Heat pumps are ideal for heating and cooling in Florida. Instead of having to maintain both an air conditioner and furnace, heat pumps provide both heating and cooling in one unit. They are extremely energy-efficient, reducing heating and cooling bills by up to 75% depending on the type of system you choose. Proper installation is crucial to getting the best performance from any new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. Here are important facts about new heat pump installations.

Heat Pump Technology

There are several types of heat pump systems, including air-source, geothermal or ground-source and water-source. They operate on the same principles of refrigeration that air conditioners and refrigerators do. Refrigerant circulating through coils is compressed to create a high-temperature gas. It is routed through a condenser coil, causing it to lose heat and liquefy. It then passes through an expansion valve. Here, both temperature and pressure drop. As it flows through the evaporator coil, it picks up heat and boils. The hot liquid is passed to the compressor, and the cycle repeats.

Unlike standard HVAC units that require fuel to generate heat, these devices use energy to move heat from one place to another. Simply flipping a switch reverses the flow of refrigerant. Warm air is extracted from your home during the summer and transferred outdoors. During the winter, heat is extracted from either the outside air, earth or a water source and routed indoors.

A variable-speed inverter compressor increases efficiency. Unlike standard units that operate at 100% capacity, variable speed motors operate according to heating and cooling needs. During cooler times of day, they may operate at less than 50% capacity, which saves energy. When summer temperatures rise, the unit powers up to keep interiors cool. They are also better at controlling humidity, an important factor in the humid environment of Florida. The result is that you stay more comfortable using less energy.

Energy Efficiency

For every kilowatt of energy consumed, air-source systems generate approximately 3 KW of thermal energy. Energy efficiency for the heating cycle is described as the coefficient of performance. For cooling, units are rated by the Energy Efficiency Ratio, the ratio of heat removed compared to the amount of energy used to operate the system. These systems use energy to operate the compressor and motors. However, the energy used to condition the air comes from an existing heat source, such as the air, earth or water.

Proper Heat Pump Installation

Experts in the HVAC industry agree that proper installation is of utmost importance. A unit that is too small will not be able to heat and cool effectively. The system may run for longer periods of time, break down more often and have a shorter service life. An over sized unit may cycle off before it has removed humidity. Both undersized and over sized units use more fuel to operate. In both cases, indoor comfort is affected.

According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, improper installation can increase energy consumption by as much as 30%. Improper sizing, inadequate ductwork, improper refrigerant charge and poor airflow are significant factors that affect performance.

The Air Conditioning Contractors of America’s standards for sizing and installation of residential and commercial HVAC systems are used by reliable contractors. Quality installation includes selection of proper equipment, correct system design, completion of a building load calculation for sizing and owner education about proper operation of the unit.

Sizing is not based only on square footage. It also examines other factors, including:

• Building orientation.
• Local climate.
• Number of doors and windows.
• Amount of insulation.
• Number of occupants per room.
• Landscaping.
• Building construction materials.
• Ventilation.

The Ellington Air Conditioning & Heat Advantage

At Ellington Air Conditioning & Heat, we pay close attention to customer satisfaction and comfort. Our NATE-certified technicians are factory-trained to bring you the most technologically advanced installations, repairs and maintenance. We use industry standards for new installations. Our years of serving customers in Brevard County means we will be there for you if you need follow-up services. We offer annual maintenance plans and scheduled repairs to keep your equipment running at peak efficiency.

For more information about a new heat pump installation, call (321) 248-4838 in Brevard County.