Heat Pumps Are Recommended for Our Climate, but How Long Will Yours Last?

Air-source heat pumps are the perfect heating and cooling equipment for Orlando’s climate. They perform the same as a high-efficiency air conditioner in the summer and heat your home with incredible efficiency in the winter by moving heat instead of generating it from a fuel source the way combustion heating equipment does.

The method of extracting heat from exterior air and introducing it to indoor air is most efficient when the temperature outside is above freezing. That’s why Florida is the perfect climate for heat pumps. Plus, the ability to heat and cool your home with a single piece of equipment is incredibly economical.

If you’ve decided that a heat pump is the best equipment for year-round comfort in your Orlando home, you may be wondering how long yours will last. The short answer is about 15 years. However, you need to take good care of your heat pump for this estimate to be true. If you neglect your heat pump, don’t expect it to last longer than 10 years. Neglect includes:

• Never having the heat pump tuned-up
• Forgetting to replace the filter
• Allowing dust and dirt to build up on the outdoor unit
• Letting plants grow very close to the outdoor unit

Heat pump neglect ultimately means never giving it any attention and yet still expecting it to maintain its heating and cooling capabilities for years to come. Like all mechanical equipment, heat pumps need care and maintenance to thrive. To help yours live years longer, implement the following:

• Schedule preventative maintenance visits every spring and fall
• Replace the filter once a month
• Hose down the outdoor condensing unit every few months
• Trim back foliage to at least 18 inches away from the outdoor unit

In other climates, ice buildup is an issue. If the defrost mode doesn’t remove ice effectively, it could shorten the equipment’s lifespan. Fortunately, in a climate where freezing temperatures are few and far between, ice buildup is not something to worry about.

Get more tips about choosing and caring for a heat pump by contacting Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions, Orlando’s premiere HVAC service since 1969.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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