A heat pump is like an air conditioner, except it can run in reverse. On a hot day, a heat pump does the exact same job you expect from an AC. It removes heat from inside the house and then exhausts it outside. If you’ve ever stood beside the condenser unit of your air conditioner when it’s running, you’ll know the feeling of hot air blowing from it. The same thing happens with a heat pump when in cooling mode. On a cold day, a heat pump switches the way the process works: it removes heat from outside and then blows it into the house.
“Hey, wait a minute…” We can hear the gears in your mind working. Something about this process doesn’t make sense. A heat pump in heating mode is drawing its heat energy from outdoors. But … you only need to run the heat pump in heating mode when it’s cold outside. Where is that heat coming from?
Fall is almost here, and no matter what the weather outside currently is, you’ll start making plans for lower temperatures. Part of your plans this year might include a 
We’re not here to show you how to use crystal balls or perform magic tricks or anything like that. We want to help you forecast the future the same way the weather forecaster forecasts the weather—using current facts and predictive models.
If you ask, “Can I install my own heat pump?”, the best response is another question: “Could you install your own central air conditioning system?” And not a window unit: a large central cooling system, with an outdoor cabinet, fixed on a large concrete slab and an indoor air handler and evaporator hooked up to the ventilation system.
Tampa Bay doesn’t have to brace for deep chilly weather in the winter. But the temperature does cool down and that allows air conditioning systems in homes to get a break. Not an extended vacation of months, but they won’t need to run all through the season like they do in summer.
When you decide you need a new air conditioning system for your home (and now would be a great time to do it and beat out the worst of the summer heat), you’ll have to make a few decisions. If your previous AC was a standard central system, then the easiest choice is to put in a similar type of air conditioner. You can make upgrades, such as going for a higher efficiency unit or one with a variable speed blower fan. But the new air conditioner will do the same essential job as the last one.
Heat pumps are a popular option for home comfort in Tampa Bay because they provide air conditioning and heating in one unit. A big benefit of a heat pump in this climate is the energy efficiency of heating mode, which drains less power than a standard electric furnace. A heat pump spends most of the year in cooling mode, but on the few days when it needs to turn to heating mode, it won’t place an enormous demand for electrical power.
We’ve often discussed heat pumps on our blog because they are one of the most efficient and effective options for total home comfort around the year in our climate. You won’t find many heat pumps sold in the northern part of the country, where they can sometimes encounter efficiency trouble in sub-freezing temperatures. Now that’s not a situation a 
We’re big on heat pumps for home comfort! There are few options for 
