Having effective central air conditioning in PA is a must to avoid your house becoming overly hot in the summer. If you’re planning to add central air conditioning to your house or are replacing an old system, the first thing you need to do is decide whether to install a standard AC or a heat pump. Either type of system can be a great option, but there are some potential advantages and drawbacks to each one.
How Are Heat Pumps Different From Central Air Conditioners?
Both heat pumps and air conditioners use refrigerant to capture and transfer heat. The refrigerant starts as an extremely cold liquid. As it circulates through the evaporator coil inside the house, it absorbs heat from the air flowing across the coil. This process reduces the temperature of the air by around 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. It also results in the refrigerant changing from a cold liquid into a warm liquid.
The warm refrigerant then circulates back to the outdoor unit, where it first enters the compressor. When the refrigerant gets compressed, it instantly boils and turns into a superheated gas that’s much hotter than the air outside. As it then circulates through the condenser coil, all the heat it contains naturally gets released into the air.
This cycle of the refrigerant flowing inside and then back outside continues until the thermostat senses that the air inside the house drops to whatever temperature the thermostat is set to, at which time the thermostat signals the system to shut off.
The difference with heat pumps is that they can reverse this heat transfer cycle, which is what enables them to also provide heating during the winter. Instead of transferring heat from inside the house to outside, the system captures heat from the outdoor air and uses it to raise the temperature inside the house. Even though winter air obviously contains much less heat, the special properties of the refrigerant allow a heat pump to provide effective heating in below-zero temperatures. This is one reason why you now see many more heat pumps in Pennsylvania, since our winters almost never get so cold that they can’t work.
Energy Efficiency
Comparing the energy efficiency of different types of HVAC systems isn’t as straightforward as it might seem on the surface. All central air conditioners and heat pumps have a SEER2 rating. This rating is based on the average amount of energy the system should use over a single cooling season. If you were to compare an AC and a heat pump with the same SEER2 rating, they would use about the same amount of energy and cost about the same to run.
The difficulty comes in the fact that heat pumps also provide heating, meaning you also need to compare how efficiently they work over the winter compared to other heating options. Heating efficiency is where heat pumps really excel, as they are typically around two to three times more efficient than gas furnaces and at least four to five times more efficient than other types of electric heating, such as electric furnaces or baseboard heaters.
Installation Cost Comparison
The cost to install a central AC system or a heat pump depends on the type and model you choose. Nonetheless, you should expect to pay a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars more to install a heat pump than you would for a comparable standard central AC system. One of the biggest factors, when deciding whether it’s worth spending the extra money on a heat pump, is the age and condition of your existing heating system.
If you installed a new furnace within the past few years that works well, it’s probably not worth paying the higher cost for a heat pump. Furnaces typically don’t last for much more than 15 years. As such, a heat pump may be the better choice if your furnace is more than 10 years old. A new system should save you quite a bit of money on your heating bills.
The type of heating you have is also an important consideration. Specifically, if your home has radiant heating, installing a standard central air conditioner is generally going to be the best choice.
Life Expectancy
How long any type of HVAC system lasts before it needs to be replaced depends largely on how often it is maintained. Whether you have a heat pump or separate AC and heating systems, scheduling twice-yearly maintenance is crucial for ensuring effective performance and a longer lifespan. That said, even with proper maintenance, you will almost always need to replace a heat pump system sooner than you would a standard central AC system. The fact that heat pumps also run during the winter instead of only during the warmer months means that they experience more wear and tear and typically fail sooner.
Overall Comfort
If a central AC and a heat pump are properly sized and have comparable efficiency ratings, there won’t be any noticeable difference in how well they cool your house during the summer. As such, this is another area where you need to focus on the difference between a heat pump and whatever type of heating system you currently have in your home.
Gas furnaces typically heat the incoming air to somewhere between 140 and 180 degrees, ensuring they can quickly warm the entire house even during periods of extreme cold. How much heat a heat pump produces depends on the outside temperature. In milder conditions, the air a heat pump system puts out is typically only between 80 and 100 degrees. That means the system will have to run for longer to fully heat the house each time it cycles on. However, the difference generally won’t be that noticeable unless it’s extremely cold outside or if you’re trying to raise the temperature inside your house by more than a few degrees.
At Dowd HVAC, we offer a wide range of quality heating and cooling options in PA, and our expert team can help you find the best system for your home. From central air conditioning and heat pumps to furnaces and boilers, we have the solutions you need to ensure year-round home comfort.
To schedule service in Bensalem, Hatboro, or the surrounding areas, contact us today.
