Electric Heat Pump With Gas Furnace

Why choose a heat pump over a gas furnace.

Electric heat pump with gas furnace.

At that point most heat pumps will turn on costly electric heat strips but a dual fuel heating and cooling system utilizes an efficient natural gas furnace saving you from high electrical bills in the winter. Gas furnaces generally heat homes more quickly than electric furnaces despite lower efficiency. How do dual fuel heat pump gas furnaces work. An electric furnace works like a big hair dryer producing heat with electric heating elements.

Heat pumps are extremely efficient for cooling in the summer and for winter heating until temperatures drop below 35 degrees. Higher efficiency can be gained in a gas furnace with an alternative to the traditional pilot light such as an intermittent direct spark or hot surface. If you live in the south where winter temperatures may only reach 40 to 60 degrees then a heat pump is the best fit for your home. When the temperature drops below freezing there s not enough heat in the air to sufficiently heat the home with the pump alone so the backup electric or gas furnace kicks in to provide warmth.

Compare costs efficiency installation operating costs and more for electric heat pumps vs gas heating to determine which hvac system is best for your home. Gas furnace come down to where you live. In heating mode heat pumps are essentially an air conditioner running in reverse. An electric furnace will be 100 percent efficient but will be more expensive than a heat pump.

Homeadvisor s complete heat pump or forced air furnace guide defines the differences between electric and gas heat pumps and gas electric propane and oil furnaces. Most of the reasons you would choose a heat pump vs. If you live in an area where electricity costs less than gas then a heat pump is also the better option. Electric furnaces convert nearly all of their energy into heat while gas furnaces can vary.

To find out whether a dual fuel system is an option for your home and how you may benefit talk to your professional licensed hvac dealer. A heat pump like an air conditioner more commonly has a lifespan of 15 years. Electric heat can be installed either through baseboard heaters or through a central furnace. The gas furnace would be the secondary heat source instead of using the heat pump s electric heat strip when the temperatures drop.

Heat pumps heat and cool by moving heat from one place to another. A gas fired furnace also has fewer mechanical parts than a heat pump meaning fewer things that can break down or malfunction. Since a gas operated furnace is only used for a few months out of each year the maintenance requirements are less than those for a heat pump.