- How does an air conditioner work?
An air conditioner consists of 3 main parts, the evaporator coil, the compressor, and the condenser. In a central air conditioning system, which cools the entire home, the evaporator coil is installed in the supply plenum of the furnace, and the compressor/condenser unit is the part of the system located outside the home. The evaporator and compressor/condenser unit are connected via refrigerant lines that send the refrigerant from the compressor in a hot and high pressure gas into the condenser where it cools and turns to a liquid and then travels to the evaporator. While in the evaporator it continues to cool and draws the heat from the air circulating through the home. The refrigerant then transforms back into a liquid and is drawn into the compressor where it is changed back into a hot high pressure gas. The refrigerant not only cools the air in the home, it also reduces the humidity. So any moisture in the air is collected and then drained away in the evaporator coil.
- How does a heat pump work?
A heat pump is basically an air conditioner that can run in reverse to provide heat during the heating season. Even at relatively cold temperatures, the heat pump can extract heat from the outside air in order to heat your home. When the outside temperature drops below the capability of the heat pump to extract heat, the auxiliary heat will come on which would be the furnace. Keep in mind the furnace blower runs to distribute the conditioned air whether in cooling or heating mode.
- What is the SEER rating?
SEER is the acronym for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, and is the standard for measuring how efficient an air conditioner is regardless of manufacturer. The SEER rating is the amount of cooling output which is measured in BTUs during a typical cooling season, then divided by its energy usage, measured in watt – hours during the same cooling season. The rule is the higher the SEER rating; the more energy efficient the air conditioner or heat pump.
- What is the benefit of buying a heat pump as opposed to a central air conditioner?
A heat pump gives you cooling in the summer and heating in the winter. In this part of the world we sell heat pumps combined with a furnace or an air handler fitted with electric heat strips, the reason being is heat pumps are not able to keep up with heating demands when the outdoor temperature falls below +4 to -4Caccording to manufacturer’s published specifications.
With the price of oil reaching new heights it also drives up the price of natural gas, which makes electricity more affordable, especially when heating your home with an energy star rated heat pump for the majority of the winter months. When you purchase a properly sized heat pump and furnace system you will be using less energy and in turn have a home that is comfortable year round.
- I have heard heat pumps are noisy, how can I be assured I get a quiet unit?
The noise level of a heat pump or air conditioner is measured in decibels (dB). The lower the decibel rating of the until, the quieter it will be. They will never be silent as they have moving parts and a compressor, so they will always make some noise, but as a reference keep this in mind: 0 dB = silence, 30 dB = a whisper quiet library, and 60 to 70 dB = normal conversation. The heat pumps we offer have decibel ratings as low as 62 db.
