You may have heard a lot about heat pumps recently, and for a good reason! With rising energy costs throughout the country, heating your home this winter might be a lot more expensive than you’re used to paying.
Fortunately, adding a heat pump to your home can reduce your overall energy costs for years to come without sacrificing indoor comfort. Keep reading to learn more about these devices, how they work, and how they can save you money!
What Is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump is a part of your home’s HVAC system that can both heat and cool your home. It does this by transferring heat between the air inside your home and the air outside. Because a heat pump can both heat and cool, you may not need to install separate air conditioning or heating units to make your home feel cozy!
How Does a Heat Pump Work?
Unlike a furnace, a heat pump doesn’t generate heat. Instead, it pulls existing heat from the outdoors and brings it into your home. The most common type of heat pump transfers heat between the air inside your home and the air outside of it, but some heat pumps pull heat from the ground.
Powered by electricity, a heat pump uses refrigerant to facilitate this heat exchange, allowing you to get your home to the desired temperature.
If the Air Outdoors Is Cold, Where Does Heat Come From?
Everything has heat, even things that feel cold to us. A heat pump can draw heat from air that feels cold to people by condensing it, allowing air particles to get “excited” and move around more. The added pressure a heat pump puts on air from outside draws out the heat and transfers it to the air inside your home.
How Does a Heat Pump Save on Energy Costs?
A heat pump can reduce your energy costs because it doesn’t burn fossil fuels and uses only a little bit of electricity to work. In essence, a heat pump simply moves heat from one place to another. It takes some energy to facilitate this exchange, but not as much as it does to run a furnace during the winter.
Conventional furnaces often burn natural gas to generate heat, which is why you might see a reduction in your energy costs when you install a heat pump. You don’t even need to get rid of your furnace, either – a heat pump can supplement your main heating unit, allowing you to heat your home and still save money!
Have More Questions About Heat Pumps? We Can Help!
If you have additional questions about heat pumps and want to know how adding one can benefit your home, you can always reach out to Bay Heating & Air Conditioning for our advice and services! After listening to your heating needs, we can help you identify the right solutions for your home.
Learn more by scheduling an appointment with us today! Get started now by calling (440) 294-4954.