What’s the Most Efficient Way to Heat and Cool Your Home?

Living in Bellaire, Texas, you are used to hot, sticky summers as well as winters that bring unpredictable and varied weather. You need a heating and cooling system that can keep up with the changing weather efficiently and still keep you comfortable all year long.

Air Conditioners

Invented in 1902 as a way to combat humidity, the air conditioner has seen many technological enhancements that have made it even better at tackling humidity and indoor temperatures. The technology is fairly simple — refrigerant moves through coils, transitioning back and forth between a gaseous and liquid state while absorbing and getting rid of heat in the process. Fans blow air across the evaporator coils containing the refrigerant and cool air is pumped into your home with the help of a compressor and condenser.

Continued improvements in technology have introduced more energy-efficient models to the market, like Carrier’s Infinity 21 Central Air Conditioner. This superior unit boasts a 21 SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio). Its two-stage compression provides the desired level of cooling with better dehumidification.

Heat Pumps

Heat pumps are similar to air conditioning systems in appearance but are an efficient heating and cooling alternative that work well in moderate climates like Texas. Heat pumps pull warmth from the outdoor air to heat your home during the winter months. In the summer, it does the reverse and removes hot air from your home, replacing it with cooler air. Because the system does not actually generate the warm air and uses less energy to produce cool air, you quickly see energy savings.

Carrier’s Infinity 20 Heat Pump with Greenspeed Intelligence uses adaptable-speed technology and extra control to keep you cooler in the summer months and warmer in the colder months without using extra energy. It will select the right temperature for your home and heat and cool it efficiently. It is also one of the most energy-efficient heat pumps available, coming in with a 13 HSPF (heating seasonal performance factor) rating.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

Geothermal heat pumps are similar to traditional heat pumps because they also move air to provide heating and cooling. However, instead of using surface air, they pull what they need from just below the ground, which holds steady temperatures that average around 50 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year. Tubes (earth loop) filled with refrigerant are installed deep in the ground in your yard. The liquid in the tubes absorbs heat from the ground during the winter and uses it to heat indoors. In the summer the geothermal system removes heat via the earth loop.

Carrier’s Performance Geothermal Heat Pump GT is one of the most energy-efficient geothermal heat pumps on the market. The variable speed blower keeps the noise down and is also very energy efficient. Other features include humidity and temperature controls.

Radiant Heat

What makes radiant heat different is that the warm air comes up from a heating system installed beneath the floor. Air, electric, and hydronic are the three types of radiant heating available, although air radiant heating is often combined with a solar heating system and can be beyond most budgets. It is also not the most efficient type of radiant heating available.

Electric radiant systems can operate with electrically conductive plastic mats in the subfloor or with cables built directly into the floor. The hydronic radiant system is the most common radiant heat option available. It heats water in a boiler that moves through tubes under your floor to heat your home. Some radiant heat systems even allow for zoning control, giving you more command over your thermostat and its heating abilities.

The right heating and cooling option is the one that fits your budget and lifestyle. When you are ready to discuss your heating and cooling options contact Conditioned Air at (281) 561-6911. Our technicians are skilled in the installation and servicing, of various types of HVAC systems. Schedule a consultation with us today!

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