Are you thinking about upgrading or replacing the cooling and heating system for your Southwest Arizona home? If so, an air-source heat pump may be your best choice. A heat pump can keep your home cool in summer, when temperatures over 100 degrees are common. It can also keep your home warm in the winter. Although probably not a sufficient solution in frigid climates, heat pumps are a great choice here where the winters are mild. You’ll want to pay special attention to sizing your heat pump correctly, to meet your home’s unique size and characteristics.
But first, how does an air-source heat pump work? The system circulates refrigerant through a circuit of coils inside an
d outside the house. The refrigerant extracts heat from the air. When pumped to an area with cooler air, the refrigerant releases the heat. In summer, the refrigerant removes heat from the air inside the house, and releases it outside. In winter, it extracts heat from the outside air and then releases it inside. When in cooling mode, an air-source heat pump operates very much like a high-efficiency air conditioner.
While some contractors may err on the side of oversizing a heat pump installation, this can actually be worse than slightly undersizing a home’s heat pump. A system that’s too large will cycle on and off frequently, wasting energy, providing uneven cooling, and resulting in poor humidity control. One that’s too small, on the other hand, will struggle to cool your home on really hot days (which we have a lot of in Southwest Arizona). Your trusted contractor likely will use a Manual J load calculation to find out exactly what size heat pump is necessary to properly cool and heat your home, as well as remove humidity.
For the great majority of homeowners, it’s prudent to seek professional help when sizing and installing a heat pump.
For specific advice on sizing and selecting a heat pump, please contact us at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company. We’ve been serving the Yuma area since 1952.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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