If you’re thinking about upgrading the heating system in your Fort Pierce, Florida, home, you want to be certain that you choose an option that will be cost-effective while keeping your house at the ideal temperature. Fortunately, there are several heating systems that are great for the warmer climate we experience in Florida. With a little information, you can choose the right system for your home.
Choosing a Furnace
Furnaces are a popular choice for heating homes in Florida, and they can often be found in older houses. Modern furnaces are very efficient for heating your home and are available in several varieties, enabling you to choose the option that best suits your needs.
Generally, when you install a furnace in your home, it will be a forced-air system. In simple terms, this means that air is heated in the furnace itself, and then a blower forces the heated air through your ductwork, heating every room of your house.
Gas, Oil, and Electric Furnaces
If you’re interested in installing a furnace in your home, you will need to choose the type of fuel your furnace will use: gas, oil, or electricity. Natural-gas furnaces are extremely popular because they are very efficient and because natural gas is fairly inexpensive. An oil furnace can be a good choice if you live in an area where a natural-gas hookup isn’t possible. The drawback of this type of furnace is that you’ll need to monitor your oil supply to make sure your heating system has enough fuel.
Electric furnaces are typically the most efficient of the three types, although they can sometimes end up costing you more since electricity is more expensive than natural gas. That said, an electric furnace will easily keep your home warm throughout the year.
Choosing a Heat Pump
For the majority of Florida homeowners, a heat pump is the most affordable and most efficient option for heating their homes. Heat pumps are a common choice in areas where the temperature rarely, if ever, dips below freezing, and they provide the benefit of not needing an outside fuel source such as oil or natural gas.
Heat pumps work by transferring air in and out of your home, which is why they’re able to control the temperature without needing a fuel source. Most heat pumps are what’s known as air-source heat pumps. This simply means that the heat pump uses the natural temperature of the air to heat or cool your home. As the refrigerant in an air-source heat pump changes from liquid to gas, it captures the air’s heat, and when the gas turns back into liquid, the heat is released into your home to keep it warm.
Pros and Cons of a Geothermal Heat Pump
For even more efficiency, you should consider installing a geothermal heat pump, which is also called a ground-source heat pump. Geothermal models function on the same basic principle as air-source heat pumps, but instead of capturing heat in the air, they take heat from the ground and, in some cases, a water source such as a pond.
Before you install a geothermal heat pump, there are a few things you should consider. First, it’s important to understand that your upfront costs will typically be a little higher than with a traditional air source pump. These costs, however, will almost always be offset by the future savings on your monthly energy costs.
Second, installation of a geothermal heat pump takes a bit more time, as you’ll need a trench in your yard for the pipes that will direct the warm air to the pump. Once your heat pump has been installed, you should see an almost immediate reduction in your heating costs, and you may also be able to take advantage of tax credits for installing one of these high-efficiency systems.
If you’re ready to install a new furnace or heat pump in your home, give us a call at Grimes Heating & Air Conditioning at (772) 800-6416. Our team would be happy to help you choose a heating system for your home that will lower your energy bills and maximize your family’s comfort.