HVAC Units in Freezing Conditions

Not all HVAC equipment works equally well in freezing weather.

HVAC is an acronym that stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. The two most commonly used systems are heat pumps and split systems that consist of an air conditioner compressor that sits outdoors and an indoor furnace that can be gas or electric.

Function

HVAC equipment is commonly found in climates that have warm or hot summers. Federal housing law requires furnaces in each home as a condition of sales or occupancy, no matter the location.

Considerations

Heat pumps can be energy efficient ways to heat and cool a home, but they do not heat well in climates that have frequent below-freezing weather. Split systems with electric or gas furnaces can put out more heat in freezing or subfreezing weather. These systems use more energy to heat than a heat pump does, although using a heat pump in cold weather may cause it to run more than a gas or electric furnace does.

Options

Heat pumps can be made with supplemental heaters inside them that use electrical or gas burners to augment what the heat pump can deliver from the heat exchanger. These heat pumps can be used where weather is cold in the winter instead of the split systems.

References

• Energy Savers: Advanced Features to Look for in a Heat Pump