Florida Debate: Furnace or Heat Pump?

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Furnace Or Heat Pump

Florida isn’t known for its winters, but temperatures can get into the low 30s from time to time. Floridians still need to have a dependable heating system in place in order to keep their homes comfortable. With such little dependency on heating, it’s understandable not knowing which system is right for your Florida home. We are here to settle the debate. Which is the right heating system for Floridians- Furnace or Heat Pump?

What is a Furnace?

A furnace is a major appliance that is installed to provide heat to an interior space through intermediary fluid movement. Furnaces can be powered by gas, oil and electric fuel. Natural gas is the most common in North America due to its affordability and high efficiency.Heat Pump

What is a Heat Pump?

A heat pump is a device that moves thermal energy in the opposite direction of spontaneous heat transfer. In other words, it absorbs heat and transfers it to where it’s needed. When it is cold outside, a heat pump absorbs heat from the outside and transfers it to your home’s interior. When it is hot outside, it removes heat from your home and transfers it outside.

Which is More Efficient: Furnace or Heat Pump?

Furnaces use more energy because they have to heat the air up first before sending it through your home. Out of all fuel types, electric is the most efficient. However, electricity is typically more expensive than natural gas, so you will have to weigh the cost and benefit.

Furnaces are like cars with a combustion engine- they use fuel to run and expel waste (exhaust) to make room for combustion gases. By that definition, furnaces waste some of the energy that it produces.

Heat pumps, on the other hand, heat your home perfectly without any waste. Instead of fuel, it recycles heat into or out of your home using less electricity than it would if it had to heat up the air by itself. If you are looking for an energy efficient heat pump for your home, look for SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating of 14 or higher.

Winner: Heat Pumps

Which is More Versatile: Furnace or Heat Pump?

Due to the way they operate, heat pumps can act as both an air conditioner and a heater. They can take in or expel heated as well as cold air with the switch of a button. This removes the need to have both a furnace and an air conditioner. Heat pumps do have limitations, however. Heat pumps lose peak efficiency when temperatures reduce below 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Luckily, Florida rarely gets below freezing.

As stated earlier, furnaces give you three ways to heat your home: electricity, oil and gas. They do not double as an air conditioner. What furnaces lack in versatility, they make up for in durability. Furnaces on average have longer lifespans than heat pumps and, due to having less mechanical parts, require less maintenance.

Winner: Heat Pumps

Choose What’s Best for Your Home

Heat pumps are more energy efficient and more versatile than furnaces, particularly for the Florida climate. However, furnaces are more durable and require less maintenance. Depending on your specific needs, either option is a good choice to heat your home. If you are still wondering which heating system to choose, contact the experts at Scott’s Heating and Air Conditioning.

  
 

Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning is a full-service heating and air conditioning company and a Bryant® Factory Authorized Dealer in Central Florida. Whether you need repair, maintenance, or installation of a new heating or cooling system, we provide efficient, cost-effective, and professional service. When it’s hot, call Scott!

