November 6, 2019

Have you been thinking about what type of air conditioner and heating unit that you want to be installed at your home or office? Beyond recognizing that we are going to need heating and air in our new home or office space, many of us don’t typically think of what type of unit we are going to need to keep our home or work areas at a comfortable temperature.

If you aren’t familiar with the different kinds of air conditioning and heating units that are available to you, there are four primary types.

•  Split systems
•  Hybrid systems
•  Duct-free systems
•  Packaged heating and air systems

Here is an overview of each type of system so that you can decide which heating and air unit work best for your needs, climate, and budget.

Heating and Cooling Split System

Split systems are the most commonly used HVAC system in the industry. The name “split system” describes a dual function system (for both heating and air, respectively) that are split between two different units. One that is an air conditioning unit that will cool your area during the warmer months, and the other unit for heating which will keep your area nice and toasty during the fall, winter, and early spring.

If you were to walk around most of the homes in a given neighborhood, you will see the cooling unit positioned somewhere outside of the home. The cooling unit on a split system will have.

 The refrigerant inside of the AC unit

•  Air compressors
•  Coils
•  and a fan

The refrigerant, air compressors, and coils within the unit are used to cool the hot air that the air conditioning unit sucks in from the outside. The fan within the AC system is used to extract the hot air from inside of your house, and blow it outside.

The heating unit on a split cooling system is normally placed in a basement or a covered storage area outside of the home or office building. Heating units in a split unit system normally use gas for energy to heat the inside of a structure. The heater uses either a fan or some type of evaporator to circulate the warm air within your space. A thermostat is used to control the temperature of both the air conditioner and the heating unit.

Why are split systems the most widely used?

Split heating and cooling systems are the most popularly used types of HVAC solutions because they don’t have a lot of climate or environmental factors that would either inhibit or enhance their use.

Hybrid Split System

What are the key differences between a hybrid split system and your standard split system? 

Hybrid split systems are unique in that they give you, the owner, the ability to choose what type of heat you want to run your heater off of. It gives you the option to toggle between gas or electric power. The advantage of tapping into gas is that gas energy gives you the ability to sustainably heat your area in the quickest way possible. Though, depending on what your gas utility costs are, this can be more expensive than running your heat off of electric power. The advantage of using electrical heating is that it is more energy-efficient. Running on electric heat can save you on energy costs while serving as a significantly quieter means of heating your space.

Why would I choose a hybrid split over a traditional split system

Though a hybrid system may seem like a more sensible choice for giving you the option of either electric or gas heat, these hybrid systems function better and are more effective in mild or moderate climates. They can be an excellent way to save money on your energy bill during the winter.

Duct Free (Mini-Split) System

The duct-free system is commonly known as a mini-split system. These are the systems that you think of when you see individual air conditioning or heating units mounted in windows, walls, or above doors around a house or office area. They considered duct-free because they don’t require a duct system that runs throughout the interior of your area like central HVAC units use.

The downside of duct-free systems is that they can have the most expensive upfront cost. You are footing the bill for multiple heating and cooling units to cool designated areas within your home or office, as opposed to one or two central units that will heat and cool the entire indoor area.

The upside to a duct-free system is that your individual climate control of each individual’s room that you have a system mounted in. If you want to run your AC or heater in one room but not another, a duct-free heating and cooling system make it easy to do that. As such, this type of system can be a great way to conserve energy and save money in the long term, as you won’t be wasting energy on rooms or areas of your space that aren’t used as regularly as others. Be aware that this type of system does require vigilant cleaning and maintenance.

Packaged Heating and Air

This is perhaps the least seen and most unique type of heating and air unit on the market. This is a single unit that contains both heating and air conditioning capabilities. These are difficult to spot because they are commonly installed either in an above-home storage area or the attic.

These are compact units that don’t take up a lot of space, which makes them ideal for smaller houses and homes. Another huge plus to a packaged heating and air system is that they are easier to maintain than other types of units. You ordinarily find these types of units in climates that have mild winters, because the electrical heating units on these aren’t as efficient as the larger heating units that we have covered thus far.

What type of system should I get?

