Arizona has some brutal summer weather. However, when winter settles in, it can get surprisingly chilly during the overnight hours. Having a reliable heating system is a must to ensure optimal comfort for your family through those cold desert nights. One system you may want to consider getting is a heat pump, but there are many myths and misunderstanding about these unique heating and cooling units.
If you’re wondering if a heat pump is a good HVAC choice for Arizona homes, read this expert guide from the heating and AC experts at El Indio AC!
What Are Heat Pumps?
Most homeowners understand how traditional furnaces work. They simply burn fuel to create heat, and that heat gets dispersed throughout your home via your ductwork. A heat pump can be a little bit more complicated to understand. Heat pumps work by transferring heat from one location to another. During the wintertime, they transport heat from the air outside to the inside of your home.
Heat pumps rely on electricity to operate and use a specialized substance known as refrigerant. The outdoor condensing unit features a blower fan that draws in air from the outside and passes it over the evaporator coil. As the air travels over this coil, heat will naturally move from the air to the low-pressure, cool refrigerant inside the coil.
The unit’s compressor will pump the refrigerant to your indoor air handler unit. Inside your indoor unit is another coil, known as the condenser coil. As the hot refrigerant passes through the coil, the blower fan for your indoor unit will pass indoor air over it. Heat will naturally move from the high-pressure, hot refrigerant to the low-pressure, cool room air. Your blower fan then circulates that warm air throughout your ducting to warm your home.
Perfect for Standard Heat Pumps
There are two different styles of heat pumps: standard and cold climate units. Standard heat pumps perform well in mild to moderate climates, while cold climate units excel in areas with consistent freezing temperatures. Standard heat pumps are much less expensive than their cold-weather counterparts and provide both heating and cooling. Because Arizona has a relatively mild climate with winter nighttime lows in the 40s, it’s the perfect location for a standard heat pump.
Maximum Energy Efficiency
One of the primary reasons many Arizona homeowners are opting for a heat pump is its energy efficiency. According to the Department of Energy, heat pumps can produce up to three times the amount of heat energy they consume in electricity. The only type of heating system that comes anywhere close to the 300% efficiency of a heat pump is an electric furnace or baseboard that offers 100% efficiency. The more efficient your heating system is, the less money you have to spend to keep your home at a comfortable temperature during the winter.
Heating and Cooling
One major benefit of a heat pump that simply can’t be overlooked is that it can provide both heating and cooling for your home. Instead of having you install two separate units, like a furnace and a central air conditioner, you only need one. This can be great for maximizing the value from your new system and providing you with year-round comfort.
Ducted and Ductless Options
Another reason that a heat pump is a great choice for your Arizona home is that it comes in both ducted and ductless models. If you already have ductwork in your home from another type of heating system, like a furnace, you can purchase a standard heat pump that will utilize that same infrastructure. However, if your home doesn’t have ductwork, you can also purchase a ductless heat pump that uses multiple indoor air handler units to deliver warm air throughout your home. These are called mini-splits.
Tax Incentives
One significant advantage of purchasing a heat pump is that it may make you eligible to receive a tax incentive from the Federal government. Because heat pumps have such high operating efficiency, the federal government is rewarding homeowners who purchase them as a way to help reduce the nation’s overall energy consumption.
Currently, homeowners can claim up to $3,200 in the form of a tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 when they purchase a qualifying heat pump. It’s common for some state and local governments to also offer incentives to homeowners who purchase these units. You may even find that your local utility company will give you a one-time credit on your utility bill if you are buying a heat pump.
Better Safety
One of the biggest concerns homeowners have about heating systems that burn fuel, such as oil, natural gas, and propane, is their ultimate safety. Any heating system that burns fuel to create heat produces toxic exhaust fumes as the by-product of its combustion process. These fumes, like carbon monoxide, can be hazardous to your health if they’re not vented safely outdoors.
Whenever your furnace experiences a malfunction, it’s possible for these dangerous fumes to accumulate inside your home. Fortunately, when you rely on a heat pump to warm your home throughout the winter, there’s no possibility of any toxic fumes backing up into your home. Heat pumps don’t utilize any sort of combustion process, eliminating the possibility of poisonous fume production.
Modern Technology
Another potential reason to consider a heat pump for your Arizona home is that it features modern technology that offers improved comfort and higher operating efficiency. Modern-day heat pumps feature variable-speed compressors that enable them to automatically adjust their output according to your actual demand.
This means that instead of turning on at full blast like a furnace, heat pumps will only operate at the necessary capacity to bring your home up to your desired temperature. This can do wonders for saving money on your energy bills and preventing that unnecessary hot blast of air followed by a chilling down period before your unit kicks back on. Newer units offer smart thermostat technology that provides the benefits of geofencing, temperature programming, eco-mode, real-time energy usage reporting, and more.
Maintenance Requirements
For your heat pump to continually operate efficiently, it needs to receive routine maintenance. Your unit will need professional service every fall to prepare it for the upcoming winter season. Additionally, there are some things you’ll need to do as a homeowner to ensure continued efficiency throughout the winter months.
One of the most important things is cleaning the air filter. If you have a ducted heat pump, replace the filter in your return ducting about every two to three months. If you have a ductless mini-split setup, it’s necessary to clean the filter in each indoor air handler unit at least once a month. Furthermore, you’ll need to clean up the area around your outdoor condenser unit and keep it free from any shrubbery or other debris that could restrict airflow in or out of it.
Expert Heat Pump Installation Service
El Indio AC offers expert heat pump installation service for the Tolleson, AZ area. We can also assist with all your heat pump repair, replacement, and maintenance needs. Contact El Indio AC today to book your next service appointment.
