Questions And Answers To Become A Split System Heat Pump Authority

If you are serious about learning the exciting facts about air conditioner split system heat pumps, then this Q&A interview is going to go into details of what a split system heat pump is, how it compares to an air conditioner and furnace combo, about heat pump cost, and why split unit pump systems are so popular nowadays.

By reading the interview below, you could be on your way of saving tremendous amounts of cash each year on your utility bills.

Let's get right into it.

Question: How is a heat pump different from an air conditioner split system?

Answer: That's a great question and it really does not get answered clearly much. Heat pump is based on an air conditioning split system design, so it acts exactly like the air conditioner unit for the purposes of cooling. For heating in the winter, a special switch on the main unit switches the roles of the evaporator from the inside unit (summer, cooling inside, heating outside) to the outside unit (winter, cooling outside, heating inside).

Question: Where does the term "split system AC" come from?

Answer: Good question. Split system pump or split system air conditioner simply means that the evaporator, or the "air handler" unit is physically separated from the compressor unit. There are many advantages to split air conditioner configuration, one being the higher energy efficiency, the other being low noise.

Question: What is the main advantage of split unit pumps as compared with the furnaces?

Answer: Consider burning a gallon of oil to heat up the house in the winter. This same amount of energy could be used by the heat transfer pump to transfer two, three, or even five times the heat from the outside of the house to the inside. Heat pumps are simply more energy efficient when it comes to heating a home in the winter time.

Question: Why are split system pumps becoming so popular?

Answer: At this time, the popularity of mini split pumps is likely due to quickly rising energy costs.

Question: Are there any downsides to heat pumps? What kind of maintenance costs are there?

Answer: First off, you will save money in the winter compared to furnaces. Second, due to dual design, there are small inefficiencies when it comes to the AC action in the summer. So, for the same amount of air conditioning, you may pay slightly more with a heat pump than with a dedicated air conditioner, in terms of monthly electricity costs.

Question: Anything else?

Answer: In extremely cold winter climates, depending on the refrigerant properties, and depending on whether you have a geo-thermal or air-air model, pumps may become ineffective for heating the home during super cold days. For those few days in the year, an additional furnace install is recommended.