All of these heating and cooling systems come with their unique advantages and disadvantages. If you aren’t sure which type of HVAC unit would be best for you, contact our experts at Preferred Climate Solutions today.

Your HVAC system may be one of the most valuable parts of your house. It’s the very thing that keeps your house comfortable year-round, through any season. Whether you have sweltering summers or blisteringly cold winters, you can always rely on your air conditioner or heating unit to keep your space at the perfect, most comfortable temperature.

For something that you use almost every day, year-round, how much do you know about your air conditioner and heating unit? Do you know how it works to keep your house cold or warm?

Don’t feel bad if you don’t know how to answer that question. Like many pieces of technology in our lives, most people don’t consider the inner workings of these devices and how they do what they do best.

“A question that we get quite often is “what are the differences between an air conditioner and a heat pump?”

“Are they, in fact, the same thing?”

“What kind of unit do I have at my space and how do I tell?”

Let’s take a look at some of the key differences between heat pumps and air conditioners.

Air Conditioners

Let’s first take a look at how your conventional air conditioner works. As simple as the idea of an air conditioner might sound, there are some common misconceptions about how an air conditioning unit works to keep your house cool.

Your standard air conditioner is designed to take in warm air from the outside of your house or the building that it is attached to. It pulls that air into its condensing unit, where the refrigerant in your air conditioning unit cools it down. After cooling the air, it pumps that cool air back through the ventilation system in your area. You could think of this as a two-stage process of cooling your space by pulling the warm air out, cooling that air, and recirculating that cooler air in your area. In terms of structure, your AC unit’s air condenser is located inside of your area, and the compressor can be found on the outside of your room.

Since the air conditioning unit itself can only blow cold air into your area, homes with their own AC systems need to have a separate furnace or heating unit that will heat your house, keeping it warm and comfortable during the cold days of fall and the frigid winter months of the year.

Heat Pumps

Think of the heat pump as a type of combination unit. It uses something that we refer to as reversible technology to circulate heat or air, depending on the season that you are using it in.

When it is hot outside during the late spring and summer, heat pumps can work just like your standard air conditioning unit. They pull hot air from inside of your space, cool it down, and then circulate it back through your house to make it cool and comfortable. With a name like “heat pump” most wouldn’t expect that it could also cool your house down.

What about heating your house during the cooler months of the year?

Heat pumps work well in the winter by drawing in the outside air and the ambient heat energy available in it to heat up your area.

Are There Advantages to One Over the Other?

Now that you have a better idea of how heat pumps and standard air conditioning units work, let’s take a look at some of the details. Does one of them offer distinct advantages that the other doesn’t?

Advantages and Disadvantages of Air Conditioning Units

Largely, we tend to see that air conditioning units have a longer viable working life than heat pumps. The main reason is that you only run your air conditioning unit for about half of the year, depending on where you live, which almost doubles the viable amount of use that you can get out of your air conditioning unit before it needs to be repaired or replaced.

Because they are simpler in design than heat pumps, AC units are also more affordable and cheaper to install than their heat pump counterparts.

If you do just have an AC unit, you will need a separate heating unit or furnace to heat your area during the winter months. A drawback of AC units is that they can be expensive, depending on the area that you live in and the cost of electricity. AC units need a lot of power to be able to cool and circulate air.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Heat Pumps

One of the best aspects of heat pumps is that they are incredibly energy efficient. Since they work to transfer ambient heat from the outside of your house to the inside of your house, the heat pump doesn’t have to work as hard as other heating units to heat the air.

As you may have gathered, another great aspect of using a heat pump is that it is an all-in-one solution. This saves some space and keeps all of your heating and cooling needs into one compact device. This also makes it easier when or if you need maintenance done on your unit.

However, there are some clear disadvantages to having a heat pump. Since they do pull ambient heat from the cold outside air to heat your area, heat pumps aren’t nearly as effective in brutally cold climates. They are far better in parts of the country that have moderate or light winters. Since the technology on them is more compact and advanced, the units themselves, as well as the installation, can be substantially more expensive than AC units. Heat pumps also wear out and burn out faster than AC units. Since you are using the same unit, year-round, their components can suffer wear and tear much more quickly.

