Using Heat Pump Systems as an AC Alternative
As news of the city of Berkeley’s ban on natural gas sets in for homeowners, the rest of California is rethinking ways to keep our homes comfortable. The electrification movement also has homeowners looking for energy efficient ways to stay cool in the summer, and cozy warm in the winter. This is where heat pumps come in! Despite what the name may imply, heat pumps are an incredibly versatile way to approach home comfort, especially here in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, CA. Here’s how they work.
Heat Pumps Keep You Cool By Moving Heat
You might assume that because “heat” is in the name, a heat pump only provides heat. Heat pumps don’t create heat, they move it! This can happen in two ways: moving heat out of the home, or moving heat into the home. A central air conditioner works similarly, but it only works one way. With a heat pump installed in your home, the summer heat that accumulates in your home is moved outside, making the cool air coming in from the heat pump compressor unit much more effective. This reduces your indoor temperatures in a much more efficient way, saving you energy and money month after month!
Heat pumps can be installed directly into the room that needs cooling as a supplemental (but permanent) cooling solution, they can be combined with multiple indoor air handlers for a whole-home solution, or can be connected to a central ductwork system as a total replacement for traditional air conditioning.
Efficiency Home Comfort, Year Round
The other side of the coin when it comes to heat pumps is after the summer heat has dissipated. When the temperatures finally drop in the winter, a heat pump reverses the same process and pulls heat from the outdoors into your home.
Even in freezing temperatures, a heat pump can absorb the little bits of ambient heat in the air and use it to get a head start creating more heat for use in your home. Just like with cooling, this is a much more efficient way to keep your home at the perfect temperature, and you don’t have to switch from one appliance (your air conditioning) to another appliance (your gas furnace or boiler) when the seasons change.
How You’ll Benefit From a Heat Pump in California
Energy bill savings
Reliable home comfort all year
Maintain fewer appliances
Whisper quiet operation
Reduced risk of a heating and cooling system emergency
Ask Hassler About Heat Pump Installation
If you’re concerned about the future of your home heating and cooling, or are thinking you may have to upgrade your air conditioner or natural gas furnace in the near future, ask the home comfort experts at Hassler about heat pumps. We can pair you with the right size heat pump, and professionally install it for maximum comfort and minimal energy loss. We can also evaluate your home to find other ways you might be able to reduce your energy usage with an energy assessment, where we can locate areas of poor insulation, air leaks, or other home performance issues that may be contributing to your home’s lack of comfort or high energy costs.
Plus, you may even qualify for the savings of the The BayRen Home + Electrification Rebate Program, which can significantly reduce the cost of heat pump installation.