No matter what you do, you can’t get comfortable. Your home always seems to be either too warm or too cool, too humid or too dry. You’re not alone. Many homeowners in Orlando, Florida, deal with discomfort because they don’t want to deal with the stress of finding a new heating and cooling system. Fortunately, there are many types of HVAC systems that can improve your living space.
Many factors can affect comfort, such as humidity, indoor air quality, HVAC efficiency, and individual temperament, to name a few. The key to comfort is finding an HVAC system that meets the individual and collective needs of you and your family. Listed below are some of the most popular HVAC systems to help you get started with your search.
Central Heating and Air
These systems are the most popular across the U.S., especially since many of them are built into the home during construction. Central heating and air systems consist of furnace and air conditioner units that force air through a duct network and throughout the home.
Pros:
- Consistent heating and cooling. Central heating and air units are powerful, which means it can heat and cool your home no matter how extreme the outside temperatures may be.
- Maintains comfort throughout the home. Thanks to the duct network, a central heating and air system can get air to every area of your home, as opposed to other types of heating and cooling that only affect a limited area.
Cons:
- Less efficient. With maintenance, a central system will maintain an adequate level of efficiency, but even then, it still won’t be as energy-efficient as some other systems.
- Expensive to install and repair. This is especially true if you don’t already have an existing duct network.
Ductless Heat Pump (or Mini-Split)
As the name implies, a ductless system doesn’t utilize the duct network of a central system. Instead, air is blown directly into a room from an air handler, which can be placed in various areas of the home, on the ceiling, wall, or floor, allowing for flexibility and personalization.
Pros:
- Efficient. By eliminating ducts and other potentials for energy waste, ductless systems are far more efficient than central HVAC systems.
- Allows for personalization. What one member of the family finds comfortable may not be the same for another. Multiple air handlers make it easy to keep different areas at different temperatures.
- Flexible. A ductless system can be placed in multiple parts of a living space.
Cons:
- Less powerful. In areas where temperatures can drop into single digits or rise into triple digits, a ductless system won’t be as efficient at keeping the area comfortable.
- Expensive to install. Since air handlers need to be placed in every room you need to be kept comfortable; initial installation costs can be high.
- Maintenance. You should keep up with regular maintenance with any HVAC system, but it’s especially important with ductless systems, where even a little-neglected maintenance could be costly.
Geothermal Heat Pump
With many homeowners wanting to go green, geothermal heat pumps have grown in popularity. This system maintains comfort by transferring heat between your home and the ground through rods that are buried deep into the earth.
Pros:
- Efficient. Since the consistent temperature of the earth is the source of geothermal heating and cooling, geothermal heat pumps are the most efficient systems of the bunch.
- Little maintenance. Compared to central and ductless systems, geothermal heat pumps require little upkeep.
Cons:
- Less powerful. Similar to ductless systems, geothermal heat pumps aren’t as adequate at generating comfort in extreme temperatures. In extraneous cases, geothermal heating and cooling will lose efficiency.
- Expensive. Since you’ll need to dig up part of your yard to install these rods, installation costs can be high.
Picking a new heating and cooling system for your home is a big decision. Take your time and choose the unit that meets the needs of you and your family. After all, the right system will keep you healthy and comfortable for years to come. If you have more questions about the various HVAC systems available, or you would like a new one installed, call us at E.C. Waters Air Conditioning & Heat: (407) 603-9144.
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