In New Tampa, Florida, you rely on your home’s HVAC system to keep the indoor air cooled and dehumidified in the summer heat and humidity. If you’re building a new house or considering HVAC replacement, read on to find out how a heat pump can effectively cool and remove humidity from your home.
Heat Pump 101
A heat pump transfers heat out of the house in the summer for cool indoor temperatures or takes heat energy from outside and transfers it into the house in the winter. It uses electricity and functions according to the set point on your thermostat to make you comfortable year-round.
A heat pump is comprised of an indoor and an outdoor unit. Both units contain a fan and a coil. To provide heat during the winter, the outdoor condenser coil absorbs heat from the outside air and transfers it inside through the evaporator coil. A fan moves the heated air through the ductwork to warm your home.
For cooling, the process reverses, with the fan pulling warm air across a condenser coil in the indoor unit that transfers the hot air outside. A compressor holds the refrigerant that moves through the system to absorb the heat and return cold air back through the ductwork, cooling the house.
Indoor Humidity
It’s important to control your home’s indoor relative humidity to keep you and your family comfortable, as well as to protect the infrastructure. If you’ve ever seen condensation form on windowpanes or have worried about musty smells, you’ve probably experienced humidity that wasn’t well-controlled.
Humidity describes the amount of moisture the air can hold. Relative humidity is a ratio of how much moisture the air contains relative to the temperature, and it affects how you feel. If the air feels sticky, your skin ends up feeling clammy and you struggle to regulate your body temperature. When it’s dry, your lips are chapped, your eyes feel dry, and you shock your family from static electricity every time you touch them.
Most of us seek indoor relative humidity levels around 30 to 40 percent to feel comfortable, achieve good indoor air quality, and protect our homes’ structure, furniture, and houseplants.
Heat Pumps and Humidity
To achieve ideal relative humidity, you need an HVAC system capable of removing excess humidity from inside the home when conditions are ripe for it. A properly sized heat pump is a great choice for this task. As the hot air that’s being removed from indoor spaces passes across the cold evaporator coil, it interacts with moisture in the air to produce condensation. The size of the heat pump’s coils helps it do this well. The water then collects in a pan and leaves your home through a drain tube.
This process happens constantly while the heat pump is running. It doesn’t require any special attention except your diligence in changing your air filters at least every three months. You should also schedule regular maintenance to prolong the heat pump’s life span.
Heat Pump Size Matters
Correct sizing is vital to keeping energy costs low, preventing wear and tear on the equipment, and helping meet your comfort demands. Bigger is not always better. An oversized unit can cycle on and off frequently without running long enough to perform its cooling and dehumidifying functions properly. It increases your energy costs in the process. One that’s too small has a similar problem of running frequently but without the power to achieve peak performance.
Our trained technicians will analyze your home’s size and particular needs. They will recommend a heat pump that’s the correct size and has a high SEER rating. This can help you achieve your cooling and heating needs, including maintaining a comfortable humidity level in your home, no matter the conditions outside.
Maybe your current home’s HVAC system is showing some age, and you’re thinking about an upgrade to save on energy costs and boost efficiency. Or you might be embarking on the construction of your dream home. Whatever your needs, our professionals at Nuccio Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. can help you choose the right heat pump for the job. Call us today at 813-961-7895.
