Although swimming pools are common in southwest Florida, many homeowners don’t heat them in an effort to reduce energy costs. The truth is, you can economically enjoy the pool temperature you like, at any time of year, day or night, by using a high-efficiency heat pump pool heater or spa heater.

Heat pumps handle both cooling and heating homes (and heating pools) by absorbing heat from the air nearby, then transferring it. This minimizes costs, since redirecting heat already in the environment is much cheaper than generating heat by combustion, as traditional systems do. Heat pump pool heaters work for spa or hot tub heating, too. Benefits of a heat pump pool heating system include:

• Quiet operation
• Highly efficient design requires a fraction of the energy used by standard pool or spa heating systems
• Provides consistent pool or hot tub temperatures, acting independently or as a backup to solar power
• Recycling heat from the air is safe technology
• Potentially hazardous fuels aren’t used and don’t need to be stored in or near your home
• Uses environmentally friendly, EPA-approved R-410A refrigerant
• Low maintenance
• Self-contained equipment comes factory-refrigerant-charged, properly wired, quality-tested and ready to go. The unit just needs to be connected to the pool or spa pipe system and power source.
• No need for costly specialized piping, a flue or vents
• Versatile units can be installed in almost any spot
• Use your pool comfortably anytime

Make sure to purchase an AHRI (Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute) performance-certified unit, with an excellent warranty on compressor, functional parts and labor. A ComfortSwim™ heat pump from Conditioned Air will work with any type of existing automated system. These units supply all the benefits listed — and more.

Call us at Conditioned Air for a free, no-obligation investment analysis, which provides comparison costs between solar and fossil fuel pool heating. We’ll also determine how long it will take to recoup your investment in your system, so you can decide if it’s time for you to install or upgrade your pool heating. Visit our informative website to learn more or just give us a call.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Pool image via Shutterstock

With summer approaching, upgrading your heat pump may be a smart move. New heat pumps promise increased indoor comfort and lower utility bills. But choosing the right heat pump for your home is not entirely a do-it-yourself project. By consulting a cooling and heating expert, you can be sure you’ll get the most from your investment.

Trained and certified HVAC professionals can help you choose the right size system for your home and explain the various features that can lower your energy bills in Southwest Florida’s hot, humid climate. The best HVAC technicians pass rigorous examinations to demonstrate proficiency in order to earn their certification, and they continue to take courses to stay on top of improving technology.

Among the factors an HVAC expert can help you navigate when you’re upgrading your heat pump:

• Size. HVAC technicians calculate the optimal size of your system using the Manual J method. It takes into account the size of your home, insulation levels, window quality and orientation, the number of occupants and your lifestyle. Your old system is not a reliable guide, since home improvements can lower the capacity you need when upgrading your heat pump. A system that is too large costs more initially and uses more electricity. It won’t remove as much humidity and runs in frequent, short bursts throughout the summer, wearing the parts faster.
• Installation. A heat pump is not a plug-and-play appliance. The technicians need to ascertain that the ducts in your home are in good shape, the wiring is properly completed, the thermostat calibrated and the refrigerant safely installed. Anyone who works with refrigerant must have completed training required by the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Maintenance. You can buy the most efficient system on the market, but without annual maintenance, its performance goes down. Special tools are used to measure the performance and maintain the heat pump parts. Lack of maintenance may also void the warranty.

When you need a heat pump upgrade, contact Conditioned Air to guide you through the process. We’ve been serving Southwest Florida for more than 50 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Technician image via Shutterstock

Heat pumps offer an effective way to heat and cool your home in Southwest Florida. These appliances move heat from one place to another, regardless of season.

In the summer, heat pumps pull heat from the air in your home and exhaust it outdoors. In the winter, the process reverses, and they pull heat from the air outdoors to warm your home (even when it’s cool outside, heat exists in the air).

Heat pumps work well in Southwest Florida, since our winter temperatures seldom reach freezing; heat pumps lose efficiency when temperatures get very cold. When choosing a system, consider both its energy-efficiency rating and its size.

