Contemplating the sultry Jacksonville heat, choosing the appropriate heat pump can significantly enhance comfort and efficiency. The heat pumps function like the multitaskers of the HVAC carpet, holding down the fort in home cooling during the summer and maintaining cozy conditions in the residence during the cooler months. Ever had a day when the Florida sun seems unrelenting and you enter your home only to feel like you have stepped into an oasis? That's the magic a well-chosen heat pump can deliver. But with so many options swirling around, it feels like you are caught in a whirlwind of choices. Should you choose an air-source system or go with the more sophisticated geothermal (ground-source) system? The choice often boils down to your home's individual needs and—let's face it—your budget.
Picture yourself immersed in a session of afternoon research, balancing the pros and cons with a cup of coffee in hand. You might be pondering whether the high initial cost of a ground-source heat pump is justifiable when the long-term energy savings are factored in. For most of our Jacksonville neighbors, air-source systems hit that sweet spot of being both reliable and cost-effective. They are, by far, the most popular kind of heat pump, and for good reason—they pull heat from the air, a resource that is plentiful and easy to access in our warm climate. And the system does it quietly. If you have an air-source heat pump, there's a very good chance you don't even know it's there, rather than, say, knowing and/or hearing when the AC is running. And when it's not running, the system is you enjoying an evening in (or morning, or midday, or whenever) at a comfortable temperature. Partly because of what the system does and partly because of how it does it, an air-source heat pump has a very satisfying amount of 'right' packed into it.
The first step in selecting a heat pump that fits your home is to understand your home's specifications. If yours is an older home, you may need to take it through some extra steps; it's akin to finding the right piece of a puzzle that fits just so in your home's specs. Consider the play space of your home (its size, dimensions, and volume), its current insulation (types and R-values), and even how many hours of sunshine your home gets. At Hall Heating and Cooling Jacksonville, we've helped countless homeowners get to a place of certainty, where they've found that level of comfort that's customized just for them.