If you’re in the market for a new heating system and a new air conditioner, you’re in luck. You can get a system that combines the efficiency and convenience of a heat pump (a heating and cooling system in one) with the affordable heating of a furnace. The entire system works together to automatically toggle between the two systems to provide optimal heating and efficient cooling.
Here’s How It Works
During the cooling season, your heat pump is essentially just an air conditioner. It has an outdoor unit and an indoor unit and it moves refrigerant from place to place, absorbing heat from inside of the home and moving it outside. That’s how it cools down a space, by transferring heat out of it.
A heat pump uses that same refrigerant that cycles throughout the system to heat your home too. It absorbs heat from the air outside, then moves this heat outside. This is actually a very efficient way to get heat into a room. Moving heat uses less energy than producing or generating heat through other processes.
The only problem is that this gets less and less efficient as temperatures drop. In some areas, a heat pump is sufficient and efficient throughout the year. But in Ohio, you might need a backup system as temperatures approach freezing.
That’s what makes a dual-fuel heat pump so perfect for many homeowners in our area. A dual-fuel system switches over to a gas furnace once it gets so cold that a heat pump would be inefficient. That’s where the name comes from: the two fuels are electricity and gas. Natural gas is not too expensive to use in the winter, while electric heating can get expensive as temperatures drop. This system can save you a lot of money and hassle.
Call Bartels Heating & Cooling today to get a dual-fuel heating system for your home in Hamilton, OH.