Keeping your home toasty warm in the winter is serious business, and you want to be sure you’re getting the very best heating option for your particular circumstances. The two key types of heating sources prevalent in America today are a heat pump and a furnace. While both options are excellent for different reasons, depending on your needs, one is bound to jump out as the perfect solution for you.
Type of Fuel and Efficiency
Heat pumps are powered only by electricity while furnaces have a range of different options. If you live somewhere without easy access to natural gas, propane or fuel oil, and aren’t interested in chopping wood for a wood furnace, your only option is an electric heat pump. If you live in the city, you will definitely have more options. Heat pumps are much more energy efficient when compared to a gas fireplace.
Where You Live
Depending on the part of the country that you live in, one particular type of heating mechanism may be better than the other. Heat pumps are best for locations that have relatively mild winters as they can lose efficiency when the temps get too cold. Electric heat is not able to keep up with extremely cold weather, so a furnace is your best option if you’re high in the mountains or in the northern states.
Safety
While both heating options are quite safe, the heat pump has the added benefit of not producing carbon monoxide gases. Heat pumps don’t have any combustible parts either, unlike a furnace. Furthermore, the air quality may be better with a clean-running heat pump. Since there are no by-products or waste from combustion to enter the atmosphere, the fuel pump runs virtually free of pollutants.
Environmental Concerns
While at first glance the heat pump seems much more environmentally-friendly, since it doesn’t use fossil fuels for power, you have to keep in mind that the electricity used to power the heat pump was more than likely created by fossil fuels itself. A good HVAC contractor will agree, however, that the heat pump is a more efficient heating system overall.
Installation vs. Ongoing Costs
Furnaces may be more expensive to install as many require extensive ventilation or ductwork while heat pumps generally do not. However, a heat pump will not normally last as long as a gas furnace, and the gas furnace will also require less maintenance as there are fewer mechanical parts to break down. Another factor to consider is that heat pumps have both an internal and external component, whereas a furnace is generally indoors only.
Whether you are looking for a new home installation or just considering how to update your current heating system, contact Metro Comfort Systems to learn more about having a heat pump or a furnace installed in your home today. Our years of experience have made us the trusted solution for heating and air conditioning, and our hundreds of 5-star customer reviews tell the story.
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