What is a Heat Pump?

A heat pump combines cooling and heating capability in one unit. When cooling, the heat pumps operates like an air conditioner, removing the heat from indoors and transferring it outdoors. In the winter the heat pump takes heat from the outdoors and transfers it inside your home. Even at freezing…

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What does SEER mean?

Season Energy Efficiency Ratio. It is a system for rating the efficiency of air conditioning equipment. SEER is calculated by dividing the cooling capacity in BTU/H, of a continuously operating air conditioner, by the electric power input, or watts, of power consumed. The higher your SEER, the less the unit…

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My ten-year old air conditioner was called high-efficiency and I was told that was why the outdoor unit was so large. A neighbor replaced his air conditioner and his outdoor unit is about half the size of mine. Why is this?

Generally, higher efficiency units are larger than standard units. This is due to the added coil area for heat transfer. In addition, some manufacturers make units that are physically larger than other manufacturers. Some of this is due to their desire to make the unit quieter as well as more…

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What is HSPF?

HSPF stands for Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. This measures the efficiency of the heating portion of the heat pump. A higher number means the unit works more efficiently. What is a heat pump? What is a heat pump? A heat pump combines cooling and heating capability in one unit. When…

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