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AC Service Testimonials

Scott’s AC is the best in the business. Their technical aptitude is exceptional and the professionalism is over the top. Don’t look any further, Scott’s AC is your solution.
Rick Brisson
Rick Brisson
1701222089
pricing was reasonable and super timely responses
Monique r
Monique r
1700505330
I have always used Scott's because they are the best! This service was for an installation of a new unit. Craig, Dominic, Jessica, Desmond and Sybil were all great! There was a young man who came out to help with the thermostat setup, he was great too. Very nice experience
Wonderful team of professionals. Everything was first rate, the installers were excellent .
Scott's Heating & Air Conditioning is one of the very best companies that I have ever dealt with. Each and every employee is very knowledgeable, polite, effecient, and responds quickly to each task. The products and prices are reasonable, and quality is excellent. I highly recommend Scott's Heating & Air Conditioning!
Caca B
Caca B
1694554459
Great crew; on time, knowledgeable and professional. Excellent installation of new system.
Linda Baker
Linda Baker
1694146382
Very happy with their work
Eric Garms
Eric Garms
1693329572
Oh my god what an amazing company! I literally called one hour ago and said that my thermostat wasn’t working and there was a knock on my door within the hour! They told us what to do to fix it therefore saving us a $600 bill. They came right away, none of that we can see you in 48 hour junk. Amazing.
V Js
V Js
1693328507
They were able to provide me with same day service, friendly and very responsive. Also, I got 2 other quotes and the pricing was the most competitive.
So thankful and impressed! My dad returned home after having open heart surgery to a completely dead HVAC system in the middle of summer. Definitely not ideal. The repair was going to be pricey so he opted for a new unit. A crew came out on a Saturday and did a very clean and efficient install. Highly recommend this company!!!
Brooke Riley
Brooke Riley
1692362381
Very professional, work very neat and cleaned up and removed stuff. Very impressed with all of the staff and the company.
Our AC decided to quit during one of the hottest heatwaves in years. We called Scott's and someone was at the house to give us a quote in 30 min. From the moment they answered our first phone call through the install everyone was amazing, professional and provided a quality product and excellent service. Craig, Jose, Dexter were awesome! One of the new guys brought us a portable unit at 9:30 PM on a Friday so we could sleep. We missed his name, but shout out to him as well (he likes to give high fives). Thanks Scott and team for everything. We highly recommend!!!
K Harper
K Harper
1692132893
For the past week I've worked with Craig on getting estimates for a new A/C unit, and he has been great at answering my questions and addressing any concerns. Very responsive and knowledgeable, straight shooter and direct! I didn't have to deal with any up-selling like working with a used car salesman (I experienced that with other bigger local A/C companies providing quotes). For these qualities alone I would recommend Scott's A/C, even though I will disclose that we ultimately went with another quote from a family referral of an A/C company. Had that family referral not been apart of our consideration, we would definitely choose and recommend Scott's for new A/C installs and service!
rwoodunder
rwoodunder
1691677447
Dan in sales, outstanding jobgoing over equipment and helping us make what was the best decisions for us on purchasing new a/cinstall, plus scheduling the next day!Boris and Justin were excellent with communications while install and after! very clean, professional taking old out and installing new!ty
T F
T F
1690829348
We can't thank Scott's enough. We came home to a air conditioner barely limping along. I called Scott's first thing in the morning and they had a technician out that day. Unfortunately our system could not be saved. The salesman Craig came out that day as well and quoted a new system. Since it was a Friday we could not get the system installed until Tuesday. Scott's provided us with a portable system which definitely helped during the grueling heat wave in Central Florida. Tuesday came, the installers showed up on time and did an awesome installation job. Cleaned everything up and went on their way. Everyone was pleasant, professional and great to work with! Thank You Scott's Heating & Cooling!
Rodger Marty
Rodger Marty
1689943584
Always happy with their response time. Issue started last night causing our A/C unit to shut down. Made a call to Scott's Heating and Air in the morning and a tech was here by 10:45am. Tyrie, the tech, is awesome. He quickly took care of the problem and had us up and running in no time at all. He is knowledgeable and professional and did a great job.
Perfect company to do business with. Professional and courteous in all phases of project.
Ron Brenton
Ron Brenton
1689684296
Excellent response and service. After 25 years of being serviced by a competitor I decided to change companies. AC was out and in need of replacement. Within 24 hours we had the sales rep here and new unit going in for a reasonable expense. No upselling, phony money savings, or timeshare presentations- just a new system without being targeted and pressured into pricey newer technology that will also become obsolete and non reparable every system cycle. I’m recommending to everyone looking for a new provider
Bill Sumner
Bill Sumner
1688123609
Excellent job getting my new system installed. Friendly and professional staff. Would recommend this company to anyone who needs ac work done.
Michael Imlay
Michael Imlay
1686157131
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