3 Ways Heat Pumps Are Eco-Friendly in Bunn, NC

Many homes still use natural gas, propane or oil to heat their spaces. These energy sources release carbon, which ends up affecting the climate around Bunn, NC and the world at large. Here are three ways in which heat pumps are better for the environment compared to other HVAC systems.

1. Energy-Efficient Operation

Heat pumps use less energy compared to a furnace. Instead of using energy to generate heat, the heat pump absorbs and transfers heat from outside into your indoor living space, and this process reverses to provide cooling once spring arrives. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heat pumps can reduce energy use by up to 60% compared to traditional HVAC systems.

Modern heat pumps have more advanced features, such as two-speed compressors and variable-speed motors, that make them even more energy-efficient. Other features include a desuperheater that can recover waste heat when the pump is in cooling mode. If you have regular heat pump maintenance and let technicians handle repairs, it will cut down your energy costs.

2. Less Reliance on Fossil Fuels

Heat pumps do not directly burn fossil fuels to generate thermal energy, and as such, they do not release carbon dioxide. It’s important to note that they use electricity, which may be from coal or gas, but this is only to power the heat pump to transfer heat from one place to another. Because of this, this type of HVAC system only consumes a fraction of the fossil fuels that a conventional system like a gas furnace would.

3. Use of Refrigerant Alternatives

In the past, the main concern with heat pumps was the refrigerant they used. Users had concerns that the hydrofluorocarbons were more dangerous than carbon dioxide if they were to leak. However, advances in refrigerant technology have led to the release of less harmful refrigerants, such as the R-410A and the new HFO-1234yf chemical refrigerant.

You can use geothermal or air source heat pumps, with the former being more effective in heating and cooling. Call Alford Mechanical in Bunn, NC for air conditioning, heating, indoor air quality, heat pump and geothermal services today.

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