Keeping your home at a comfortable temperature year-round contributes significantly to your happiness. It’s also a major consideration for those paying heating bills through cold winters. Cost efficiency is just as important as heat and air conditioning efficiency.
If it’s time to replace part or all of your heating components, discussing the pros and cons of all options with an HVAC professional is key.
Furnace vs. Heat Pump: Things to Consider
There are many options for heating systems, and some will be a better fit than others for your home and budget. Connecticut residents may be eligible for free energy assessments as well as rebates on more efficient appliances or systems. Check EnergizeCT for information. Basic information you should know includes:
Types of furnaces include gas, electric, oil, and propane. Each uses a fuel source to heat and circulate air. The most efficient models turn a high percentage of the fuel into heat. Older models are less efficient due to aging components and outdated technology.
Heat pumps and mini splits are not furnaces but heat (and cool) homes using a refrigerant that turns from vapor to liquid and back, depending upon its temperature. They most often use electricity to draw in hot or cold air from outside, blowing it through ducts into the rooms of a home. Some heat pumps are geothermal, pumping heat from the ground to a home. Heat pumps usually require units positioned outside the home and inside a basement area. Mini splits don’t require extensive (and expensive) ductwork but instead use conduit to connect to an outdoor unit. The indoor units are mounted on the wall in various rooms of a home to deliver the right temperature air.
Climate. In places that get very cold in winter a first-generation heat pump may not keep up with your home’s demand for warmth. The style of the house and lifestyle of the residents play a role, but in brief, furnaces have traditionally been better at heating large spaces when there are multiple days of below-freezing temperatures. These conventional heat pumps may need a back-up heat system like space heaters, a wood stove, or furnace during that period. However, cold-climate heat pumps are now available for regions that experience prolonged sub-freezing temperatures.
Cost. Furnaces are less expensive to install than heat pumps but fuel costs over time are higher for furnaces. This is due to fluctuating prices as well as the relative inefficiency of furnaces.
Efficiency. Heat pumps are electric powered and about three times more efficient than furnaces, so more of the electricity you pay for goes directly into circulating the refrigerant and moving air into the house. In addition, heat pumps can be reversed to cool a house, eliminating the need for a separate air conditioning system.
Installation. Assuming you have an older, traditional furnace that blows hot air or circulates hot water, installing a new furnace is a relatively simple matter of replacing the main unit. But replacing a furnace with a heat pump usually requires more extensive work to install ducts throughout the house. Ductless mini splits are an alternative because they do not require ductwork installation in the walls.
Longevity. A furnace system can last 20 years, but a heat pump lasts about 15 years.
Flexibility. Heat pumps can be reversed into blowing cool air but furnaces cannot provide air conditioning.
Get a Consultation Before Deciding on Your New Heating System
The best way to decide on your next heating system is to consult with an HVAC professional like United Home Solutions. Our professional team can visit your home to review the structure and your current system, then show you how to shrink your long-term heating and cooling budget with a new or upgraded system.
Investing in a better heating and air conditioning system can make a big difference in the value of your home as well as your comfort on cold nights. Contact a trusted, professional HVAC team now for a free consultation.