Heat Pumps and Hybrid Systems

Hybrid cars has taken the automotive industry by storm and are now making their way into heating cooling... 

A Hybrid system runs on a combination of gas and electricity to minimize your heating costs. It combines a gas furnace, an electric heat pump and an air conditioner to give you maximum flexibility with the source of your energy usage. You benefit if gas prices are high and electric rates are low or visa versa.

Heat Pump – What is It?

On the outside, a heat pump looks exactly like a conventional air conditioner, but the difference is found on the inside with a reversing valve.

In summer, a heat pump operates just like a conventional air conditioner. A heat pump moves heat from the inside to the outside to create a cool environment.

In winter, a heat pump will reverse itself to heat the inside of your home when outside temperatures are as low as 35°. Your gas furnace will serve as a supplemental heat source when outside temperatures are lower than 35°-greatly reducing gas heating expenses. In Colorado, 55% of all heating fuel is used when temperatures are 42° or warmer. Running a heat pump instead of a furnace can result in typical savings of $200+ per year on overall heating costs. Generally, the increased costs of a heat pump over an air conditioner can be recovered in less than two years.

With a heat pump you get two appliances in one, an air conditioner for the summer and a heat source in the winter. Given our limited cooling season in Colorado, having this additional benefit is a bonus and improves the economics of air conditioning. Feel free to contact DALCO for a free estimate and more information on heat pumps.

Cooling

Each year, more and more homeowners are looking to central air conditioning as a means of providing comfort throughout the entire house, instead of just cooling one or two rooms with window units.

The reason is simple: a whole new generation of central air conditioning systems that feature higher efficiencies for lower utility bills, variable speed fans for quieter operation, and programmable thermostats for better temperature control.

Add to this the increased resale value of the house and you can see why the addition of central air conditioning is such a popular home improvement.

If you find yourself thinking about this type of project, a question you're probably asking is, "How easy is it to install central air conditioning in an older home?" The answer depends on your existing heating system. If it is a "forced air" type, which has a blower and ducts, then addition of central air conditioning could be fairly simple.

All that's required is the addition of an indoor cooling coil to your furnace, an outdoor condensing unit, and the proper thermostat. Modification or replacement of the furnace blower and existing ducts may be necessary if they're too small or inadequate. And, the electrical system must have the capacity to support the air conditioner.

If your existing heating system uses steam or hot water, there are no ducts or a central blower. In this case, ductwork will have to be installed in the attic, basement or ceiling.

Once you've decided you want central air conditioning, there are four important factors to consider.

The first is the efficiency of the unit. This is indicated by its Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio or SEER rating. The higher the number, the greater the efficiency. The greater the SEER, the lower the operating costs.

Next is the capacity of the unit. Too large a unit will result in short operating cycles that will not adequately remove humidity. Too small a unit may not be able to maintain a comfortable temperature on the hottest days. Your air conditioning dealer can help you determine the correct capacity.

The is the power supply. Your dealer can also help you determine if your present electrical power supply is adequate to handle the added load of a central air conditioner.

Finally, there's the overall energy efficiency of the home. To obtain the maximum benefit of a high efficiency unit, your home may require additional insulation and weather-stripping.

Central Air Conditioning Dilema

When choosing clothing, one size sometimes fits all. Unfortunately, that's not the case when choosing a central air conditioning system for your home.

Choose a unit that's too large, and it will cost more to purchase and more to operate. Choose a unit that's too small, and it will lack the capacity to give you the comfort you want on the hottest days. The best choice is a system that's just the right capacity for your home.

An oversized central air conditioner will result in higher electric bills caused by the constant stopping and starting of the unit. A properly sized unit can actually run for longer periods of time with a lower energy consumption than a unit that's too large. Short operating cycles can also shorten the life of the equipment.

On the other hand, a unit that's too small for your house may never get the job done on a hot day, even if it runs nonstop. For example, if you set the thermostat at 76 degrees on an extremely hot day, an undersized air conditioner may only be able to reduce the temperature to 80 degrees.

Selecting the right size air conditioner requires more than a rule-of-thumb square-footage estimate, a telephone conversation with a dealer or a quick look around the house. The best way to make sure you're getting the right size unit is to have DALCO come to you house and perform a load calculation. It is the only way to accurately determine the size of air conditioner required for your home. Additionally, the load calculation can be used to determine the size furnace required as well.