If you want lower Tallahassee, FL energy bills, heat pumps can be more economical than AC installations. Air conditioners only provide cooling and are paired with furnaces for heating. Heat pumps provide both heating and cooling. That saves you the cost of maintaining and eventually replacing two different systems. With annual maintenance services, heat pumps generally last for 15 years. Air conditioners tend to last from 15 to 20 years. There are other differences as well:
Energy Efficiency
Air conditioners and heat pumps in cooling mode are about equal when it comes to energy savings. However, the higher a unit’s SEER rating, the more efficient that unit will be. In the heating mode is where heat pumps can save you some serious money. Rather than burning fuel like furnaces, they warm your home using heat extracted from the outdoor air. Taking advantage of this free natural resource, heat pumps can reduce energy costs by a wide margin.
Indoor Comfort
Many modern heat pumps have variable speed blower motors and two-stage compressors. These features allow heat pumps to consistently maintain desired temperatures with incremental adjustments. Traditional air conditioners cycle on and off all day. That gobbles energy and can create hot and cold spots. Heat pumps with longer running times are more effective at removing humidity and maintaining uniform temperatures.
Ductless Mini-split Heat Pumps
Ductless heat pumps are similar to traditional heat pumps, but they don’t require ductwork. Mini-splits are zoned systems with one outdoor unit and one or more indoor units. Each indoor unit governs a zone. Each zone can be maintained at a different temperature. Energy costs can decrease radically when you’re only heating and cooling the rooms you use.
High Quality Heating and Air, Inc., provides state-of-the-art heat pump and AC installations. We also offer AC and heat pump services to maximize energy-efficient performance. Call us at (850) 307-5356 to learn more.