In Texas, is it better to have a heat pump or an air conditioner? Here’s what to know

Ella Gonzales

Texans are no strangers to wild swings in temperatures.

Winter months can see frigid blasts of Arctic air while summer can feel like an endless hellscape of triple-digit days. The need for a reliable heating and cooling system is a necessity.

Heat pumps are good investments for Texas residents, especially since it’s a single system that can replace both a furnace and air conditioner. However, the cost to install the system may give some pause.

“Typically they will range between $4,500 and $9,000, and the indoor air handler by itself can be between $3,000 and $6,000.” according to John Wayne Service Company. These installation costs can result in a total of almost $14,000.

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Here’s how a heat pump works.
Here’s how a heat pump works.

But between the cost of maintenance and a good replacement, here’s why Texans ought to consider heat pumps over air conditioners.

  • Texas is the number one state with heat pumps installed in homes — 1.95 million residents use the system as both a furnace and air conditioning unit.

  • Whereas an air conditioning unit’s only purpose is to cool your home, heat pumps heat and cool the house. Heat pumps simply move air. If you are cooling your home, the pump works the same as an air conditioner. When heating the home, it moves the cool air out while pumping in the warm air. These systems work well in warmer climates like Texas has.

  • In Texas, during the winter months, a heat pump is up to four times more effective than a heat furnace. Not to mention the system does not use any fuel.

  • An air source heat pump system simply moves air around — pumping hot air out and flowing cool air in during a hot day. It reverses the process during cold days. For cooling your home, the system turns air into low temperature liquid which then evaporates into cool vapor to be released in a house. Heating is the opposite, the liquid turns into hot vapor that heats the home.

  • A heat pump system last between 15 and 20 years if well maintained. They also seem to have less maintenance than an air conditioner unit. A furnace, by comparison, has the lifespan of eight to 12 years.

Residents will start utilizing their air conditioners if they haven’t already. This Wednesday, parts of North Texas will see a highs in the low 90s, a glimpse into summer weather.

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