Chances are, you’ve heard that you can improve your home’s efficiency and reduce your energy bills by getting a heat pump. Well, we’re here to confirm that this is true. However, since the average homeowner isn’t an HVAC technician, not everyone who mentions heat pump efficiency can tell you how these systems do what they do.
We believe that information is power, and that homeowners who know more about the systems in their homes can make well-informed choices that they’ll be happier with in the long run. So we’d like you to have the details. What exactly makes a heat pump so much more efficient than other systems? Let’s dig into the workings of heat pumps in Toms River, NJ.
Modern Improvements
There have been many changes in how things are built in the HVAC industry. Your older air conditioner is out of date, and anything you replace it with will be more efficient. Four big things have changed: the refrigerant used, the coils it runs through, the compressors that pressurize the refrigerant, and the motors that power the blower fans.
New refrigerants, mandated as of January 2025, can absorb and release heat more quickly and easily. New materials used to make refrigerant coils have higher thermal conductivity, making it even easier for the refrigerant to absorb heat. Compressors and motors, which used to be either “on” or “off,” now have low-power settings they can run on the majority of the time.
Moving Heat
As you can see, even a new high-efficiency air conditioner is excellent at moving heat from one place to another. But with a heat pump, you can move heat in either direction, so it can be brought in from outside when your home is chilly. How can heat be soaked up from the cold outdoor air? The secret is the incredibly low boiling point of refrigerant.
This substance is essentially super-chilled. And when it absorbs enough heat to hit that low boiling point, just like when water boils, it becomes a gas. After it flows through the system, it condenses into a liquid again, releasing all that heat. Since that boiling point is so low, this can happen even at surprisingly low temperatures.
The heating part of the heat pump’s job is where the efficiency really shines. This is because creating heat, with the electrical resistance or gas combustion of other systems like furnaces and boilers, requires a vast amount of energy. A heat pump can use so much less energy, not because it creates heat more efficiently but because it doesn’t create heat at all. It simply moves it around.
Does a heat pump sound like a good idea? Contact us to learn more about how you can maximize your home’s efficiency and comfort with a heat pump.
You’re More Comfortable With Atlantic Air Systems. Schedule your appointment with us today.