It might be traditionally practical to build an air conditioning unit and a furnace into the design of your home. There’s not much better than a condenser for keeping you cool in the summer or a furnace for keeping you warm in the winter. It’s hard to get the same amount of heating and cooling capacity out of anything in between these two, but there are some situations in which you might want to investigate the efficiency of some alternatives to the air conditioner-furnace pairing. In some situations you might want to consider the value and energy efficiency of a heat pump as an alternative, but if you still need the power of an air conditioner, you can go with something like a 5 ton AC unit with a heat pump.

But the question of why to pair the AC unit with a heat pump instead of a furnace remains. Whereas the process by which a furnace produces heat is fairly simple and well known, the method of operation of heat pumps is somewhat different. To illustrate this point, look at how furnaces produce heat. Generally, they burn fuel in the form of liquid propane or natural gas, and then an air handler distributes the heated air around a house. The way a heat pump works is different.

Despite the name, a heat pump is not just a solution for heating a home but also for cooling it, although they are not as powerful as most furnaces or air conditioning units. A heat pump works by consolidating and redistributing heat. Heat pumps contain a condenser coil, over which the heat pump passes air. The refrigerant captures the heat in the air, and then the fan releases that energy where it is most appropriate. In the summer, a heat pump “takes” the heat out of the air in your home and vents it to the outside. In the winter, heat pumps “gather” heat from the outside air and then send it into the home. The basis of it all is the consolidation and redistribution of heat energy.

This method of operation makes these units extremely energy efficient, which makes them immensely desirable for people looking for a more affordable solution for climate control. The drawback comes from the fact that heat pumps, though efficient, are not as capable as either a furnace or an air conditioner. A heat pump doesn’t offer the same power as an equivalent furnace or air conditioner, although they are fairly efficient.

That is the reason that you will commonly see air conditioners and heat pumps sold together in very hot climates. In a very hot climate, you might find a 5 ton AC unit with a heat pump sold as a solution. Regardless of what you’re looking for in package units, you should take a look at what you can find at Budget Air Supply on BudgetAirSupply.com. They have great prices, great customer service and offer fast, free shipping on all orders. Check out their website today or call their team at 855-473-6484 to learn more.