Top 3 Deciding Factors in Selecting a Heat Pump Or Furnace

Is choosing a heat pump or furnace a dilemma? If you are unsure about which system is best for your home, here are three important factors to consider about each one.

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, like furnaces and heat pumps, come from the same family tree. Even though they may be related, their ways of doing things are too different for them to be called siblings.

Here's where the analogy gets sticky: You shouldn't choose a beloved family member as your primary heat source. Before you make a final choice, we'd like you to understand both systems' benefits fully. 

We'll talk about three of the most important ways to choose between each system to help you with this.

Furnaces

These heating systems employ a heat exchanger to produce hot air. They need a duct system to carry the heat to other rooms.

1. Can Use Natural Gas

Heating systems can be run on either electricity or natural gas. However, natural gas is the most popular choice among homeowners. Furnaces that run on electricity are more efficient from a technical standpoint, but heating with natural gas is less expensive. If you are worried about using natural gas, know that gas furnaces are safe as long as they are built and maintained by trained professionals.

2. Heat Continuously Through All Temperatures

Not that heat pumps can't work in cold weather; they can. In extremely cold weather, some brands will require additional heating to help out. To begin with, furnaces eliminate this risk due to how they generate heat. As long as your furnace is in working order, you won't have to worry about the weather outside.

3. Lower Priced but dependable

Homeowners often decide to put in a furnace because they are cheap and easy to put in. The HVAC system required to install a furnace is present in most residences. Also, the device costs less to install and run overall than a heat pump.

Heat Pumps

Electricity is the only fuel source for heat pumps, and a duct system for heating distribution is optional.

1. Both Cool and Heat

The capacity to heat or cool a place, depending on the temperature outside, is one of the most notable features of a heat pump. If you're in the market for a new heater and have been considering installing air conditioning instead, a heat pump may be the best option for your home.

2. Use Electricity Efficiently

Heat pumps use a method that is more like heat transfer than combustion to make heat. This method uses less energy, which is why heat pumps have such a great reputation for how well they work.

The heat pump will be more energy efficient than a gas furnace for much of the winter.

3. Provide a Ductless Option

In the same way that ducts are used to transport air from your furnace to your home, heat pumps can do the same thing. The ductless mini-split heat pump is an alternative. Many air handlers are used in this system, one for each room on average. Alternatively, you can extend the heating system's coverage area by adding a single mini-split air conditioner.

Last, you have additional leeway and control over the system because each air handler has its own temperature setting.

If you need heating services in or surrounding areas of Cornelius, Oregon, including installation, call Best Owner Direct HVAC right away.