A properly maintained heat pump can last anywhere from 10 to 20 years in Florida.
How long your heat pump will last depends on:
In this article, we’ll go over each factor in more detail so you can estimate how long yours will last.
Need to replace your heat pump? We’re here to help. Call us or schedule an appointment online. We’ll send one of our heat pump experts to assess your home, discuss your system options, and give you a free heat pump installation estimate.
Regular maintenance helps heat pumps last longer.
Heat pumps require occasional tuning to help keep everything properly aligned and working so that they can efficiently cool and heat your home.
The best thing you can do for your heat pump is to schedule an annual system check. During a system check, a heat pump technician will:
In between annual system checks, we also recommend that you:
Keep air filters clean
Keep the area around your outdoor unit clear of shrubbery
Improperly sized heat pumps work harder than they need to, shortening their lifespan.
To correctly size a heat pump for a home, a technician will need to perform a “load calculation,” which essentially determines how quickly your home loses heat. This calculation takes into account several factors, including the:
Note: If a technician sizes a heat pump based on square footage alone, get another estimate. Sizing only with square footage will result in an over or undersized heat pump, which will cause the unit to die quicker than it should.
Why?
See, an oversized unit will be too powerful for your home. While this might sound like a good thing, it means the unit will “short cycle,” which is when it turns on and then shuts off briefly before turning on again. This constant starting-and-stopping creates excessive wear and tear on the unit, forcing it to work harder to meet the same temperature demands.
On the other hand, an undersized unit will constantly run, trying (and failing) to meet the cooling or heating demands of your home. The constant running also causes excessive wear and tear and a shortened lifespan for your system.
Learn more about how heat pumps are sized in our blog, “What Size Heat Pump Do I Need? A Florida Tech Explains.”
When you set your thermostat temperature higher or lower while you're away, you can help your heat pump last longer since it won't constantly be running.
As we mentioned above, heat pumps that run all the time die quicker than ones that get breaks once in a while.
To help your heat pump last longer, we recommend turning your thermostat temperature down (if you’re heating your home) or up (if you’re cooling it) 8–10 degrees for at least 6–8 hours each day. This habit is especially beneficial for heat pumps, which run all year long.
Most Florida homeowners do this when they’re away from their homes during the day and don’t need the house to be as comfortable.
For example, if you normally keep your home at 70 degrees in the summer, set or program your thermostat to 78 or 79 while you’re away from the house and then back to 70 when you’re home. When winter hits, do the opposite and lower the temperature by 8–10 degrees while you’re away.
We also recommend adjusting your thermostat settings for AC systems, read our article: "What Should I Set My AC to in Florida in the Summer?"
Learn more about what factors impact heat pump installation costs in our blog, “How Much Does it Cost to Install a Heat Pump in Florida?”
Contact us 24/7 online. Our heat pump technicians at Red Cap have years of experience installing heat pumps, which means we know how to properly size a unit to ensure you get the best heat pump system for your home. You can also join our Family Comfort Club for great pricing and priority service for your heat pump checks.