If you’re considering making a change to your HVAC system this fall, one option to consider is a heat pump. If you know anything about heat pumps, it’s probably that they function as both heating and cooling systems. Rather than having a separate AC and furnace, an HVAC system only needs the single heat pump and air handler to be able to provide year-round comfort to a house.

But you may also have heard about the limits of heat pumps, and that they won’t work efficiently in all environments. This is true—but how are heat pumps for the climate in Arizona?

The answer is: great! Heat pumps are ideal for our annual climate. We’ll talk more below about why this is and the benefits of having a heat pump installation in Glendale, AZ.

 

Heat Pumps at Work in Arizona Weather

Let’s go a bit deeper into heat pump operation to help explain why they work well for our climate.

A heat pump works in a similar fashion to an air conditioner: using refrigerant, it moves heat from one location to another. When the heat pump is in cooling mode, it acts just like any air conditioner you’ve had in a house before—it removes heat from inside and exhausts it outside. Now you just reverse that for heating mode—the heat pump removes heat from outside and moves it inside.

From reading that, you probably can already see where a heat pump has an advantage in Arizona. A heat pump needs heat outside in order to provide warmth, and our winters are mild enough that a heat pump won’t have to expend extra energy trying to obtain enough outside heat. In general, heat pumps can maintain their regular efficiency in temperatures down to 35°F. We rarely experience temperatures that cold, so a heat pump can ably handle the comfort needs of a house through the winter.

And, if you’re curious, heat pumps are great at cooling as well. A heat pump can provide the same cooling power as an air conditioner of the same capacity.

The Electrical Power Advantage

Here’s something else we want you to know about heat pumps that may affect your decision to get one. When it comes to electrical-powered heating systems, heat pumps cost less to run than electric furnaces or electric baseboard heaters.

The reason for this is how a heat pump uses electricity. Rather than convert electrical power directly into heat through electrical resistance, which is how electric furnaces and baseboard heaters work, heat pumps use electrical power to move heat from one place to another. This consumes much less power. If you make the change from an electric furnace to a heat pump, you can reduce your winter heating costs by up to 50%.

Is a Heat Pump Right for You?

This all sounds like there are no downsides to having a heat pump installed. But no HVAC system is a perfect match for all homes. If you use natural gas to heat your house, you will probably want to stay with using a gas furnace and air conditioner, for example. If you want to know more about heat pumps and if one is the right choice for your house, reach out to our team.

Cool Touch Air Conditioning and Heating is your HVAC contractor in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. Kick back and relax—we’ll keep you cool.