4 Features to Look for When Selecting a New Heat Pump

Heat pumps provide efficient heating and cooling for Texas homes. Like a refrigerator, a heat pump uses electricity to move heat from one space to another. In this way, it cools your home in the same way an air conditioner does and heats it by operating in reverse. If you’ve decided this is the type of replacement HVAC equipment you want, be sure to look for the following four advanced features when selecting a new heat pump.

Advanced Compressor

The most efficient compressors have two speeds and a scroll design. Two-speed compressors help the heat pump meet the specific heating and cooling demand of the moment. When demand decreases, the compressor operates at a lower capacity to save energy.

Add in the scroll feature and you enjoy optimal performance. This type of compressor allows heated air to get 10 to 15 degrees warmer than piston compressors while also operating more quietly and lasting longer.

Variable-Speed Motor

Along with a two-speed compressor comes a variable-speed motor. This allows the heat pump to deliver heated and cooled air at different velocities depending on demand. The ability to run at a lower capacity reduces cool drafts, maximizes electrical savings and keeps the home at a more consistent temperature.

Desuperheater

This high-efficiency feature gives you nearly free hot water in the summer. It recycles the hot air exhausted during air conditioning and uses it to heat your home’s water. Since Texas relies on cooling much more than heating, it’s worthwhile to seek the desuperheater feature when selecting a new heat pump for two to three times more efficient water heating.

Efficient Backup Heater

Backup burners are an efficient backup heating option. They provide combustion-based backup heat on those chilly nights when the heat pump can’t keep up with demand. This uses less energy than electric resistance backup heating, which heats air the same way a toaster does. Backup burners can operate on natural gas, propane, oil, wood or coal.

For more help selecting a new heat pump, please contact Conditioned Air TX. We’ve been proudly serving the Sugar Land, River Oaks and Bellaire area since 1956.

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