Heating your home used to be limited to traditional systems such as boilers and centralized gas furnaces. Nowadays, however, people have many more options, especially heat pumps which combine the services of a heater and an air conditioner into one. In places like Elgin, IL, heat pumps often appear as part of a hybrid system, which uses two forms of technology to heat your home.

Here’s a little information on hybrid heating systems:

It starts with the heat pump itself, which uses refrigerant cycling through a closed system to both heat and cool the air in your home. Like a typical central air conditioner, during the summer your heat pump absorbs heat from inside your home and transfers it to the outside. Unlike an air conditioner, though, a heat pump can reverse this process during the winter and absorb heat from the outside and transfer it inside your home.

This technology is very energy efficient, since it is transferring heat instead of creating it by burning a fuel. However, it’s at its most efficient when the outside temperatures stay above 40 degrees. Here in Elgin, IL, that just doesn’t happen very often in the winter. Hence the need for a hybrid system, which combines the heat pump with a auxiliary furnace powered by gas or electricity. The furnace kicks in when temperatures get low, keeping your home cozy and comfortable when the temperatures fall. A hybrid system is popular because it still allows people to save money by using the heat pump most of the year, but still lets you keep your home warm by using the furnace on the coldest of days.

If you have any questions about hybrid heating systems, call the professionals at Lifeline Plumbing. We can discuss repair and maintenance options with you as well as which new models make the best fit for your home.  Pick up the phone and give us a call today!