High Efficiency Heat Pumps

If you’re looking for an efficient way to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, a heat pump may be your answer. Heat pumps are dual-use systems that use the same system to pump heat into your home during the heating season and pump it out of your home during the cooling season, maintaining a consistent, comfortable temperature all year long.

How a Heat Pump Works

Heat pumps fall into two broad categories: air-source heat pumps and geothermal heat pumps. An air-source heat pump is basically a reversible air conditioner. During the summer, it absorbs heat from the indoor air and transfers it outside with a standard cooling cycle, exactly like a central air conditioner. During the winter, the cycle runs in reverse, collecting heat from the outside air and pumping it into the home to warm you up. Believe it or not, an air-source heat pump can collect heat even from outdoor air as cold as zero degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature falls too low, the heat pump’s panel of electric heating coils kicks in as a backup system to keep the home warm.

Geothermal heat pumps use the same reversible cooling cycle, but instead of depending on the outside air, they draw from the stable temperatures of 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit found underground. Geothermal systems use underground loops to exchange heat between your home and the ground below, providing highly efficient climate control no matter how hot or cold the outside air gets.

One downside of air-source heat pumps is that they do require a good deal of maintenance because they run all year long. Geothermal systems, however, require minimal maintenance and are some of the most durable systems available. The above-ground components can last 20 to 25 years, and the underground components are good for 50 years or more.

Heat pumps may not be the best choice for every home, but they can provide highly efficient climate control throughout the year for many, particularly new construction or major renovation. If you’re interested in transitioning to a heat pump for your Springfield area home or need maintenance on your existing system, give us a call at (413) 200-4203.