Heat pumps work most efficiently in warmer climates. So it’s a no brainer that they’re the perfect heating and cooling option for Florida homes.But do you know what to look for in a heat pump? Well, it’s similar to shopping for a central air conditioner. A heat pump is just an air conditioner that can work in “reverse” to heat the home, after all.Regardless, here are 4 important factors you’ll need to consider before making your decision. Heat pumps work most efficiently in warmer climates. Heat pumps have 2 efficiency ratings because they both cool and heat the home. The higher these ratings, the more efficient the heat pump—and therefore the more money you save! Think of it as the MPG of your cooling/heating system.SEER is the cooling efficiency and ranges from 13 to the 20s (it’s rising as technology advances). Those numbers don’t really mean much to you. So here are 3 tools that will show you how much you’ll save with different SEER ratings.HSPF is the heating efficiency and ranges from 7.7-10.

These efficiency ratings are strongly affected by the next 2 factors. The heat pump has 2 main units. The inside units is called the air handler, which is connected to your ductwork.One part of the air handler is the blower, which circulates the air throughout your ducts.The type of blower motor will affect how efficient the heat pump works and how comfortable it can make you. Here’s the difference between the 3 blower motor types: A single stage-compressor only lets the heat pump cool/heat at full blast.A two-stage compressor allows the heat pump to cool or heat at different levels: High (full blast) and low for milder days.OK, so what’s the big deal about two-stage? Well two-stage heat pumps run more often, while using less energy. This helps you:Two-stage heat pumps cost more upfront, but will cost less to operate. But people mainly get them because of the extra comfort they provide. The heat pumps size is probably the most important factor when buying a heat pump.

Too large or small and the system runs inefficiently and could breakdown.Finding the correct size is complicated, which is why it’s best to leave it to a professional heating/cooling contractor who will need to perform a Manual J Heat Load Calculation to find the right size.choosing central air conditioning unit Contact Cool Today if you need help finding the heat pump that fits your budget and comfort needs.best gas hvac systemGeothermal Compared to Traditional Heating and Cooling Systemsac power supply circuits for energy harvesting You may be already familiar with geothermal systems and how they work. (If not, check out our page on how geothermal works.) But how does geothermal directly compare with more traditional methods of home heating and cooling?

Let’s compare a high-efficiency gas furnace to a geothermal system for heating your home. A high-efficiency gas furnace will give you less than .96 units of heat for each unit of gas burned. In contrast, a geothermal system gives you up to 5 units of heat for each unit of electricity used. How can that be? A furnace makes heat by burning fossil. A geothermal system doesn’t make it’s own heat; it simply collects heat from the earth and moves it to your home. The results can be a big difference in your monthly home heating bills. In terms of dollars on a yearly energy bill, take a look at the table below to see how geothermal heating compares to heating with fossil fuels. But what about cooling your home? Let’s compare a geothermal heating and cooling system to an air-source heat pump system for cooling. When it’s hot outside, an air-source heat pump takes heat from your home and moves to the outside air. As the outside air becomes warmer in summer, it becomes harder for the system to dump heat from your home into the already hot outside air.

Because of this, when cooling a home with an air-source heat pump, the system becomes least efficient when it needs to be most efficient. A geothermal heat pump system doesn’t have this problem. A geothermal system exchanges the heat in your home with the cooler ground using it’s underground loop system. It simply doesn’t have to deal with high outside air temperatures the way that an air-source heat pump does. Add to that the fact that a geothermal system can be installed safely inside your home, with a loop buried underground. Unlike an air-source heat pump, there is no outdoor equipment exposed to the elements or the risk of vandalism. Interested in seeing how much geothermal can save you on your energy bills? Use our easy geothermal calculator:At some point during their ownership, many homeowners may have to replace their central air-conditioning systems. The average life span of central air-conditioning system is 12- to 15- years if it is properly installed and maintained.

Heat pumps have about the same life-span — about 14 years — when recommended maintenance is followed. Newer units manufactured in recent years are expected to last even longer. However, when the system starts giving you more problems than seem cost-effective to fix, it may be time to consider purchasing a new system. When faced with major repair or replace decisions, you may wish to consult HVAC contractors for their recommendations. It is important to know that split air-conditioning or heat pump systems — the most common types used in US homes — consist of two parts: an indoor (coil) unit and an outdoor (condensing) unit. These two components are specifically designed to work together as a coordinated “team” to provide top performance and maximum efficiency and comfort. In the past, homeowners could sometimes replace part of their system, such as the outdoor condensing unit, to extend its useful life. However, air-conditioning and heat pump systems manufactured today must have a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) of 13 or higher.

