You’re probably wondering what the most effective and efficient way to heat your home is this winter. Two popular home heating options are the heat pump and the gas furnace. So, which one should you choose? Let’s look at the differences between these two systems and some of their pros and cons.
Heat pumps
A heat pump is essentially the reverse of an air conditioner; it moves warm air from a cool area to a warmer area. So, it can extract heat from outdoors and bring it indoors, helping to warm your home. In warm weather, it can do the opposite; move the warm air from your home and push it outdoors, cooling your home.
Heat pumps are a cost-effective and energy-efficient way of heating your home because it takes less energy to transfer heat than it does to generate heat. The same goes for warm weather when comparing a heat pump to an air conditioner. But, as you can imagine, there won’t be much heat to transfer into your home if it’s below freezing outside. So, heat pumps are basically only effective in places with mild winters.
Furnaces
Unlike heat pumps, a furnace generates heat to circulate through your home. The type of fuel it uses will depend on whether you have a gas furnace, electric furnace or oil furnace, but gas is usually the most common.
Furnaces are much better at heating your home in cold winter weather. They are also cheaper to buy and install than heat pumps, but the cost of fuel to run the furnace can be expensive when temperatures are consistently low. If you live in a place that experiences warm summers as well as cold winters, this will mean additional costs of having an air conditioner as well as a furnace, whereas heat pumps can take care of both heating and cooling if the climate suits.
Which one is right for you?
The answer to whether you need a heat pump or a furnace generally comes down to how cold your winters are. Heat pumps won’t do so well at heating your home during harsh winters, so they’re better suited to homes in the southern and coastal parts of the country. If you live in the north or any area with especially cold winters, then a furnace is the better choice.
Whichever method of heating your home requires, contact AC Express to find the right HVAC system and to arrange installation or HVAC repair around Clemmons, Lewisville, and Pfafftown, NC.