Heat Pumps vs. Furnaces: Which Is Right for Your Home?
When it’s time to consider a new heating solution for your home, you have some options. You may hear about heat pumps vs. furnaces. Which is right for your home, though? Learn more about these home heating options and the benefits they bring.
What Is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump is a device that has better energy efficiency than a traditional residential furnace and air conditioner HVAC system. It can provide both heating and cooling solutions.
It works to transfer heat out of one area into another area to create the climate comfort you want. It moves heat out of your home in summer to reduce the temperatures and heat from outdoors into your home during winter.
Most heat pumps use electricity to facilitate the air movement.
What Is a Furnace?
A furnace is a common heating appliance that uses fuel to heat the air inside the unit and distribute it throughout your home.
A furnace may run from natural gas, propane, oil, or electricity.
Differences Between Heat Pumps and Furnaces
Heat pumps vs. furnaces: which is right for your home? Learn more about the pros and cons.
Energy Efficiency
A heat pump doesn’t need as much energy to transfer air as a furnace needs to heat the air.
You’ll notice a reduction in the energy-efficiency benefits of heat pumps as temperatures become lower, though. Heat pumps have to work much harder to combat significantly cold weather than a furnace does. If you live in an area that has low temperatures that linger, the energy efficiency differences between heat pumps and furnaces will be minimal.
Comfort and Performance
Although heat pumps can keep you warm in cool winter weather, they struggle to fully warm your home during significant cold snaps. A furnace can operate successfully in consistently low temperatures and keep your home warm.
Heat pumps tend to work better in places where moderate temperatures are common in the winter time.
Installation
If you already have a central air system, swapping it out for a heat pump is an easy process with the help of our heating and cooling technicians. The outdoor air conditioner unit has a similar size to a heat pump, which often allows installation to go smoothly.
If you don’t have central air, you can use a mini-split heat pump that has a few components to install. An advantage of the mini-split heat pump is that you don’t need to install ducts.
Installing a furnace from scratch requires quite a bit more work. The furnace system needs space inside your basement or attic. If you don’t have ductwork inside your home, you’ll need to add it to allow the furnace to function.
Furnace vs. Heat Pump: Let Us Help You Decide
Considering the question, “Heat pumps vs. furnaces, which is right for your home?” At Weikle’s Hometown Heating and Air, we can explain the options you have and which ones will meet your needs.
We always focus on helping our customers receive the best mixture of value and performance from their heating systems. For more information, call us today at (910) 931-0094.