The federal government sets the minimum efficiency standards for central air-conditioners and heat pumps. For these new, high-efficiency systems to work properly and to extend their life, the outdoor unit and indoor unit must be properly matched. So if you install a new high efficiency outdoor unit, but don’t install a new, equally efficient and properly matched indoor unit, the results could be uncomfortable, unreliable, and inefficient. Because newer equipment usually is more energy efficient than older central air-conditioning or heat-pump systems, you will likely see reduced utility bills Ask your neighbors or friends for recommendations for HVAC contractors they have worked with and trust. You should talk to a few different contractors and obtain more than one quote to compare. Another way to increase your chances of obtaining a quality installation is selecting a contractor that employs technicians who have been certified by North American Technician Excellence (NATE).

To become NATE-certified, technicians have to pass a nationally recognized test to demonstrate they have the knowledge to properly size, install, and repair today’s increasingly sophisticated heating and cooling systems. To find contractors who employ NATE-certified technicians, go to HVACR Advice and type in your zip code to pull a list of certified technicians in your area. Homeowners should ask their air-conditioning technician to size the equipment to meet the specific needs of their homes. If a system is undersized, it may run nearly continuously, but without ever properly cooling your home. If oversized, the system could cycle on and off too frequently, greatly reducing its ability to control humidity, and will also will be less efficient than a system that is appropriately sized. To properly size a system for a home, trained technicians will use an equation (a “load calculation”) that factors the home’s age, the number and quality of its windows, how well it is insulated, how many stories it has, its total square footage, and other relevant factors.

Homeowners should ask their technicians to perform a Manual J load calculation, the industry’s term for the standardized equation used to properly size an air-conditioning system. Your technician will specify the cooling capacity of the system in either Btu/h (British thermal units of heat removed per hour) or refrigeration tons (one ton being equal to 12,000 Btu/h). Air-conditioning and heat pump manufacturers are required by law to evaluate and rate their equipments energy efficiency. This standard rating for measuring central air-conditioners and heat pump cooling efficiency is its Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). When heat pumps are heating your home, the Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) is used to determine its efficiency at performing this function. The higher the SEER/HSPF, the more efficient the equipment The Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) is also sometimes used to assess performance of residential air-conditioners during hot outdoor temperatures. Many manufacturers voluntarily submit their products for testing by the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) to assure consumers their energy efficiency claims have been verified by an independent, third-party laboratory.

For split systems, AHRI tests combinations of indoor and outdoor units to verify the system’s performance claims. It is important for consumers to double check the indoor and outdoor units are a certified match by asking their technician for an AHRI Certified Reference Number (formerly ARI Reference Number) or an AHRI Certificate of Product Ratings (formerly Certificate of Certified Product Performance) that can be downloaded from the CEE Directory. You can verify your split system is a properly matched by asking your HVAC technician to provide you with an AHRI Certified Reference Number (formerly ARI Reference Number) or an AHRI Certificate of Product Ratings (formerly Certificate of Certified Product Performance). The reference number can be entered into the CEE Directory to verify that you have a matched system and to obtain a Certificate of Certified Product Performance. For higher efficiency systems, the certificate may be used to support an application for either a federal tax credit or a rebate or incentive from your local utility or municipality.

If you do not have an AHRI Certified Reference Number (formerly ARI Reference Number) or an AHRI Certificate of Product Ratings (formerly Certificate of Certified Product Performance) to locate your air-conditioning equipment in the CEE Directory, you will need the manufacturer’s name, model name, and model numbers for both the indoor and outdoor units. Your contractor is the best source to obtain the AHRI Certified Reference Number. Obtain a Quality Installation. Make sure your contractors installs your new equipment according to the ANSI Quality Installation Standard. Properly seal and insulate your ducts. Sealing and insulating can reduce your total energy use by more than 20 percent. Focus first on ducts that run through unconditioned space such as your garage or attic, and seal ducts with mastic or foil-backed tape. After sealing, insulate the ducts by wrapping them in insulation. Make sure your home has adequate insulation. A well-insulated home helps reduce the load on your HVAC system.