The minimum energy-efficiency rating available is 13 SEER, which stands for “seasonal energy efficiency ratio.” Pumps also have a rating system for heating efficiency: HSPF stands for “heating season performance factor.” The minimum is 7.7 HSPF. When choosing a heat pump for your home in Southwest Florida, it’s more important to pay attention to its SEER rating to achieve energy-efficient air conditioning.

To give your heat pump an efficiency boost, consider upgrades that will reduce its energy consumption, including:

• Variable-speed motors. Because they can adjust to the needs of the moment, running at different speeds at different times, these use less electricity than single-speed motors. They’re also quieter than standard motors and more effective at removing indoor humidity.
• Dual-speed compressors. These sense temperature extremes and only run at top speed when it’s exceptionally hot (or cold) outside.
• Desuperheaters. A pump equipped with this device can heat your water in the summer more efficiently than a traditional water heater, saving energy.

Heat pumps are sized by tonnage. HVAC experts use a method called Manual J to calculate the tonnage of air conditioning your home needs. Manual J takes into account the cubic volume of your home, the insulation levels, windows and their orientation to the sun, your lifestyle, the number of occupants in your home, the thermostat settings you prefer, your landscaping and many other factors.

Conditioned Air has been serving Southwest Florida since 1962. To learn more about heat pumps, contact us today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Heat pump image via Shutterstock

Like other home-cooling equipment, heat pumps have a big job to do in Southwest Florida summers. When you have an HVAC technician tune up your heat pump before the intense heat and humidity kick in, you can boost its energy efficiency and ward off potential breakdowns at the height of the season.

Preventive maintenance for heat pumps by a professional technician typically includes:

• Cleaning the air handler and evaporator coil and replacing the air filter if it’s dirty. When dirt builds in the air handler and collects on the evaporator coil, it can cause your coil to freeze over because not enough air flows over it. A frozen coil can ultimately cause outdoor condenser failure (not to mention boost your electric bill).
• Checking your interior ducts to make sure that the airflow is adequate for each room. Ducts can leak or separate at the joints, adding to your cooling costs.
• Inspecting the electrical components and replacing them when needed, as well as tightening all the connections.
• Examining the belt inside the air handler and lubricating the motor.
• Making sure the heating cycle won’t turn on once you set the system to the cooling function.
• Calibrating the thermostat for accurate operation.
• Checking the refrigerant level and bringing it back to the manufacturer’s specifications. If your level is low, the technician also runs down the cause of the leaks. Your heat pump won’t run if the level is too high or too low. Leaking refrigerant is also a health and environmental hazard.
• Clean and straighten the outdoor coils for the condenser and remove any dirt or plant debris that interferes with optimal operation.

The goal of HVAC experts is to bring your system back to its original factory settings as closely as possible. As these appliances run, dirt, corrosion and leaks impede their efficiency, increasing the likelihood of breakdowns and excessive energy consumption.

Conditioned Air provides HVAC services in Southwest Florida. Contact us, before the heat builds, for seasonal maintenance to increase your comfort.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Heat pump image via Shutterstock

Heat pumps offer an energy-efficient way to cool your home, as well as heat it when necessary. The basic idea is that heat pumps transfer heat from one location to another.

They do it by circulating refrigerant through the system; at some points the refrigerant takes a liquid form, and at other times it’s in a gaseous form. Depending on its form, refrigerant either absorbs or releases heat.

Here are three components key to heat pump operation. The components work together by moving refrigerant in and out of your home as well as by forcing the refrigerant to alter its state:

• Indoor coil. Here’s where a heat pump extracts heat from the air in your home to “pump” outdoors in order to leave your home cooler. The refrigerant flowing through the heat pump’s indoor coil is evaporated at a low pressure, pulling heat from the air.
• Outdoor coil. The outdoor coil sits outside in a metal box with small fins. As refrigerant is  passed into the indoor coil, it’s condensed into a liquid. This process releases heat, which is expelled into the air outside as the refrigerant flows through the coil.
• Compressor. This component is responsible for pumping refrigerant between the two coils. It’s because the process works in two directions — sending heat either outside or inside your home — that heat pumps work very well to both cool and heat your home. To cool your home, this is where the refrigerant is condensed into a liquid and heat can be released outside.To warm your home, refrigerant is compressed on its way to the indoor coil, where it condenses and releases heat.

