If you live in Florida, you know that the summers can be incredibly hot and humid. Many of us even need air conditioning to make our homes more comfortable in the fall and spring. In the winter, we can still experience our share of warm days, but the temperatures can dip pretty low, too. If you get a heat pump installed at your place, you’ll be able to keep your home at a pleasant temperature throughout the year. Heat pumps work as both air conditioners and heaters, and they can be very effective in our climate.
A Convenient System
One way to maintain an ideal temperature in your home is to get a separate heater and air conditioner. However, if you get a heat pump, you only need to get one system. This is why it can sometimes be more cost-effective to get a heat pump.
Plus, the convenience factor of a heat pump cannot be overlooked. Instead of dealing with multiple systems and having maintenance done on your various units, you just have to focus on one system. At Buehler Air Conditioning & Plumbing, we can handle heat pump installations, repairs, and maintenance for customers in Jacksonville Beach, FL.
Heat pumps are very versatile. A heat pump doesn’t necessarily need to be hooked up to a system of ducts. If you’d like to give yourself relief from the heat but don’t currently have central air, a heat pump can be utilized without a problem. In contrast, retrofitting a home with a duct system can involve a lot of work, which could ultimately be very expensive. If you get a heat pump that doesn’t require any ductwork, you could be saving yourself a lot of trouble.
On the other hand, there are certain types of heat pumps that are compatible with existing ductwork. If you currently have central air and would like to replace your old units, we can help you find a heat pump system that will work with your home’s configuration.
Save Energy With a Heat Pump
Getting a heat pump can make sense in terms of energy efficiency. This is especially true in the winter because the system transfers heat rather than having to generate it.
A traditional heater has to make its own heat. This can be done by burning oil or gas, or it can be created with the use of electricity. This process can certainly keep your home nice and toasty, but it does take a lot of energy.
In contrast, a heat pump doesn’t need to make any heat. Instead, it absorbs heat from another source. That source could be the outside air or the ground, depending on what type of system has been installed. The heat pump can then transfer that heat into your home. It’s a pretty clever design because it takes advantage of heat that’s already present in the environment. Even when it’s cold outside, there’s some sort of heat in the air, and the outside temperature can be much warmer than the extremely cold refrigerant that runs through the heat pump’s piping system. With a geothermal heat pump system, the piping runs underneath the ground, where the temperature remains fairly constant every season.
In extremely cold climates, some people use heat pumps in addition to backup heating systems. That’s because a heat pump system may not work as well when the temperature is hovering around 0 degrees. However, Jacksonville usually doesn’t experience that type of weather. That’s why a heat pump could be perfect for our climate in Florida.
When the heat pump is working as an air conditioner, it can still be very efficient. It absorbs heat from the inside of your home and sends it elsewhere. If you have an air-source system, that heat would be released in the outside air near your outdoor unit; if you have a geothermal system, the heat would be released into the ground outside of your home.
It’s important to note that in the summer, a heat pump works in the same manner as a regular air conditioner. Therefore, the more significant savings that you’ll experience in regard to your utility bill will be seen in the cooler months.
When setting up a heat pump system in your home, you’ll have the opportunity to create multiple zones. You may want to have different areas of your home connected to different thermostats. This would enable you to customize the temperature in different places, and it could help you save money on your utility bills.
Types of Heat Pumps
There are many factors to take into consideration when choosing a heat pump for your property. As mentioned, some heat pumps are ideal in homes that have central air, and others are suited for homes that don’t have existing ductwork.
You’ll also want to think about whether you’d like an air-source system or a geothermal system. In many areas, it can be easier to install an air-source system. That’s because a geothermal system can be expensive to put in. A company will have to dig below the ground to install the system, and bringing the heavy machinery needed to do so can be costly.
However, our region is actually well-suited for geothermal systems. That’s because we don’t have very cold winters, so the piping doesn’t have to be installed that far underneath the surface of the ground. In addition, many experts feel that geothermal systems are ideal in areas that have high moisture content in the soil. Since it rains so much here, we do have relatively high moisture content in our soil. This is another reason why a geothermal system might work for you.
Finally, we’d like to point out that mini-split systems are special types of heat pumps. Mini-splits can be mounted in various areas, including on walls. If you’re getting a mini-split or a series of mini-splits for your home, you’ll definitely need to consider where you’d like them to be placed. It’s generally easier to mount these units on outside walls, but they could potentially be placed on interior walls if that works best for your layout.
We Can Help You
If you’re interested in getting a heat pump, please reach out to our team at Buehler Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We’re a locally owned and operated business that provides comprehensive heating and cooling services and works hard on behalf of our customers in Duval County. Since we got our start in 2010, we’ve enjoyed getting to know people in our community. We’re proud to have earned an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and we work with all makes and models, including Energy Star products. Our NATE-certified technicians are ready to assist you with the installation, repair, and maintenance of your heat pump, furnace, or air conditioner. We also provide indoor air quality and ductwork services. If you’d like, we can provide you with an estimate as to how much a particular job might entail, and we’re always happy to answer questions. Call us today to find out more about our services!