A heat pump is an essential part of some central heating and cooling systems that use the outside air to heat a home in the winter and cool it in the summer.

Although many people refer to their heat pump as an air conditioner, these two units differ. An air conditioning unit moves heat from inside your home to outside in the summer. A heat pump does that but also moves heat from outside to inside in winter. Therefore, the air conditioner pumps heat in only one direction, while the heat pump moves heat in both directions.

Heat pumps work best in milder climates, where it doesn’t get extremely cold very often. Heat pumps can offer homeowners a variety of different benefits. In fact, in the right climate, heat pumps can save you cash on your energy bill because they work to take heat from outside the home into the house.

Energy savings, of course, will vary from family to family, but most households can save between one-half and one-third of their heating costs. Furthermore, along with a high level of durability and an extremely long lifespan, heat pumps provide increased safety over traditional combustion systems.

In this article, the experts at Precision Heating & Air, the premier heating and cooling company in Dallas, Georgia, explain how to tell if you have a heat pump or a conventional heating and cooling system installed at your home.

How Do I Tell if I Have a Heat Pump?

If you’ve got a heating and cooling system in your home, you may not even know if it’s a conventional heating and cooling system or a heat pump. Here are some things you can do to determine if you have a heat pump:

  1. Search for your model: If you happen to find the model number on your air conditioning unit, you can search for it on the Internet to see what type of unit you have.
  2. On your thermostat: On your current thermostat, take off the cover. You’ll see a series of labeled connectors. If you have an orange wire connected to O (or O/B) or a brown wire connected to B (or O/B), you most likely have a heat pump. Another way to tell is if your thermostat has a separate setting for emergency heat. In this case, you may have a heat pump.
  3. Is the unit making noise? Turn on your thermostat to ‘heat’ and adjust the temperature setting until the heat comes on in your home. Next, go outside and see if the condensing unit is making noise and blowing air. If it is, you have a heat pump.

Contact the Heating and Cooling Experts in Dallas, Georgia

Since 1985, homeowners have turned to Precision Heating & Air for their heating and cooling needs. We’d be happy to assess your current heating and cooling situation and provide energy-saving recommendations.

Heat pumps can lower your utility bills and provide a more environmentally friendly solution with fewer carbon emissions. Give us a call at (770) 758-4552 or fill out the form online to schedule your service call.

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