That’s heat pump operation in a nutshell. Of course, the professionals at Conditioned Air would be glad to answer more questions. For more information about energy efficient ways to keep your home comfortable year-round, contact the certified experts at Conditioned Air in Southwest Florida today. We’re always happy to share energy-saving tips, schedule a consultation or plan a maintenance visit.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Heat pump image via Shutterstock

If you are looking for targeted temperature control in specific areas in your home, consider exploring a ductless mini split heat pump system.

Many homeowners know mini splits work well in home additions where extending ductwork is not feasible or to supplement cooling and heating in homes with radiant or other ductless home-comfort systems. Fewer have considered using ductless mini splits as zoning systems. But in many cases, these small, flexible systems offer the perfect solution for zoned temperature control.

“Zoning” refers to cooling and heating that can be controlled for individual rooms or sections (zones) of your home. Often, homes with zoned control require retrofits involving the installation of dampers within existing ductwork. But what if your home doesn’t have ductwork or you need an alternate solution for another reason? Or what if you’re looking for a way to avoid the energy loss associated with leaky ducts?

That’s when you should consider using a ductless mini split as a zoning system. Mini splits are heat pumps, but with multiple indoor air handlers located in various rooms in your building connected to a single outdoor unit. Each air handler is regulated by its own thermostat — allowing individual, precise control in multiple living spaces all served by the same system.

Ductless mini splits as zoning systems offer a great deal of flexibility. For example, they let homeowners air-condition only the areas that are occupied at the moment and temporarily close off vacant areas, such as guest rooms. Their individualized temperature control also allows residents to make adjustments based on the quirks of individual rooms, or zones. Say you have a room with multiple large windows that collect lots of heat from the sun; a zoned system lets you boost the A/C in that room only to offset its rise in temperature — without cranking up the system throughout your entire home. For many homeowners, zoned temperature control saves energy and keeps their monthly utility bills lower.

To learn more about using ductless mini splits as zoning systems, please contact Conditioned Air today. Our expert technicians can provide you with the information you need. Serving Southwest Florida, we’re always happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Temperature control  image via Shutterstock

When you’re making a heat pump upgrade, keep the lifetime costs of your investment in mind as well as the sticker price. In the long run, operating costs will outweigh your upfront expense — so it’s important to weigh energy efficiency heavily when you’re choosing a new heat pump. The heat pump you buy will affect your household’s finances for years to come.

There are a couple of efficiency ratings to consider in particular when considering a heat pump upgrade:

• HSPF, or “heating season performance factor.” HSPF measures the energy efficiency of both the pump’s compressor and electricity-resistant elements. The heat pumps that are most efficient in this area will be rated from 8 and 10 on the HSPF scale — anything lower means you’ll be using up more energy during heating mode.
• SEER, or “season energy efficiency ratio.” This rating measures how efficiently a heat pump uses energy during its cooling mode. Heat pump upgrades that are higher on the SEER scale are usually more expensive upfront, but they pay off in long-term energy savings. If you can afford to invest in a higher efficiency pump now, you’ll probably recoup much of that cost down the road. The most cooling-efficient heat pumps out there are rated from 14 and 18 on the SEER scale.

In a warm region such as Southwest Florida, SEER is the more important factor, as you’ll rely more on the pump’s cooling mode. If you have questions or could use help weighing your options when it comes to heat pump upgrades, contact the experts at Conditioned Air. We’re proud to help keep Southwest Florida homeowners comfortable — while helping improve energy efficiency, too.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Heat pump image via Shutterstock

If you’ve never heard of ductless mini-split heat-pump systems, don’t count yourself alone. These are relatively new to the U.S. market and provide a way to heat and cool spaces without ductwork.

The systems have outdoor compressors, just like other heat pumps. But instead of a central air handler inside that sends conditioned air through your home’s ductwork, the blower in the air handler sends the heated or cooled air directly into your room.

