With the chill of winter behind us (mostly) for another year, all eyes are on the heat of summer. As alluring as that may sound, it’s important to keep in mind just how unpleasant our summer weather can be when you’re not able to get the respite you deserve. The heat, the humidity—you’re going to need a break. And when you go into your home, you should not be compromising on your comfort! That’s why now is the time for a new AC.
If you do need a new air conditioner installed, we suggest that you take a minute to really think about what type of AC you’ll use. Central air conditioners are a great option, of course, but they’re not the only systems out there. We strongly recommend that you take the heat pump into consideration, as well. Heat pumps offer some incredible benefits that even the best central ACs will struggle to match. We install and service heat pumps from the best manufacturers.
Heat Pumps Cool Homes Just Like Central Air Conditioners
A lot of homeowners are actually pretty unclear on how it is that their home cooling systems, well, actually cool their homes! It’s a relatively simple process, but it is one that you definitely want a great system handling in your home. The crux of the cooling process is the refrigerant cycle (which is why refrigerant leaks are so serious!).
Your air conditioner has 2 units, one indoors and one outdoors. Refrigerant cycles through the system and through both of these units. In the indoor unit, refrigerant is evaporated in the evaporator coil. This allows heat in the air passing through this coil to be drawn out of it. That cooled air is then distributed throughout the house in order to cool the living space, while the hot refrigerant travels to the outdoor unit.
The outdoor unit is the condenser unit, and it is here that the refrigerant is (unsurprisingly) condensed. In condensing the refrigerant, the unit allows its heat to be released, and then the cooled refrigerant continues the cycle back indoors. Now, a central AC and a heat pump operate very similarly in this regard. However, a component called a “reversing valve” also allows the system to reverse the flow of the refrigerant—and to reverse its entire function!
Enjoy Extremely Efficient Heating, Too!
Things get pretty chilly around here, even if you don’t rely on your heater quite as much as your AC in Chesterfield. That’s why a heat pump is really the perfect type of system for our climate. They don’t create new heat the way that a furnace or a boiler would, but instead use the refrigerant cycle to transfer existing heat into the house. They do use some electricity to compress refrigerant in order to boost its thermal energy, but that is pretty minor when compared to creating new heat.
So, if you’re interested in a home comfort system that you can use year-round that will also help you to scale back on your energy costs, give a member of our team a call today.
Contact Fresh Air Heating & Cooling for your heat pump service needs.