Conditioner Installation You Should Consider | Irving, TX
Instead of going for an air conditioning unit and a furnace as two separate units, heat pumps are an energy-efficient option that provides cooling and heating services in alternate weather seasons.
During the heating process, the heat pumps use geothermal power, electricity, water, or air to transfer heat from a hot space to your home for comfort and vice versa.
They are more efficient than conventional air conditioners and boilers because they move existing heat other than generating it, which reduces utility bills.
Getting a qualified and experienced HVAC technician to perform the air conditioner installation guarantees peak performance for longer. Here are the different heat pumps available in the AC market in Irving, TX.
Air Source Heat Pumps
AIr-source heat pumps collect heat from the outside air to heat your indoor space during wintry days and remove the heat from your house to the outside during hot days for comfort. They consist of a compressor, copper, or aluminum coils that an air conditioner installation professional installs outside and inside.
Advantages of the Air Source Heat Pumps
- High efficiency: heat pumps are highly-efficient in transferring heat in and out of your house when it is chilly or hot. The use of external air to move heat from one place to the next utilizes less electric power.
- Eco-friendly: air source heat pumps are also environmentally friendly as they use less electricity to operate, thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions and carbon footprint.
- Energy Efficient: with correct air conditioner installation, the air source heat pump can transfer more heat from the outside to your indoor space using less electricity, hence lower utility bills.
- Effective in sub-freezing places: As the heat pump advances technologically, it can heat homes in colder regions, which was not the case with the earlier versions. The improved ASHP has advanced thermostatic expansion valves, enhanced coil design, copper tubing, and variable-speed blowers.
- Versatile: the air source heat pumps come in diverse types, including ductless, ducted, short-run ducted, split, packaged, single-zone, or multi-zone air source heat pumps. Getting the best requires the help of qualified and knowledgeable air conditioner installation experts in Irving, TX.
Disadvantages of Air Source Heat Pumps
- High initial costs: purchasing the air source heat pump is more costly than other conventional heat pumps. The price is high because they factor in the quality of the unit, air conditioner installation expenses due to the complexity of the system, and the type of the ASHP you buy.
- Uses electricity to operate: the system solely relies on electric power to run, implying you are at risk of enduring too much heat or cold in case of an outage.
Geothermal Heat Pumps
The other type of heat pump suitable for homes is the geothermal option. They have been in the heat pump market since the 1940s. The GeoExchange, ground-source, or earth-coupled heat pumps use the constant temperatures found underground or in water to heat and cool your home.
They are efficient in cooling and heating because of sustained temperatures a couple of feet underground that cannot change due to the sub-zero coldness or scorching hot temperatures above ground.
With correct installation, the heat pump transfers the warmth underground to your Irving, TX, house when the weather is cold and the coolness during sunny days.
Some geothermal heat pumps are water source heat pumps: that use water to push warm or cold air to your rooms for cooling or heating. The air conditioner installation expert connects the water loops to a nearby water source, including a lake, pond, river, or ground wells. The dual-source heat pumps consist of air source and geothermal heat pumps.
Pros of Geothermal Heat Pumps
- Higher comfort levels: some brands or models of geothermal heat pumps have two-speed compressors that work with variable fans that provide maximum comfort while saving on energy costs.
- The system also efficiently dehumidifies your home and purifies the air, making the indoor air quality healthy and cleaner.
- The geothermal unit does not also recycle air for continuous circulation of clean and fresh air.
- Operate Silently: Since the air conditioner installation experts do not install the outdoor condensing unit that makes noise, the geothermal AC unit operates quietly.
- Environmentally friendly: the geothermal heating and cooling unit do not generate carbon monoxide or greenhouse gasses that can harm the environment. It is the best option for eco-minded people because of the low pollution in the surroundings.
- Safe operation: another plus for the ground source heat pumps is the safe and clean operation of the system because it uses renewable energy it gets from the ground. The unit is the safest in the Irving, TX, HVAC market.
- Durability: The geothermal heating and cooling units are durable and can last the longest with accurate air conditioner installation services. With regular maintenance of the compressors, fans, and underground loops, the heat pump can last for many years or its entire lifespan.
- Low operating costs: ground source heat pumps operate on low energy costs despite the expensive upfront purchase and installation expenses. The monthly electricity bills of the heating and cooling system are lower because the unit does not produce heat but transfers heat from water or underground to and from your home.
- Versatile: The ground source heat pumps also use different loops to move heat in and from your house. You can choose from vertical, horizontal, closed-loop, and hybrid systems.
- Renewable energy incentives: using geothermal energy can be a plus if your state or local government offers financial incentives for all homeowners using renewable energy. People with a geothermal HVAC system can also qualify for funds from the Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Loans and Grants in Texas.
Cons of Geothermal Heat Pumps
- High Upfront costs: the geothermal heating and cooling system are expensive to buy and install. The drilling and air conditioner installation costs drive the price higher.
