A new heating installation in Irvine, CA usually isn’t a big moment—and that’s because homeowners rarely think about heating systems in the mild winter climates of Southern California. However, any HVAC installation is important, and we recommend you give some serious thought to what type of heater you have in your house. If you’ve come to the point where you’re certain it’s time to put in a new heating system, one of the best options available in our climate is a heat pump.
Heat pumps are different from most standard heaters, such as furnaces and boilers, so to help you out with a heat pump installation, we’ve listed some vital facts about what to expect from a heat pump.
ONE: Heat pumps must be used as both heating and cooling systems
Heat pumps are two-in-one units that function as both air conditioners and heaters. There’s no such thing as a heat pump that only heats, because the construction of a heat pump is almost identical to an air conditioner: it circulates refrigerant to move heat from one place to another. Unlike a standard AC, a heat pump can change the direction it moves heat to operate either as a heating or cooling system. If you aren’t planning to replace both your current AC and heater, then a heat pump isn’t the best choice. You won’t get the proper value from a heat pump if you only plan to use it in one mode.
TWO: Heat pumps are not ideal for gas-powered homes
When it comes to replacing an electric furnace, a heat pump is one of the best choices available. A heat pump runs on electricity, but consumes far less power than an electric furnace. However, if your home has natural gas piped to it, we recommend you make the best use of this fuel source and stay with either a gas boiler or a gas furnace. These are cost-effective ways to heat a home, as well as powerful and convenient.
THREE: Heat pumps won’t have efficiency trouble in our climate
When researching heat pumps online, you’ll often come across a warning about drops in efficiency during the winter. Because a heat pump must access heat from the outside when it’s in heating mode (it transports this thermal energy into the house), it can struggle when the outdoor temperature drops too far and lose efficiency. This is never a problem in Orange County, since the point where a heat pump may suffer from an efficiency loss is far below freezing. And that doesn’t happen here. You can expect solid and steady performance from a heat pump any day you need it in heating mode.
FOUR: A heat pump in cooling mode is the equal of an air conditioner
A heat pump doesn’t sacrifice cooling power in order to also have heating power. When your heat pump switches over to cooling mode, it will perform as well as a standard air conditioner of the same size. If you’re worried about having enough cooling in our hot summer, have no fear! When our technicians size your heat pump for installation, it will deliver ideal comfort in every season.
Saddleback Plumbing Heating & Air has served Orange County since 1981. Schedule service for the best home heating.