Which Is Better For Your Home: Heat Pump Vs Furnace?

Homeowners have to decide every year what kind of heating and plumbing services they want for their home. There are two main options: a heat pump or a furnace. Both have their benefits, but there are also some drawbacks to each that you should be aware of before making your decision. In this guide, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of both so that you can make an informed decision about which one is right for you.

What is a Heat Pump, and How Does it Work?

A heat pump is a system that transfers thermal energy from one location to another. It works by transferring heat and cold between the inside of your home and the surrounding area outside. This can be done in two ways:

• By absorbing the warmth or coolness from an external source such as groundwater, water bodies, rivers, lakes, and the air exterior. Heat pumps use the outside air, ground, or water to provide thermal energy during the winter months and moves it inside your home, while in summer months, they move heat from your house out into cooler external sources such as groundwater or lakes.
• By moving the warmth/coldness between two indoor spaces, which are different temperatures, for example, heating your home during winter while cooling it in the summer.

A heat pump provides both heating and cooling for your home; however, the amount of energy used depends on whether it is heating or cooling. When in heating mode, heat pumps use electricity to transfer thermal energy from an external source into your home. While cooling, they work by removing the warmth/coolness from inside your house and transferring it outside.

What are some benefits of a heat pump?

• It uses about 60-70% less electricity than electric resistance heating and other heating and plumbing services, making them more efficient and cheaper to run. As they produce both hot water & warmth within your home at lower energy costs, this is an obvious benefit for homeowners with high energy bills.
• Heat pumps are very flexible systems, which means they can be used to heat or cool different spaces within your house throughout the year, depending on how you want it heated/cooled at any particular time. So, for example, in summer months when air-conditioning is required, heat pump technology can remove warmth from inside and then transfer it to exterior spaces.
• Heat pumps are also very quiet when operating and produce little noise, so they can be used without disturbance within your home. And since they run on electricity rather than gas, there is no need for venting, which means installation costs are lower.

What is a Furnace, and How Does it Work?

A furnace is a heat-generating device. It can be gas or oil-fired (most common), but it can also use an electric heating element to generate heat. The way for air to pass over these thermals and become heated, either through convection currents or forced air by fans blowing warm air across the heater coils and then into your home. Furnaces are excellent for heating a home, but they do have some disadvantages. Furnaces can be uncomfortably hot because the air is blown into your room at a very low temperature and then heated to whatever temperature you set on the thermostat. This heat-up process takes time, and if not done correctly, it can cause your room to feel hotter than you would like. Furnaces are also more expensive to operate and maintain because they require a dedicated gas or oil line to be installed in the home. Furthermore, some older homes may not have enough ventilation installed where needed for the furnace to work at its best, which means that if there is no way for hot air to escape, it can back up into your home and create an unfavorable environment.

Which is Better For Your Home, a Heat Pump or Furnace?

In most cases, a heat pump works better for your home. This is because it’s more efficient and cheaper to run than an electrical resistance heating system such as an electric baseboard or radiant floor system. In addition, you don’t have all of the drawbacks that come with using natural gas inside your house, like when using a furnace (as mentioned earlier). Many homeowners choose to install a heat pump in their homes because of its efficiency during the winter months. However, this is not the only time when a heat pump can be used in your home. Heat pumps are also useful during the warmer months to help reduce energy costs throughout the year by using them to cool your home rather than an air conditioner unit, which consumes more electricity than running a heat pump (in most cases). The only time that you should choose a furnace over a heat pump is when the outside temperature drops below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that if it’s between 20-30 degrees, then your furnace will work just fine to help keep you warm throughout the winter months. Another thing that you’ll need to consider is the type of fuel source used for each heating unit. If you’re using electric resistance baseboard or radiant floor systems, then this will be very expensive when compared to running an efficient natural gas system during colder months (like with a furnace) and a heat pump throughout the rest of the year. With all of this said, each heating system has its own benefits, so it’s up to you which one is right for your home and budget. If you would like more information on how we can help install any type of heating unit in your home, give us a call today at (940) 580-1630 to help you save on your energy bills this year and many more years to come.

Strittmatter: Reliable Heating Services

Strittmatter Plumbing and Heating has been providing heating and plumbing services to the Highland Village, TX area for over 40 years. Whether you need assistance with programming your thermostat or zoning your home to get optimal heating and cooling, we can help! Our team of skilled professionals is passionate about maintaining your comfort in all seasons, so no job is too big or too small for us.