If you’re looking for a new heating and air conditioning system, it’s helpful to know what your heat pump options are for this region. The Tampa area offers one of the best climates for heat pumps because our winters are so mild. These HVAC appliances cool just as efficiently as a central air conditioner, but give you the added bonus of being able to provide all the heat your home needs in the winter.
The three main types of heat pumps include air-source, ductless mini-splits and geothermal. The most common in homes are air-source heat pumps, which are the ones most people think of when they hear the term “heat pump.” Here’s a brief rundown of each one:
- Air-source. This kind of heat pump transfers latent heat that’s contained in both the outside and inside air. Using the heat-exchange properties of refrigerant, the heat pump removes the heat from your home in the summer, carries it outside and expels it into the air. The main components are the indoor and outdoor refrigerant coils, the compressor and the indoor air handler. In the winter, the air source heat pump collects heat from the air and brings it indoors. These systems use more energy during extreme outdoor temperatures.
- Ductless mini-splits. These heat pumps use air-source heat pump technology but don’t require ductwork to deliver the conditioned air. These are a good solution for heating and cooling home additions or when retrofitting spaces when it would be space- or cost-prohibitive to run ductwork. These systems offer solid energy efficiency because of the direct air delivery. The use an outdoor condensing unit, similar to the air-source heat pump’s, and one or more indoor air handlers connected by a thin conduit.
- Geothermal. A geothermal heat pump relies on the stored thermal energy underground for the heating and cooling process. They’re more energy efficient than the standard air-source heat pump because temperatures underground are more table than the outside air. These systems use an underground (or underwater) loop field, with pipes containing a water/anti-freeze solution that extracts or releases the heat to condition your home. Of all the heat pump options, these are the most durable.
To learn more about your heat pump options in the Tampa-Clearwater area, please contact the pros at Senica Air Conditioning, Inc., Inc. today.
