Are you ready to replace your aging air conditioning system? Not all new units are built alike. We’ve got a suggestion for you that could save hundreds of dollars on your energy bills each year: a variable speed or two-speed heat pump. Learn more about this energy-efficient air conditioning and heating system here.
A/C Designs of St. Augustine, LLC Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Heat Pumps’
Upgrading Your Air Conditioner? Consider a Variable Speed Heat Pump
Monday, August 24th, 20153 Reasons to Install Heat Pumps in Daytona Beach
Friday, April 25th, 2014Heat pumps make an alternative to more traditional forms of heating and cooling systems. They work the same way an air conditioner does: moving refrigerant gas through a series of valves and coils that first shift the gas into a liquid (releasing heat in the process) then revert it back to a gas (cooling the air around it). The only difference is that an air conditioner vents the hot air as waste. The heat pump harnesses it to warm your home in the winter as well as using the cool air to keep your home comfortable in the summer. Here in Daytona Beach, air conditioning systems are more important than heating systems, but our winters get cold enough to make heat pumps a very attractive option. Here are 3 reasons to install heat pumps in Daytona Beach.
- They save you money
Heat pumps don’t use gas or other fuel to generate hot or cold air. They simply facilitate a heat exchange with the refrigerant. That means they use far less energy than other forms of heating and cooling, which can save you a great deal of money in monthly expenses. Over time, that can help pay for the cost of installation, and even off-set it in some cases. - They’re simple to use
Because the heat pump contains heating and cooling technology in one unit, you don’t need to purchase separate heating and air conditioning units. This can come as a great relief in households that can’t comfortably accommodate a second such device. - They match the climate well
The one downside to heat pumps is that they can’t heat the home as efficiently as they should when temperatures drop close to freezing. (That’s one of the reasons you don’t see them in climates further north.) But here in Florida, that’s rarely a problem, since our tropical climate keeps the temperatures well above freezing throughout the year.
If you’re thinking of reasons to install heat pumps in Daytona Beach, call the air conditioning experts at AC Designs Inc. to help. We have years of experience with heat pump technology and we can explain the ins and outs to you before helping you pick the best system that works for your home.
For quality air conditioning service in Daytona Beach, look no further than AC Designs Inc. to help get your home comfort where you want it. Give us a call today!
Signs of Heat Pump Short Cycling
Tuesday, February 18th, 2014“Short-cycling” refers to a problem that can occur in an HVAC system when it shuts down before it can complete one of its heating or cooling cycles. There are a number of reasons why this might happen, but one of the most common is that a HVAC system was improperly sized when it was installed and is too powerful for the space it is supposed to condition.
Short cycling will not only result in inferior heating and/or cooling, but it will place a large strain on the system, forcing it to work harder and age faster, and subsequently drain power and raise bills.
Heat pumps can short cycle in either heating or cooling mode. Whenever short cycling begins, you need to call for repairs as soon as possible for your heat pump in Daytona Beach, FL. If you let the problem persist, you will risk a system breakdown. Contact AC Designs Inc. any time of the day or night when you need help with your heat pump.
Signs Your Heat Pump is Short Cycling
The most immediate sign of short cycling is the sound coming from the heat pump. You should be accustomed to the familiar sound of the fan and then the compressor coming on during the heating and cooling cycles. If this sound starts to change because the compressor is behaving differently (shutting off early), it usually means short cycling is occurring.
Short cycling will often result in an uneven distribution of heating and cooling in your home. If the system shuts down early, it will not have proper time to reach all the rooms. If you find hot or cold spots in your house, call for repairs for the heat pump.
A less obvious warning sign is changes in your power bill. If you notice an increase in your bills that you cannot account for because of increased use or a change in seasons, then you should investigate the heat pump as a possible source. You’ll have a hard time doing this on your own, however: proper diagnosis requires trained HVAC technicians.
How Professionals Can Help
Because short-cycling can come from a variety of sources in a heat pump—loss of refrigerant, icing over the coils, problems with a damaged control board, issues in the compressor—it requires trained professionals to find what is occurring and how to stop it. If the problem is an oversized heat pump, the technicians can advise you about having a replacement put in and if new installation is your best option.
AC Designs Inc. is ready to help you with any problems you have with your heat pump in Daytona Beach, FL. Our technicians are ready 24 hours a day to assist you.
Why You Should Entrust Your Heat Pump Repair to NATE-Certified Technicians
Thursday, February 6th, 2014In towns like Orange Park, FL, heat pump technology makes an efficient and reliable alternative to more traditional furnace systems. Heat pumps combine the functions of a heater and an air conditioner into one unit, and work extremely efficiently in places like Florida where the winter temperatures remain very mild. When your heat pump needs repairs, you want the right technician to fix it. In particular, NATE-certified technicians offer quality service backed by a nationally recognized organization.
Here’s why you should entrust your heat pump repair to NATE-certified technicians:
NATE stands for “North American Technician Excellence,” a non-profit organization dedicated recognizing high quality HVAC and repair technicians. They’ve developed a series of certification tests that repair technicians can take to demonstrate their familiarity and expertise with all manner of heating and air conditioning repair. They recommend at least five years of experience for senior level technicians, and their testing covers both general subjects and specialty exams testing more specific areas of expertise. NATE certification lasts two years, which means that technicians who want to keep their certification will continue to take the tests throughout their careers.
