Heating & Heat Pumps
How heat pumps work here
A heat pump is an air conditioner that can run in reverse. In summer it moves heat out of your home; on cool mornings it pulls heat in from outside. Because Southwest Florida winters are mild, a heat pump is the most efficient way to heat most homes here, with electric heat strips as backup for the coldest mornings.
Common heat pump problems we fix
- Cold air in heat mode. Often a reversing valve, refrigerant or defrost control problem.
- “Aux heat” running constantly. The heat pump isn’t carrying the load and the expensive backup strips are doing the work.
- Ice on the outdoor unit that doesn’t clear. Light frost on a cold morning is normal. A solid block of ice isn’t.
- Burning smell on the first cold day. Usually dust burning off heat strips, but if it doesn’t fade quickly, shut it off and call.
Replacing a heat pump
New heat pumps are rated by SEER2 for cooling and HSPF2 for heating. Federal minimums for new split heat pumps are 14.3 SEER2 and 7.5 HSPF2. We’ll quote a dependable standard option and a high-efficiency option side by side, and the quote is always free.