- Require electricity: as much as the system uses geothermal ground or water energy to heat or cool your home, the indoor heat pump unit still requires electricity to operate efficiently. So, you cannot do away with monthly electricity bills, though lower.
- Site dependent: unlike the solar heat pumps that an HVAC professional can install in any building, geothermal heat pumps require the air conditioner installation expert to consider the design and size of the heating and cooling unit.
The home should have space in the yard for drilling and installing the loops several feet underground. - Negative Impact on Landscaping: if you value your landscaping, you should not go for the geothermal heat pumps because drilling the yard is mandatory for installing the loops.
The drilling process by qualified air conditioner installation experts can destroy the beauty of your yard or garden. The temporary disturbance of the landscaping is temporary unless you require frequent repairs of the loops.
Hybrid Heat Pumps
The other popular heat pump in Irving, TX, is the hybrid type that consists of an air source heat pump and a gas or oil burner. The hybrid heat pump shifts electricity demand, lowering the need for oil, gas, and electric power.
The heat pumps use geothermal, air, and water energy to heat the home with additional gas or oil furnace units to generate more heat.
The first type of hybrid system is the ground and air source heat pump, and the other features a heat pump and gas or oil boilers or furnaces.
With correct air conditioner installation, the two-hybrid systems boost the efficiency of the conventional heat pumps during the changes from hot summers to ice-cold winter days.
It is good to familiarize yourself with the following pros and cons of the hybrid system if you are considering getting one.
Advantages of the Hybrid Heat Pump
- Energy-Efficient: the hybrid heat pump is more efficient than ordinary heat pumps and furnaces or boilers. They can switch from a heat pump to a heater that uses less electricity to heat your home because of oil or gas to generate heat.
- Backup heating: the issue of enduring chilly days is in the past with a hybrid heat pump. In case of a blackout, the system changes automatically from heat pump to boiler, continuing the heating process.
- Automatic switch: when you get a qualified and experienced air conditioner installation professional to install the hybrid system, it can switch automatically from the furnace to the heat pump or vice versa when it senses temperature changes.
Disadvantages of the Hybrid Heat Pump
- Installation costs: the hybrid unit is expensive to install. The air conditioner installation contractors connect one heating system, the furnace, or boiler, to the heat pump, making the process more costly. The HVAC specialists can also take more time to connect correctly for efficiency.
- Not suitable in all locations: the hybrid heat pump is efficient in places with tremendous low temperatures. The heat pumps can function perfectly in regions like Texas with mild warm and cold weather.
However, in areas that experience freezing temperatures, even if an ordinary heat pump system gets the best air conditioner installation services, it cannot provide sufficient heat for the extreme cold. - The hybrid heat pump comes in handy as it switches to furnace mode to generate more heat to warm the cold season.
- Complex maintenance: another con of the hybrid system is the additional components to inspect, clean, and tune-up during the maintenance process.
Solar Heat Pumps
In addition to the above systems, the solar-assisted heat pumps use solar energy to cool your home. An air conditioner installation technician installs solar panels strategically on the roof of your house to store the heat it gains from the sun to operate the air conditioner. Some of the pros and cons of the solar heat pumps include:
Pros of Solar Heat Pumps
- Saves on utility bills: when you choose to heat your Irving, TX, house with solar heat pumps if you want to spend less on electricity bills. The high efficient solar heat pump technology can save you a lot of money by sourcing energy from solar panels.
- The unit is energy efficient, especially on scorching hot days.
- Environmentally friendly: the solar heat pump uses power from the sun that poses no danger to your immediate environment. The solar panel an air conditioner installation professional installs saves enough clean energy that does not emit any carbon dioxide or other pollutants in the atmosphere.
- Renewable energy financial incentives: the federal and Texas government grants homeowners that install solar systems, such as the solar heat pump and other solar-powered systems, financial incentives to encourage more people to do the same.
The residential property owners with solar-assisted heat pumps can claim a 30 percent tax credit because of buying and installing the unit in their home. - Low maintenance costs: the solar panels are easy to clean and tune up, making the maintenance process easy and less costly.
Drawbacks of the Solar Heat Pumps
- Complexity in the installation: the solar-assisted heat pumps are difficult to install by an inexperienced AC installation technician.
- The solar panel requires a strategic setting to face the east, west, or north to attract enough solar energy. High purchasing costs: solar heat pumps are more expensive than other traditional heat pumps in the HVAC market.
- The final price includes air conditioner installation costs, panels, wiring, and batteries.
- Depending on the weather: solar-assisted air conditioners rely on solar energy to efficiently cool your space. The energy it collects on those days cannot effectively operate the air conditioner.
Get Yourself a Heat Pump!
If you have not upgraded to a heat pump, it is time you consider any of the above options to lower your utility bills if you can afford one. Each heat pump system has its pros and cons that you should consider before paying for air conditioner installation services.
You can call One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas for quality and competent HVAC services. We pride ourselves in serving the Irving, TX, clients and the surrounding areas. Our trained, qualified, certified, and experienced technicians use the latest technologies to provide exceptional HVAC services.