A heat pump is a central air conditioning and highly efficient heating system that will “extract” heat from the air in the winter for cost-effective heating comfort in all but the most severe winter climates. The system reverse-cycles in the heating mode, captures heat from outside and “pumps” it into your home.
Unlike a furnace, it doesn’t burn fuel to make heat – it simply uses electricity to move heat from one place to another. In the cooling mode, an air conditioner simply captures heat from inside your home and transfers it outside. In heating, a heat pump reverse-cycles and captures heat from outside, then moves it inside.
This process is more efficient than electric heat as it is much less expensive to transfer existing heat than to actually generate it. There is usable heat in the air down to about 0 degrees Fahrenheit. It feels cold to us because our skin temperature is 98.6 degrees F. A heat pump’s heating capacity is rated at 47 degrees F ambient (outside) temperature. As the outside temperature drops, the heat pumps capacity drops in a linear fashion relative to the outdoor temperature.
Because of Florida’s relatively mild winters and hot, humid summers, a heat pump system is considered one of the best choices to cool and heat your home.