The units have a number of advantages over central air conditioning systems or heat pumps, including:

• Flexibility. The relatively small air handlers can be installed on the walls, on the ceiling or freestanding.
• Appearance. Manufacturers house the evaporators in modern-looking covers that many people find more attractive than window-mounted air conditioners.
• Controls. Some ductless mini-split systems have microprocessors that control the air temperature and humidity in individual rooms. When the systems operate in an intermittent mode, the humidity level and air temperature remain constant. Optional remote controls also allow users to change the settings from anywhere in the room.
• Flexible louvers. By directing the louvers up, down or sideways, people can keep the air circulating throughout the room, adding to the comfort these systems provide.
• Smart operation. The mini-split systems that have a heating function can change from air conditioning to heating automatically, a valuable feature for Southwest Florida homes. During the fall and spring, temperature swings sometimes necessitate air conditioning during the afternoon and heating overnight.
• Night setback functions. Ductless mini-split heat-pump systems with this mode gradually decrease the temperatures in the heat setting 30 minutes after the user goes to bed. This decreases energy use overnight without sacrificing comfort.
• System additions. Depending on the model, ductless mini-split heat-pump systems may be able to provide heating and cooling to as many as four individual units.
• Energy efficiency. The ductless systems do not lose any heating or cooling to leaky ducts, which can account for up to 30 percent of energy inefficiency with a ducted system.

If you would like more information, contact the heating and cooling technicians at Conditioned Air. Proudly serving Southwest Florida, we’re always happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heat pump systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Air-source heat pumps are made-to-order comfort machines for Florida weather. These units are great performers in summer heat, providing plenty of cool air and humidity removal from interior spaces. And, because we have relatively mild winters, the air-source heat pump can easily supply all the comfortable indoor heating a southwest Florida home should require.

Energy savers
A high-efficiency air-source heat pump is among the best in conventional comfort equipment when it comes to saving on energy costs. Since they don’t actually generate warm or cool air, but move it from one place to another, a heat pump can generate up to four times the comfort for each unit of power used. A four-to-one ratio is an excellent return on an investment. Compared with other conventional methods, the air-source heat pump can generate heat for 30 to 40 percent less in energy costs.

In summer, these heat pumps also remove humidity at a better level than conventional air conditioners. Better humidity removal adds to your home’s energy savings.

Heat pump improvements
Today’s units are far more dependable and efficient than units produced 20 or 30 years ago. Here are just a few of the upgrades and advances included in a modern heat pump:

• Improved electric motors
• Better coil design
• More efficient, variable-speed blowers
• Thermostatic expansion valves which control refrigerant movement more precisely
• Internally grooved tubing, creating larger surface areas for heat and cold movement

All this plus other technological advances have greatly improved the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratios) ratings of these machines. An investment in these heat pumps ensures excellent comfort and year-round energy savings for any Florida homeowner.

For more information on how you can stay more comfortable for less cost, contact our experts at Conditioned Air. We will be happy to explain the benefits and easy operation these modern heat pumps offer. Call on us with all your home comfort questions. Our expertise and years of experience can provide the answers.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air-source heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Whether the addition to your home is a sunroom, a home office or a living space for an in-law, it may be difficult to cool or heat. Your original HVAC equipment may not be able to handle the additional space, or maybe extending ductwork is impractical. Ductless mini-splits may offer a solution for you.

Mini-splits have been popular in Asian and European countries for years. Americans are now discovering their benefits. A ductless mini-split is, essentially, a compact central air or heat pump system consisting of an outside unit and an inside unit. The compressor/condenser section is outside, and the evaporator/air handler part goes inside, often mounted on a wall or ceiling. The two are joined by a conduit that requires just a small hole in an exterior wall.

There are multiple advantages to ductless mini-splits:

• No ducts. Since no ductwork is involved, you don’t get the energy waste typically associated with air leaks.
• Simple installation. Since the two units are connected by one small opening in the wall, installation is usually quick and uncomplicated.
• Wall-mounting options. No windows are blocked as with air conditioning units.
• Multiple units, individual control. One outside condenser can serve as many as four independent inside units. Each can be equipped with its own thermostat. This is perfect for a multiple-room addition.
• Flexibility. The outside component of a ductless mini-split system can be located as far as 50 feet from the home. This reduces potential noise for both the homeowner and neighbors.

Contact Conditioned Air for help exploring the benefits of these compact units. We’re always ready to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about ductless mini-splits and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.