What’s the Difference Between a Heat Pump and Air Conditioner?
Heat Pump System
These systems can both cool and warm your space. During the summer they bring in the hot air from outside your home, and combine it with refrigerant so it blows out cool. When winter comes, there is a reversing valve that basically switches it to where the cold air comes out of your home and it brings warm to your space. One downfall of this system is that once temperatures drop below freezing, they shut go into auxiliary mode and have to defrost themselves. This is when you would have to revert to using another type of heat source such as gas. The initial upfront cost is typically more costly, but you save in the long run.
Air Conditioning System
These systems cool only during the warmer seasons. They are not able to heat your home, which is why there are furnaces that go along with them. Since these run only a few months of the year, their lifespan is usually longer than a heat pump. Their lifespan, depending on how well they’re maintained, can range from 8-12 years. These are more typical in our area since our summer temperatures get so high. These can come in complete packaged, split and also mini-split systems. A system that is becoming more and more popular is mini-split systems. These have no ducting that goes through them so it’s easy to place them in small buildings such as a shop or garage. Most homes have split systems. This includes ducting, the outside condenser coil, inside furnace and air handler. Now if you were to go to a shopping mall or commercial building, nine times out of ten there are packaged units cooling the space.
I know what I want, but is it what I need?
Both of these types of systems have their ups and downs. There are a few things to keep in mind when deciding on one. These things include but are not limited to: climate in your area, budget, the type of building you are in, and the size of the space. When determining what unit you want, remember to keep in mind that an expert comfort adviser can assist you with any question or concern you may have. Our comfort advisers will walk through your home completely, check ducting, line sets, take measurements and go over what they find with you. Whether you’d like to add a bigger unit to increase airflow, or downsize to something more compact like a mini-split, we’ve got your back. We have been serving the Permian Basin since 2006 and are locally owned and operated. We’ll treat you like family and give you the five star service you deserve.
