If you’ve lived in Wisconsin through the winter season, you know just how frigid the weather can get. And you also know just how expensive it can be to heat your home when outdoor temperatures start dropping. But if you’ve always heated your home using a traditional furnace system, you may not be aware that a more efficient heating system is available.
What system are we hinting at? A heat pump! And if you’re not familiar with it, now’s the time to educate yourself. Read on to learn what heat pumps are, how they work, and whether opting for a heat pump in lieu of a furnace might be a good idea.
What Is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump is a standalone apparatus that’s capable of not only heating the air but also cooling it. It features a condenser and an air handler that are split by a refrigerant line, which is why heat pumps are sometimes referred to as mini-splits. These units don’t require any ductwork to distribute the air they heat and cool, and they’re typically about three times more efficient than a traditional furnace.
Types of Heat Pumps
There are two types of heat pumps — air source and geothermal (ground source) — commonly used for heating and cooling in the Wisconsin Rapids area. Although both types of heat pump ultimately heat and cool an indoor space, they each rely on a different source of heat energy. Here’s a basic breakdown of how each one works.
Air Source Heat Pumps
Air source heat pumps transfer heat between an indoor space and the outdoor air. These devices either absorb heat energy from ambient outdoor air and move that heat indoors, or they absorb heat energy from indoor air and transfer that energy outdoors.
Geothermal Heat Pumps
Geothermal (ground source) heat pumps transfer heat between an indoor space and the subsurface soil. The ground approximately eight feet below the surface of the earth maintains a relatively constant temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Geothermal heat pumps take advantage of the constant temperature, absorbing and concentrating the earth’s heat energy and moving it indoors.
How Does a Heat Pump Work?
Heat pumps work by absorbing heat from the air, concentrating that heat, and then transferring it from one place to another. The unit accomplishes this by altering the pressure of the refrigerant contained within its system.
When the refrigerant is at low pressure, it readily absorbs heat from the surrounding air and then changes state from a liquid to a gas. That high-pressure gas contains more heat energy than the surrounding air, so it transfers heat into the air and then condenses back into a liquid.
Even when it’s cold outdoors, there’s still heat energy in the air and ground, and these devices simply take advantage of that energy. Here’s how these pumps either heat or cool an indoor space.
Heating With a Heat Pump
When it’s cold outdoors, a heat pump absorbs heat from the air or ground when its refrigerant fluid is at low pressure. As it absorbs heat energy, the liquid refrigerant converts from a liquid to a high-pressure gas, which contains more heat energy than the air inside the building.
The device then transfers that heat energy into the ambient air inside the building. As the refrigerant gas cools, it condenses back to a liquid, a process that continually reoccurs.
Cooling With a Heat Pump
A heat pump’s cooling process works just like its heating process, only in reverse. And this process mimics the process a conventional air conditioner uses to cool an indoor space.
The device absorbs heat energy from the indoor air when the refrigerant is at low pressure, which causes the refrigerant liquid to transform from a liquid to a gas. The high-pressure refrigerant gas then contains more heat energy than the outside air or the subsurface soil, so it transfers that energy into the air or ground.
As the heat transfer outdoors, the refrigerant gas cools, which causes it to transform back into a liquid. This process continually repeats to keep an indoor space cool and comfortable.
Why Is a Heat Pump More Efficient Than a Furnace or Air Conditioner?
Heat pumps are remarkably energy efficient because rather than creating warm or cool air, they simply absorb heat energy and move it from one place to another. Burning fuel to generate heat inevitably produces some degree of energy loss, but moving heat from one place to another doesn’t waste any energy at all.
Should You Opt for a Heat Pump in Lieu of a Furnace?
Probably not. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get one at all. Heat pumps experience a significant drop in efficiency when outdoor temperatures drop into the freezing or near-freezing range. That said, they can easily augment your furnace’s heating capacity when it’s a little warmer outdoors.
You can have an air-source heat pump added to your home and use it to boost your overall heating efficiency. When it’s cool outdoors (between 40 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit), you can use the heat pump rather than your furnace to warm your home, which can save you a chunk on your energy bills. Then, when temperatures really start dropping, switch over to the furnace during the coldest months of the year.
While you’re here, learn how to get your furnace ready for the winter season.
Get a Heat Pump Installation Quote Near Wisconsin Rapids
If you’re looking for ways to lower your annual energy expenses and reduce your environmental footprint, installing a heat pump is a great way to accomplish both of those goals. To learn more about all of your home heating and cooling options, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team! We serve homeowners throughout Wisconsin Rapids, Stevens Point, Marshfield, Wausau, and the surrounding areas. Give us a call today at 715-421-1800 or request an estimate, and we’ll go from there!