If you know anything about heat pumps, it’s probably that they’re similar to air conditioners, except they can also provide heating. Heat pumps were once only effective HVAC options in regions with mild winters, but advances in technology have made them viable for homes across the country. Many homeowners have started to consider heat pumps as replacements for the standard heating-and-cooling combination of a furnace and an AC—especially for all-electric homes.

Considering installing a heat pump in Indianapolis, IN this fall? Our team can help you make the choice and ensure you have a great installation. 

There are several important factors to know about switching over to a heat pump:

Heat pumps are similar to air conditioning systems in many ways. Both use a compressor to put refrigerant under pressure so it circulates between a set of indoor and outdoor refrigerant coils. The refrigerant absorbs heat from one location and releases it in the other in a process called heat exchange. The difference is that a heat pump has components that allow it to reverse the direction of heat exchange so that it can both remove heat from the home (cooling mode) and bring heat into the home (heating mode).

If heat pumps draw their heat from the outside on cold days, where is the heat coming from? The answer is that there’s always heat in the air, even on the coldest days. Older heat pumps struggled on days below freezing and would lose efficiency. Newer heat pumps don’t have the same problem—they can work at the same efficiency on most winter days and nights.

This is simple: you can’t purchase a heat pump to replace only half of your current HVAC system. If you’re only replacing the AC and leaving the furnace in place, it’s wasteful to spend the money on a heat pump and only run it in cooling mode. A heat pump costs more than just purchasing an air conditioner! The best time to install a heat pump is when you plan to replace both the AC and furnace. 

If you have used an electric furnace to heat your home for years, you’ll find that a heat pump can help you cut down on your energy bills. Heat pumps use electricity to run, but they don’t use the energy source the same way a furnace does: they use electricity to move heat, not generate it, and this consumes less power. 

Because heat pumps don’t burn gas or create harmful emissions, they’re one of the safest ways to warm up a house. The outside cabinet doesn’t even get warm!

To find out more about heat pumps and to schedule service, talk to our pros today.

Call Vital Heating & Air for heat pump service , because “Your Comfort is Vital!” We are your Indianapolis licensed HVAC contractor.