Heat pumps are one of the best HVAC choices for the North Texas climate, especially if you choose a system that has advanced heat pump features. Engineers continually work to improve the performance capabilities of these appliances, and these four particular upgrades will save energy, while increasing your satisfaction and comfort. 

Compressor Types

The compressor in a heat pump works year-round to alter the refrigerant to either heat or cool your home. Two recent technologies have made them more efficient, including compressors that operate at a high and low (or variable) speeds and those that employ a completely different design, called a scroll compressor.

In our area, a scroll compressor will deliver from 10 to 15 degrees warmer air in the winter and tends to last longer than the more common piston compressor. A dual-speed compressor adjusts its running speed based on the amount of conditioning your home needs. Most of the time, it runs on low speed, reducing energy consumption. 

Air Handler Technology

The air handler houses the fan that circulates the air over the indoor coil and blows the conditioned air throughout the house. One that uses a variable-speed fan motor adjusts its running speed to the amount of conditioning the home needs. The slower running speed increases air circulation, resulting in even heating and cooling. The noise the fan creates is also lower, along with energy consumption. 

Desuperheaters

Choosing a system with a desuperheater is one of the heat pump features that will save energy during the cooling season because it uses the waste heat from your home to heat water.

Back-up Heating

Most air-source heat pumps come with an auxiliary electric-resistance coil that kicks on when the heat pump can’t harvest enough heat from the outside to warm your home. One with back-up combustion heating, also known as a dual-fuel or hybrid system, utilizes a compatible furnace as the emergency heating, which is much less expensive than backup electric heating. 

To learn more about these heat pump features and others, please contact us at Bill Joplin’s Air Conditioning & Heating, providing exceptional HVAC services for McKinney area homeowners.