5 Benefits of Having a Heat Pump in Florida
Heat pumps can be an efficient choice in most climates. But they work especially well in warm climates like Merritt Island, Florida. Consider these five benefits that a heat pump offers compared to other heating and cooling solutions:
Provide Both Heating and Cooling
Temperatures in Merritt Island rarely dip below 40 degrees. As a result, many homeowners don’t give much thought to their home’s heating system. When deciding what type of HVAC system to install, homeowners usually ask whether a heat pump is better than an air conditioner.
The answer is yes. An air conditioner does one thing: cool your home. A heat pump can do that, too, but it can also heat your home. Florida may not get as cold as other states, but winter still brings some days when a built-in heating system comes in handy. Installing a heat pump makes it easy to switch back and forth between heating and cooling as the weather changes. That’s because the same system will handle both tasks.
Lower Your Monthly Heating Bills
If your home currently relies on some form of electric resistance heating, a heat pump can cut your heating bill in half. While electric furnaces, baseboard heaters and wall heaters use electricity to generate heat, a heat pump extracts it from the outdoor air to warm your home. Transferring heat requires a lot less energy than creating it. As a result, heat pumps use significantly less energy than traditional HVAC systems.
Heat pumps become less efficient when the outside air gets too cold. In harsher climates, homeowners often need to install a backup heat source. However, since below-freezing temperatures are extremely rare in Florida, that drawback doesn’t apply to homeowners in Merritt Island. Our moderate winters allow for optimal heat pump efficiency.
Improve Indoor Air Quality
Another alternative to electric resistance heaters is a combustion heater. Rather than using electricity to produce heat, this type of furnace relies on natural gas, propane or another combustible fuel source. While these furnaces can be more efficient than electric ones, they also produce carbon monoxide as a natural byproduct. If a leak develops in the system, this deadly gas can spill into your home.
Compared to gas furnaces, heat pumps have the edge when it comes to indoor air quality. Because heat pumps don’t rely on combustion, they carry no risk of carbon monoxide poisoning or a gas explosion. Additionally, they won’t dry out your home’s air the way a combustion furnace will. Air that’s too dry can trigger asthma attacks and cause unpleasant symptoms such as dry skin and eyes.
Reduce Your Environmental Impact
Heat pumps aren’t only good for your wallet and health. They’re also good for the environment. Combustion systems introduce more pollutants into the air, both inside and outside your home. Electricity is by far the cleanest way to convert energy into heat, giving electric heat pumps an instant advantage.
However, heat pumps take the Eco-friendliness of electric heating a step further. Much of the electricity generated in the U.S. still comes from burning fossil fuels, and homeowners may not have much say in the matter. By using far less electricity than a traditional heating system, a heat pump enables you to reduce harmful emissions and shrink your carbon footprint regardless of where the electricity comes from.
Increase Overall Home Comfort
Homeowners in Florida have several other reasons to choose a heat pump. In general, heat pumps offer superior control and comfort. Look for features like two-stage cooling, which can prevent indoor temperature swings, and durable outdoor components designed to withstand the elements and last for years.
Our Trane TruComfort systems even offer a variable-speed compressor, outdoor fan, and indoor fan that can keep your home within half a degree of your thermostat setting. Plus, ComfortLink II communicating technology can optimize every component for comfort and energy efficiency.
Are you ready to experience the benefits of a heat pump for yourself? At Merritt Island Air & Heat, every heat pump installation is performed by NATE-certified service technicians and backed by a two-year performance guarantee and Blue Ribbon Warranty. With preventive maintenance, you can have the peace of mind of knowing we’ll catch small issues before they can become big problems. Give us a call today at (321) 392-6564.
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