Heat Pumps

For professional service, repair, and installation of heat pumps in San Jose, CA, and the greater SF Bay Area, you can rely on Air Care Heating & Cooling.. We provide reliiable quality solutions that provide a high level of customer satisfaction.

What is a Heat Pump?

A heat pump is a device that transfers heat from one place to another, from indoors to outdoors or from outdoors to indoors. A smart solution for homes with no access to natural gas, heat pumps are very efficient and reliable for heating and cooling. They also work well as a supplemental heating source when active solar heating systems cannot supply adequate space heating.

How Do Heat Pumps Work?

In the winter, a heat pump works like a heater, extracting heat energy from outside and transferring it inside. In the summer, the process reverses—it removes heat from your home and transfers it outside like an air conditioner.
Heat pumps do this so well that many people in warmer climates exclusively rely on a heat pump for year-round comfort. In colder climates, homeowers use electric-powered heat pumps in conjunction with their gas or oil furnace resulting in lower heating costs.

Heat pumps work with a series of coils drawing energy from air, water, or the ground. Because of this, they are environmentally friendly and the most energy-efficient way to heat and cool your home. Heat pumps also work extremely efficiently, because they simply transfer heat, rather than burn fuel to create it—making them a greener alternative to traditional gas or oil furnaces.

Fun Fact: Heat pumps traditionally heat swimming pools and hot tubs, so you most likely have come in contact with them and without even knowing it.

Different Types of Heat Pumps

There are three types of heat pumps: air-to-air, water source, and geothermal. Call  Air Care Heating & Cooling to discuss the basic differences between these types and which one would work best for you and your home.

Are Heat Pumps Expensive?

While installation costs of heat pumps are higher than with a traditional furnace or air conditioner, but the savings over time in annual energy costs make up for the difference in five to ten years. Performing proper operation and maintenance of your heat pump will also save you money,

How to Maintain Heat Pumps

Be sure to ask your HVAC professional for the proper thermostat setting and the indoor pump’s fan operation. Not following the recommended guidelines can inhibit the maximized running of the pump and can degrade the unit itself. Regular maintenance can prevent degradation as well. Consistent filter changing or cleaning is necessary for a well-running heat pump. Seasonal cleaning of coils and fans go a long way in preventing poor energy efficiency that can end up costing you more money.

Fact: The energy difference between a well-maintained system and a neglected one can be anywhere from 10 to 25 percent.

To determine the appropriate type of heat pump for you, which can be contingent upon the geography and climate around your San Jose, CA or surrounding-area home or office space, or to discuss any of these topics, call us today at 408.317.2950 or request service online for an evaluation.