Because NATE is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization, its testing standards are unbiased. That means that a NATE-certified technician possesses knowledge and expertise noted by an outside organization dedicated to providing proper verification. You can trust a NATE-certified technician to know what he or she is doing and to conduct repairs in a competent and professional manner. Considering the variety of repairs a heat pump may need to undergo, and considering that some of those repairs may involve obscure or hard-to-find cause, a NATE-certified technician can be trusted to handle the problem.
If you need Orange Park, FL heat pump service, call AC Designs Inc. Our technicians are NATE certified and possess the skills needed to do the job right the first time, every time. Let us take the worry out of the repair process and get your heat pump back up to speed!
Signs of a Problem with Your Heat Pump Defrost Cycle
Tuesday, January 14th, 2014Heat pumps use the same basic cycle as air conditioners to both warm and cool your home, making them an excellent all-in-one system for your home. They work especially well in areas with warm winters, making them a very good fit for places like Jacksonville, FL. You can help minimize repair costs by identifying potential trouble spots early and calling in a qualified repair technician with all deliberate speed. For example, look for signs of a problem with your heat pump defrost cycle.
The defrost cycle is activated by the defrost control, which detects ice building up on the evaporator coils and uses the reversing valve to briefly reverse the heating process to melt the ice on the coils. When the ice has melted, the control turns off, and heat pump returns to its normal heating mode. You probably can already spot places where problems may occur:
- The defrost control may misread the temperature, preventing the cycle from starting.
- The reversing valve solenoid my malfunction, preventing the heat pump from reversing the heating.
- The defrost control may misread when the ice has melted, meaning that the process will continue to run even when it’s no longer needed.
When you spot signs of a problem with your heat pump defrost cycle, you can contact the experts at AC Designs, Inc. to help. We operate in Jacksonville, heating repair is our specialty, and we understand the particular repair needs of all varieties of heat pumps. If yours is acting up, whether it’s the defrost cycle or some other issue, don’t hesitate to give us a call right away. You’ll be glad that you did!
How Can a Heat Pump Heat When it’s Chilly Outside?
Tuesday, December 10th, 2013Here in Daytona Beach, heat pumps are an attractive option for keeping your home comfortable. The system combines the functions of a heater and an air conditioner into one unit, allowing to work in the summer and the winter alike. It works best in areas where the temperature doesn’t drop below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, which means it’s optimal for homes in Florida. Even here, however, we get the occasional chilly evening, which is the one time when a heat pump might struggle. How can a heat pump heat when it’s chilly outside?
Heat pumps use the same basic system that an air conditioner does. Refrigerant gas passes through a compressor, which first subject the gas to a great deal pressure (which raises the temperature). Then the gas goes to the condenser coils, which release the heat into the outside air and condense the refrigerant to a high-pressure liquid. The liquid then travels into a series of evaporator coils, where it returns it to a gaseous state: pulling heat from the surrounding air in the process.
In the summer, the heat pump’s indoor coils acts as the evaporator, cooling the air and using a fan to blow it into your home. The compressor coils are located outside, allowing the heat to dissipate into the outside air. In the winter, the indoor coils act as the condenser coils, generating heat for use in your home while the outside coils act as evaporators and absorb heat from the outside. Even if the weather is cold, there is always some heat in the air for the heat pump to absorb. However, when the temperature gets around freezing, the heat pump will stop being able to heat efficiently. Most heat pumps are equipped with electric resistance coils that can kick on when the weather is very cold to keep your home comfortable.
If you’re interested in a heat pump in Daytona Beach, contact AC Designs, Inc. We can discuss your options with your before installing a heat pump in your home. Give us a call today!
Why Does My Heat Pump Shut Off Prematurely?
Tuesday, November 5th, 2013Few home comfort systems work better for the Florida climate than a heat pump. It provides superb air conditioning during the summer (and helps remove humidity from the air) and can almost always draw in enough heat from the outdoors during the winter to keep you warm. A heat pump also costs less to run during the cold months than most competing heating systems.
But heat pumps can malfunction, and a common problem that you might encounter is when one shuts off early, before it gets your house warm or cool enough. What’s the reason for this, and what can be done about it?
We’ll answer those questions in this post. If you need further help, or if you want repairs for your heat pump in St. Augustine, FL, get in contact with AC Designs Inc. We’re about to start our next decade of providing St. Augustine residents with excellent HVAC services.
When a heat pump turns off prematurely, it’s known as “short cycling.” The most common reason for this is that the heat pump is too large for the space it’s supposed to heat/cool. If you installed your heat pump without professional assistance in selecting the model, you may have ended up with too large a system for your home. An overlarge heater will reach its target temperature too fast and shut off early, then restart a little while later. This will make the heat pump drain extra power and also overwork itself toward repair needs and eventually a full breakdown. If this is the case, you should have a new heater installed with professional assistance to make sure it will match your home’s heating requirements.
However, there are some other explanations for short-cycling. One is that you’ve put the heat pump on too powerful a setting: excess heat or cold. During the summer, don’t lower the thermostat too far below 78°F (a recommended energy-saving temperature), and during the winter don’t try to punch it all the way up to 90°F. The heat pump will shut off early, and you’ll waste energy.
It’s also possible that a poor, amateur installation mismatched the indoor and outdoor coils, making them incompatible. This is another reason why it’s so important to have professionals handle your HVAC installation.
If you’re unsure about why your heat pump has started to short cycle, contact AC Designs Inc. Our experts can find out what’s behind the trouble with your St. Augustine, FL home’s heat pump and offer you the best solution to keep you comfortable no matter the season.