WHAT IS A HEAT PUMP?
A heat pump is a versatile, energy-efficient system that can both heat and cool your home by transferring heat rather than generating it. Here in North Texas, where summers are hot and humid and winters are mild but can dip below freezing, a heat pump is well-suited to handle the climate.
How a Heat Pump Works
A heat pump moves heat from one place to another using a refrigerant, a compressor, and a reversing valve that allows it to switch between heating and cooling modes. It operates like an air conditioner in summer and reverses the process in winter to provide heat. Here’s the step-by-step process:
1. Components:
- Evaporator Coil: Absorbs heat from the outside air (in heating mode) or indoor air (in cooling mode).
- Condenser Coil: Releases heat to the outside (cooling mode) or inside (heating mode).
- Compressor: Circulates and compresses the refrigerant to facilitate heat transfer.
- Reversing Valve: Switches the direction of refrigerant flow to toggle between heating and cooling.
- Refrigerant: A special fluid that absorbs, transfers, and releases heat as it changes between liquid and gas states.
2. Cooling Mode (Summer in North Texas):
- In North Texas’ scorching summers (often 90–100°F with high humidity), the heat pump acts like an air conditioner.
- The evaporator coil (inside your home) absorbs heat from indoor air. The refrigerant inside the coil evaporates, turning from a liquid to a gas, as it absorbs this heat.
- The compressor pumps the warm refrigerant gas to the **condenser coil** (outside), where the heat is released into the outdoor air. The refrigerant condenses back into a liquid.
- The now-cool refrigerant cycles back to the indoor coil to absorb more heat, cooling your home.
- A fan blows the cooled air through your home’s ductwork, lowering the indoor temperature.
3. Heating Mode (Winter in North Texas):
- North Texas winters are mild (average lows around 35–45°F, with occasional freezes), so a heat pump is efficient for heating most of the time.
- The reversing valve flips the refrigerant flow, making the outdoor coil the evaporator and the indoor coil the condenser.
- The outdoor coil absorbs heat from the outside air (even in cold weather, there’s enough ambient heat for this to work down to about 20–30°F).
- The refrigerant carries this heat to the indoor coil, where it’s released to warm your home.
- The fan distributes the warm air through your ducts.
4. Defrost Cycle:
- In rare cases when Dallas temperatures drop near or below freezing, frost may form on the outdoor coil. The heat pump temporarily switches to a defrost mode, reversing to cooling mode briefly to warm the outdoor coil and melt the frost.
5. Section 25C Tax Credit in North Texas
Installing an ENERGY STAR-certified air-source heat pump in 2025 can qualify you for a federal tax credit of up to $2,000 (as of 2025 IRS rules). Ensure the heat pump meets the required efficiency standards (check ENERGY STAR or IRS guidelines), and obtain the 4-character QMID from the manufacturer when filing Form 5695. Local utility companies like Oncor may also offer rebates for energy-efficient heat pumps, so check their website or contact them.
5. Consider an Energy Star® Qualified Comfortmaker Heat Pump.
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We’re proud to support the DFW Metroplex with all heating and cooling needs including the following cities: Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, Irving, Garland, Frisco, McKinney, Grand Prairie, Denton, Richardson, Grapevine, Addison, Allen, Anna, Argyle, Bedford, Carrollton, Colleyville, Coppell, Corinth, Euless, Farmers Branch, Flower Mound, Haltom City, Haslet, Highland Park, Highland Village, Hurst, Keller, Lake Dallas, Lewisville, Little Elm, Mesquite, North Richland Hills, Prosper, Richland Hills, Roanoke, Rockwall, Rowlett, Saginaw, Southlake, The Colony, Trophy Club, University Park, Watauga, Westlake, and Wylie.