Towns like Yorba Linda, CA experience very mild winters: one of the benefits of living in Southern California. But we still need heating systems to keep our homes warm on those cold winter nights, and like most people, homeowners in the area want to be able to warm their homes without spending more than they need to on monthly bills. The solution may be a heat pump, which combines the effects of a heater and an air conditioner in one. Here’s a quick breakdown on how it works and why it’s well-suited to our climate. If you’re in the market for a new HVAC system, it pays to give heat pumps a good, close look.
How They Work
Heat pumps work in a manner almost identical to traditional centralized air conditioners. Refrigerant cycles through a loop of valves and coils that first bleed heat off of it (outside the home), then cool the surrounding air (inside the home) to be blown through your ducts with a fan. The only difference with a heat pump is that the flow of refrigerant can be reversed: releasing hot air inside your home and cooling the air outside your home.
The Benefits
Heat pumps work best in places with mild winters like ours, where the temperature rarely drops below freezing. Because it derives heat from a renewable resource like the refrigerant, it costs much less to run a heat pump in the winter than it would be to run another type of heating system, which can lower both your monthly bills and the chances of a major winter breakdown. In addition, by combining a heater and an air conditioner into one, a heat pump can save a great deal of space, while letting you heat or cool the home with just a simple flip of the switch.
If heat pumps sound like a good fit for you, call the pros at JC Mechanical, Inc. to discuss your options!