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Homeowners around the world greatly depend on residential HVAC systems to ensure that their indoors remain comfortable all year round. In the US, the Department of Energy estimates that almost 90 percent of all households have some form of air conditioning system. Besides ensuring that your Cleveland, TN home remains cool during the hot summer and warm during winter, HVAC systems also help improve indoor air quality and reduce the risk of deadly diseases.
To efficiently accomplish the above-described functions, your residential HVAC system relies on the collaborative actions of a few components. These components include a thermostat, evaporator coil, heat exchanger, condenser unit, and furnace. Some systems may also feature ducts, but your heating and air conditioning service provider can help determine if your home needs a ductless unit based on your budget or household heating and cooling needs.
Even though there are many types of HVAC systems in the market, most typically rely on the aforementioned components to keep you and your family comfortable. If you’re a new homeowner, below are some of the common types of HVAC systems your preferred HVAC service contractor can install upon request.
Split Heating and Cooling Systems
Considered the most common type of HVAC system, split heating and cooling units derive their name from their two components. Your heating and air conditioning service expert often installs one unit to handle your heating needs and another for cooling purposes. They install one unit inside the house, probably in the crawlspace, garage, attic, or basement, and the other outside the premises on top of a cement foundation created specifically for this purpose. Most heating and air conditioning professionals refer to this level cement block as the AC pad.
During installation, they may configure split systems in different ways depending on the homeowner’s needs. They can install them as forced air systems that mostly feature an air conditioner and furnace that absorb untreated air from the outside environment and push it towards your home’s indoors after it has been treated. The treated air finds its way into the interior of your house through blower fans found in the furnace.
Besides that, your heating and air conditioning service technician can also install heat pump split systems that typically comprise a heat pump and air handler. However, HVAC professionals recommend installing heat pump split units in regions that generally have warmer climatic conditions. This is because the heat pump doesn’t necessarily generate heat, but rather absorbs it. The absorbed heat then moves through the air handler and eventually into your living spaces via a series of ducts.
Mini-Split or Ductless HVAC Systems
Ductless or mini-split heating and air conditioning systems are similar to conventional central heating and AC units, but with a few key differences. Although your heating and air conditioning service expert will install an outdoor compressor or condenser and an indoor air-handling unit, duct-free HVAC units don’t rely on ducts for air distribution.
Therefore, heating and cooling service experts recommend installing them when you want to expand your home’s heating and air conditioning area. Ductless systems are also a good idea if your residence was inherently designed without a duct infrastructure.
As predetermined, a ductless heating and air conditioning service consists of a wall-mounted unit along with an outdoor compressor. Unlike their duct-based counterparts, duct-free units only need a small hole to guarantee the effective exchange of treated and untreated air within your home. Their ductless design also makes them less susceptible to air leakage or security problems while ensuring that they operate more quietly than other types of HVAC systems.
Besides having minimal maintenance needs, other advantages revolve around offering top indoor air quality, ease of installation, and maximum energy efficiency. Experts in heating and air conditioning believe that ducted systems waste up to 20 percent of the energy they consume, making ductless HVAC units an excellent option for homeowners that would like to check their energy expenditure.
Hybrid HVAC Systems
Professionals in heating and air conditioning service consider hybrid HVAC systems as the advanced models of standard split heating and air conditioning units. The main difference between the two lies in how the units are powered. Hybrid HVAC products use a hybrid electric heater that allows you to choose if you’d like to power your residential HVAC system using electricity or gas.
A functional hybrid HVAC unit should have a heat pump to cool or warm up the refrigerant as well as an evaporator coil or furnace to circulate air or convert the refrigerant. Additionally, it should feature a gas or electric furnace, indoor air quality components, and ducts for the distribution of the treated air throughout your residence.
In terms of their merits and demerits, the cost of purchasing or installing hybrid HVAC units can be quite steep. However, if you’re not perplexed by the high costs, you can go ahead and ask your heating and air conditioning expert to install one in your Cleveland, TN, property since it can help reduce your home’s energy expenditure. Some homeowners claim to have recovered a huge chunk of their initial installation costs after only three to five years. Besides that, since hybrid units are considered eco-friendly, having one in your home may qualify you for a tax credit from the government.
Geothermal Heat Pump Systems
Geothermal heat pumps rely on underground heat to keep your indoors comfortable. Underground temperature conditions remain constant regardless of the prevailing climatic conditions of the region. Ideally, these HVAC systems use an electric-powered heat pump to circulate the fluid responsible for heating or cooling via a series of underground piping.
To cool your home, geothermal heat pump systems extract heat from your living spaces and release it into the ground. In such cases, the earth acts as a temporary heat sink where the heat gets absorbed into the cooler sections of the earth. Heating and air conditioning service experts claim that even though purchasing and installing a geothermal heat pump system can be expensive, it can help reduce your home’s carbon footprint and energy consumption exponentially.
Reach Out to a Professional Heating and Air Conditioning Service Expert near You
If you’re a new homeowner in Cleveland, TN, that’s looking for an HVAC system that can suit your needs and budget, the heating and air conditioning service specialists at Metro Plumbing, Heating, and Air can help. Our family-owned and operated company has extensive experience handling heating and AC repair along with round-the-clock emergency solutions.
