One of the primary benefits of installing heat pumps is the ability to provide both cooling and heating to your home. While conventional HVAC systems depend on the combination of air conditioners and furnaces, heat pumps offer an effective single source to control the comfort within your home year-round. Heat pumps are exceptionally energy efficient, and contemporary models are able to work in cold weather temperatures common throughout the Midwest.

Understanding How Heat Pumps Work

There are two modes for air source heat pumps. During the warmer months, heat pumps work effectively like air conditioners. Hot air within your home passes over cool indoor coils. Energy is removed from the air, and pressurized refrigerant transfers the heat to the outdoor unit. Air temperatures within your home are reduced.

When temperatures drop, a cold climate heat pump may replace or work alongside a natural gas or propane furnace. As a heating system, the process reverses.

Cold air from inside your house is passed through the air handler or furnace depending on the design of your system. Within the system, high-pressure, high-temperature gas in the indoor coil transfers heat to warm the air. Cold temperatures condense refrigerant in the coil and this energy is transferred to the outdoor unit. In the outdoor coil, heat from the air transfers energy to the low-pressure refrigerant. As a low-temperature refrigerant moves through the compressor, the temperature rises and pressure builds. The cycle continually repeats, transferring heated refrigerant into your home and removing cool refrigerant from your home.

Can a Heat Pump Replace a Gas Furnace?

Considering the benefits of heat pumps both for energy consumption and environmental impacts, many homeowners inquire about replacing furnaces with heat pumps. Every home and household is unique so hiring an experienced, highly knowledgeable team is important. Because heat pump technology is rapidly advancing, Poston Brothers works tirelessly with manufacturers to train on the benefits and limitations of heat pumps.

Rapidly Evolving Technology

Historically, geographic regions that experience prolonged and extremely cold weather require a furnace or a hybrid heating system that combines a heat pump system with a furnace. In a hybrid heating system, an air source heat pump provides the majority of heating throughout the cold weather months. When temperatures drop below the efficient range of the heat pump, a natural gas furnace or other heat-producing appliance supplements the heat pump.

As a leading manufacturer of air source heat pumps, Daikin continues to design innovations that allow heat pumps to work in cold weather. This allows many homeowners to consult with Poston Brothers about a more efficient and environmentally friendly method of heating their home. Even in freezing temperatures, contemporary heat pumps are able to draw energy from the outside air and operate efficiently.

Incentives for Installing a Heat Pump

In 2022 the Inflation Reduction Act introduced tax credits for residential renewable energy products. Heat pumps are included in this tax credit, allowing more homeowners and HVAC professionals to access these appliances.

Heat pumps are considered renewable energy because they do not produce direct carbon emissions. A furnace relies on natural gas or propane to generate heat. These systems are very effective but are less energy efficient than a heat pump. The byproduct of burning gas must also be exhausted from your home. Heat pump systems function solely by using electricity so there are no direct emissions.

More notable to many homeowners is saving on energy bills. A residential heat pump significantly reduces energy usage compared to other forms of heating. So whether your household is focused on saving money on heating and cooling or your top priority is reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Poston Brothers has you covered with heat pump installation.

Can Heat Pumps Work in the Winter?

For almost all winter conditions, modern heat pumps provide a great solution to heating homes efficiently. You have direct control over the system from your thermostat. Heat pumps simply operate in the background of your life. Extreme cold creates a challenge which is why contacting an HVAC company that specializes in heat pumps is important. Choosing the right heat pump for your home and environment is essential.

Not all HVAC companies specialize in heat pumps, so contacting Poston Brothers is a wise choice. We take the time to evaluate the unique needs of your home and answer your questions with careful and simple-to-understand answers. For some households, we install air source heat pumps with an air handler to provide all the heating and cooling required for the design of your home. Some homes benefit from using a hybrid heating system with a furnace and heat pump. When you work with the team at Poston Brothers we happily guide you through an informed process so you make the right choice for your home.