Skokie winters are nothing to sneeze at (if you’ll pardon the pun). Things get mighty cold around here in January, which can create concerns for homeowners who rely on heat pumps instead of gas furnaces or boilers to warm their homes. In Skokie IL, a heat pump installation can be fairly costly, which is offset by its increased efficiency from month to month. Cold air can impact that efficiency, and influence he heat pump’s ability to do its job. “Will a heat pump keep me warm enough in a Skokie winter?” you ask. The answer is usually “no,” though there are ways to correct the issue.
Just so you’re aware: Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning services heat pumps in Skokie, IL.
Heat pumps rely on the same technology used to run air conditioners: cycling refrigerant gas through a series of valves and coils that first warm the surrounding air and then cool it. With a heat pump system, one set of valves and coils is located inside the house and another set is located outside the house. In the summer, the indoor set produced cool air, with hot air produced outside (where it can safely be vented into the great outdoors). In the winter, that process is reversed, with the indoor set producing warm air and the outdoor set producing cool air.
So what’s the issue? The issue is that that warm air often isn’t enough when temperatures dip to the freezing level, which they often do here in Skokie. The heat pumps efficiency – one of the big reasons to get one – drops way down and it often struggles to heat the home properly in the wintertime.
The good news is that hybrid heating units exist, which add a small auxiliary heater onto the heat pump to help it out during those cold days. That preserves the unit’s efficiency – saving you money in monthly bills – without forcing you to skimp on much-needed warmth. If you’re asking “will a heat pump keep me warm enough in a Skokie winter?” then Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning has an answer for you. We handle heat pump installations in Skokie on a regular basis and can provide hybrid heating systems as an alternative to help keep your home warm and toasty like it should be. Call us today to set up an appointment!