Furnace or Heat Pump: Which One Is Right for You?

Did you know there are two main options for heating your home? Most homeowners are familiar with the traditional furnace, but there is another option: the heat pump. Whether you are building a home, purchasing a home or looking to update your current heating system, you’ve probably been recently introduced to the option of the heat pump. The question is, which of these options is best for your HVAC in Mabank, TX?

How do furnaces and heat pumps work?

Before we get into which system will best meet your needs, we need to first take a look at how the two systems work:

• Furnace: The furnace is the traditional heating system and is usually either powered by gas or electricity. In both instances, air is forced through the furnace, where it is heated and then distributed throughout your home. Gas furnaces heat the air in sealed combustion chambers. Electric furnaces, on the other hand, have electric heating elements, similar to the coils you see in an electric space heater.
• Heat pump: Unlike a furnace, a heat pump does not create heat of its own. Instead, the heat pump pulls heat from the outside air—even if the air is cold—condenses it and then pumps it throughout the home. There are also geothermal heat pumps. These pumps obtain heat from a series of buried pipes that use the stable below-ground temperatures to heat the air.

Which one is best for you?

Now that we have a basic understanding of the differences between a furnace and a heat pump, let’s look at some of the pros and cons of each:

• Climate: The main consideration is climate. In climates with mild winters, heat pumps are more energy efficient compared to furnaces, mainly because there is still enough warmth in the air (or underground) for the heat pump to extract and condense. In a climate with frigid winters, however, a heat pump would struggle to keep up, which makes it far less efficient than a traditional furnace under these circumstances.
• Installation: Usually, a heat pump system costs less to install than a furnace. Furnaces typically require an extensive ventilation system, which can be an added cost if your home isn’t already outfitted for a furnace.
• Efficiency: Again, depending on where you live, a heat pump may be less expensive to operate than a furnace. In some areas, electricity rates are lower than natural gas rates, which means that a heat pump costs less to run, unless of course you have an electric furnace.

Ask the professionals

If you’re still not sure which heating system is best for your home and climate, ask a professional. At Ken’s Comfort Zone Air Conditioning, your local source for heating installation and heating repair in Mabank, TX, we specialize in helping customers understand their options and choose a system that best meets their needs.

If you would like to learn more about Ken’s Comfort Zone Air Conditioning and the wide range services we provide for HVAC in Mabank, TX, just call us today!

Categorised in: Heating Repair, HVAC

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