Maintaining your AC Unit or Heat Pump

If you have more questions about maintaining your AC unit or heat pump or installing a new unit in your area, contact our experts at Preferred Climate Solutions today.

With the winter months just around the corner, you are getting ready to break out all of the mittens, scarves, and winter clothes. That also means that you are going to be getting a lot more use out of your portable heaters.

When you are breaking your portable heaters out of storage, the first thing that you think of probably isn’t “what’s the best way that I can take care of my portable heater this season?” On cold days, you are probably thinking “is this thing going to heat up any faster?”

Whether you use your portable space heater regularly or infrequently throughout the fall and winter months, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind so that you can maintain your heater while using it as safely as possible.

Check Your Heater Right out of Storage

If the weather is already cold where you are, you are probably anxious to plug in your heater and get it working as soon as possible. Before you set your heater down, plug it in, and turn it on, you need to be careful. Your heater might not be in the same shape that it was when you put it away for storage last year.

Where and how you stored your heater last year can greatly affect the condition that your heater is this season. If you store your heater in a garage, attic, or basement that isn’t temperature controlled, there is a chance that your heater could have incurred some damage while in storage. If your heater may have been shuffled or knocked around with other things that you have put into storage, there’s an even greater chance that you could have caused damage to some essential components and elements on your heater.

How do you stay safe in this situation and make sure that your heater is in good enough shape to use?

Take a quick look over your heater to make sure that it

•  Doesn’t have any major dents or dings
•  The power cord isn’t damaged or frayed (see more below)
•  That the switch seems to be working properly

When you have given your space heater a once-over to check for any damage or issues, you are one step closer to plugging it in and getting warm.

Be Aware of Your Power Cord

The power cord is one of the most important components of any space heater. To create the kind of radiant heat that space heaters do, they need to have a power supply to do that.

As we mentioned earlier, there is always a chance that your space heater could have incurred some damage while in storage, especially if it was being shuffled around with a lot of other objects while it was in storage. After you pull your heater out of storage, you want to make sure that your cord isn’t damaged or frayed. Using a damaged cord can lead to serious issues and malfunctions that could put you, your family, and your furniture at risk. If you have any visible damage done to your power cord, make sure that you talk to an expert and get it serviced as soon as possible.

It isn’t uncommon for power cords to have issues, even if they don’t have any visible damage. The first time you plug in your space heater out of storage, make sure that you keep an eye out on the cable and the power outlet that your space heater is plugged into. If you notice that the cable or the power outlet that the heater is plugged into starts to get hot, shut off your space heater immediately.

Be sure that you don’t run your space heaters power cord under any rugs, carpeting, or mats. This can not only quickly become a fire hazard, but the insulation from household floor-coverings like these can cause damage to the cord in a fairly brief period of time.

Check the Space Around Your Heater

For the purpose of maintenance and safety, you always want to make sure that you are aware of the space around your heater. Every year, there are thousands of households that experience preventable house fires that are caused by heaters that weren’t placed in a safe area of the house.

Space heaters put out a lot of heat and use a lot of power. That can make them and other objects around them highly flammable. As a good rule of thumb, be sure that your space heater is away from

•  Any type of blankets
•  Couches and sofas
•  Chairs that are made out of fabric
•  Clothing
•  Fabric throw pillows
•  Flammable liquids
•  Thin fabric rugs, mats, or floor coverings

Anything that may catch fire easily. We also recommend keeping them away from the walls of your house. Place your heater near the middle of a walkway or open room to minimize your risk of a fire.

Don’t Leave Your Heater on and Unattended

Have you ever left your space for an extended period of time while your space heater is running?

How about letting your heater run overnight while you were sleeping?

If so, you were running a pretty sizable risk. Space heaters can make your life nice, warm, and comfortable, but leaving them attended always means that you are running a risk of something bad happening. To minimize the chances of your space heater causing a fire, you should never leave your space heater unattended for long periods of time. One little spark or a small malfunction of your heater could easily lead to a fire.

Have more questions about heating your space this winter? Contact our experts at Preferred Climate Solutions today.