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Sunset Air Blog

Why Ductless Heat Pumps Are Perfect for Pacific Northwest Homes

Ductless heat pumps are an ideal 2-in-1 heating and cooling option for our mild climate here in the Pacific Northwest. If your home is due for a new heating system, and if you’ve been thinking about adding an air conditioner for our increasingly hot summers, these systems could be exactly what you need for year-round comfort. If you’re not aware of the many advantages of heat pumps, read on to learn what makes these systems so special.

It helps to know how a traditional HVAC system works in order to know how heat pumps are different. 

Furnaces: Derived from the Latin word fornax which means oven, furnaces generate heat by burning fuel and directing the heat that is generated throughout your home. Your furnace may run on natural gas, propane, heating oil, or electricity. Most furnaces are called forced-air furnaces because they move the heated air via a blower.

Air Conditioners: They work by removing the heat inside your house and transferring it outside via a cooling agent or refrigerant. Traditional central air conditioners have a “split system” setup that consists of two components: an indoor evaporator unit and an outdoor condenser unit.

How Heat Pumps Work

It helps to think of heat pumps as air conditioners with an extra feature called a reversing valve which enables them to reverse their refrigerant flow. When it’s in cooling mode, it moves heat out of the home in the summer. When it’s in cooling mode, it moves heat back inside the home in the winter.

Heat pumps can be ductless or ducted. The aptly named ductless heat pump (also known as ductless mini splits) doesn’t require air ducts. It consists of two parts: an indoor handling unit and an outdoor compressor. The handling units can be mounted on the wall which saves space needed to install the ductwork for regular heaters. 

The ability to add handling units to various rooms gives you incredible zone control. You’ll be able to control the temperature in individual rooms rather than having to heat or cool your entire home. Ductless heat pumps also eliminate the problems that can accompany ducted systems such as a loss of efficiency via duct leaks and poor indoor air quality.

Why They’re Ideal for Mild Climates

Heat pumps are perfect for areas that don’t have extreme heat in the summer and extreme cold in the winter. In the winter, a heat pump pulls heat from the cold outdoor air and transfers it indoors. In the winter, it pulls heat out of indoor air to cool your home. In areas with extreme heat and cold, the heat pump will have to work extra hard to heat and cool the home and its performance may suffer.

Two Systems In One

Heat pumps are perfect for people who’ve been considering adding an air conditioner to their homes because of the record-setting days of extreme heat we’ve been having. Although they’re more expensive than a traditional heater, they cost less than the expense of both a new heater and an air conditioner. Because they’re so energy efficient, with some sources estimating that they can reduce electricity usage for heating by up to 50%, you’ll reap savings over time. 

For ductless heat pump installation, count on the team with the most experience. Contact the team at Sunset Air today. 

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