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How Do Heat Pump Systems Differ from Air Conditioning in Boca Raton?

Air Conditioning in Boca Raton

Popularly known as the sunshine state, Florida is supposed to be warm and sunny almost throughout the year. However, the state has witnessed a steady rise in temperature. The April month recorded the warmest start to 2020 in its 83-year history of bookkeeping in Miami.

In other words, if you live in Boca Raton or any other part of Florida, you will need a robust cooling system that can offer comfort in the sweltering heat. Usually, this comes down to choosing between a heat pump or an air conditioner. While both systems keep your indoors cool, they do have a few differences.

Whether you want to install a heat pump or air conditioning in Boca Raton, knowing the differences between them can help you make an informed decision. Before we dive into the differences, let’s first understand how both cooling systems work.

A. How an Air Conditioning In Boca Raton Works?

It’s a common misconception that air conditioners actually cool the air inside your house. However, they tend to remove the heat from the indoor air, not cool it. A typical air conditioning in Boca Raton will function as follows.

• As you may have noticed, your air conditioner comes with a cooling system.
• The HVAC system in your house sucks the warm air into this cooling system.
• The warm air then passes over the evaporator coils.
• The refrigerant passing through the evaporator coils absorbs the heat from the air.
• A compressor moves the refrigerant to the condenser located outside your house.
• This is where the heat absorbed by the refrigerant gets released into the outside air.
• Thus, air conditioning in Boca Raton or anywhere else transfers the heat from inside your house to the outside.
• The cycle continues until the indoor reaches the desired temperature, which you can set using a thermostat.

B. How a Heat Pump in Boca Raton Works?

A heat pump works just like your air conditioning in Boca Raton. It also transfers heat from inside your house to the outside using the same cooling mechanism as an air conditioner. But heat pumps use different types of sources to release the heat, depending on which, there are three types of heat pumps.

1. Air Source

This is the most common type of heat pump, which uses air as the source of heat. It transfers heat from the air inside your house to the air outside.

2. Water Source

These heat pumps use water instead of air to release the heat. As they require a water source like a lake, stream, or river nearby, they aren’t as common as the air source heat pumps.

3. Geothermal Source

Geothermal heat pumps transfer heat into the ground. As the temperature of the underground remains constant, these pumps are often highly efficient. However, they have a complicated design. Furthermore, as the pumps require underground piping, they are often expensive.

C. Understanding the Difference between Heat Pumps and Air Conditioners

Although air conditioners and heat pumps use identical cooling mechanisms, that’s where the similarity ends. They differ in almost every other aspect, including the heating mechanism, energy efficiency, and cost.

1. Heating Mechanism

While air conditioning in Boca Raton will keep your house cool in summer, it can’t keep your home warm during winter. You will need to use an external heating source such as a gas or electric furnace to keep your place warm. However, that’s not the case with a heat pump.

Unlike an air conditioner, the heat pump can circulate the heat in both directions. During the winter, the heat pump cycle reverts, bringing warm air from the outside to the inside. Here is how the heating mechanism works.

• The refrigerant absorbs the heat from the outside as it passes through condenser coils.
• It moves to the evaporator coils, where the heat gets released into your air ducts.
• The air ducts circulate the heat throughout your house.

Unlike an air conditioner, a heating pump is a single unit that offers both cooling and heating. It is one of the reasons why people are more interested in buying a heat pump.

2. Energy Efficiency

Whether it is a heat pump or air conditioning in Boca Raton, both consume substantial energy. If your system isn’t energy efficient, you will end up with a fat utility bill every month.

When it comes to cooling mechanisms, heat pumps and air conditioners with the same SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) can be equally efficient. However, if the temperature difference between inside and outside goes beyond 20 degrees, most air conditioners start losing their energy efficiency.

On the other hand, air-source heat pumps lose their energy efficiency as the outside temperatures fall too low. As the cold air outside has less heat energy, the pump has to work harder and longer to keep your household warm.

Still, heat pumps are more energy-efficient and cost less to operate. Modern heat pumps can reduce your electricity consumption by nearly 50% compared to furnaces and baseboard heaters. Most high-efficiency heat pumps also offer better dehumidification than standard central air conditioners. The higher energy efficiency and lower operating costs may attract homeowners more towards heat pumps than air conditioning in Boca Raton.

3. Upfront Costs

Upfront costs include the cost of the unit and installation along with accessories. The following factors will affect the upfront costs.

• The size of your house
• The make and model of the heat pump or AC unit
• Your location
• Your heat pump or air conditioning service provider

Even so, an air source heat pump will be an affordable option for most homeowners. However, geothermal heat pumps will cost more than most AC units as they require extensive underground tunneling.

For a better cost comparison, you should contact a professional air conditioning service company. They can offer actionable insights into the benefits, drawbacks, efficiency, and affordability of both systems.

Conclusion

As a homeowner, you have to choose between a heat pump or an air conditioner at some point. The decision is not going to be easy because both systems come with unique benefits and drawbacks. You will need to consider all the factors before making the decision. Hopefully, this quick roundup on how both systems work and the differences in heating mechanism, energy efficiency, and operating costs can help.

Need Help With Air Conditioning In Boca Raton? Call Us Now!

Do you need help with your air conditioning? Erica’s Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Restoration is where you can find solutions for all your air conditioning troubles and more! Our services are available 24/7. You can reach us at (561) 245-7435 or visit our website to schedule a service call now.

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