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When it becomes time to purchase a new heating system for your Missouri home, you have a few different options to choose from. Furnaces and heat pumps are the most popular heating systems on the market today. Below, we’ll discuss what each one is and help you make a better-informed decision about which one is right for your home.
What Are Furnaces?
A furnace is a forced-air heating system that relies on ductwork to deliver hot air throughout the various rooms of your home. Furnaces can run on one of four different types of energy, which include natural gas, heating oil, propane, and electricity. Furnaces that use natural gas, oil, or propane burn fuel to create heat. Those that use only electricity have an internal heating element that warms the air as it passes by.
What Are Heat Pumps?
Heat pumps are an alternative type of HVAC system that transfers heat from one location to another. In the wintertime, heat pumps absorb heat from the air outside and bring it into your home to warm it. Heat pumps come in two different styles, which are standard and ductless. Standard heat pumps operate with traditional ducting to deliver warm air to each room through vents and registers. Ductless mini-split heat pumps use multiple indoor air handler units to deliver warm air to each room instead of via ducting.
Hybrid Systems
It’s important to know that standard heat pumps only operate efficiently down to temperatures around freezing. There are newer style cold climate heat pumps that can work efficiently down to -20 degrees Fahrenheit. However, they do come at a more premium cost. Many homeowners who already have a furnace may opt for purchasing a heat pump as a secondary option.
Heat pumps effectively provide both heating and cooling for your home. This makes them a popular option for homeowners looking to add air conditioning to their home when they have an existing furnace. The beauty of adding a heat pump is that it not only works for you in the summertime to cool your home. Rather, it can also heat your home during the winter months when temperatures are above freezing.
Having both a furnace and a heat pump is known as a hybrid system. When temperatures are above freezing, your heat pump will work to heat your home. This offers the most efficient operation. However, when the efficiency of your heat pump declines as the temperature nears freezing, your system will switch over to using your furnace. This provides more adequate comfort at a lower efficiency level.
Operating Efficiency
One of the biggest differences between furnaces and heat pumps comes with their operating efficiency. Because heat pumps only transfer heat and don’t create it, they’re much more energy-efficient than furnaces. Most heat pumps can operate at an efficiency between 200% and 400%.
The efficiency of your furnace will highly depend on the type of energy that it uses and whether it’s a standard or high-efficiency unit. Electric furnaces operate at 100% efficiency, while standard furnaces operate between 80 and 89% efficiency. Some high-efficiency condensing furnaces can operate between 90 and 98% efficiency. There’s absolutely no doubt that heat pumps are the most efficient, meaning more energy savings during the winter months.
Upfront Cost
One other important factor to take into consideration is the upfront cost of your new heating system. When comparing furnaces to heat pumps, furnaces are always going to be cheaper. The particular price of your furnace will vary depending on its size, the type of fuel it uses, and whether it’s a standard or high-efficiency unit.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that heat pumps provide both heating and air conditioning for your home. While they do cost more upfront, you should factor in the cost of both a heating and air conditioning system when making your ultimate purchasing decision.
Tax Incentives
One other factor to consider is the tax rebates and incentives that you can gain from purchasing a new heating system. In general, you typically can receive a tax incentive from the federal government when you purchase a heat pump for your home. Most homeowners can claim up to 30% of the total cost of their new unit and installation up to a maximum amount of $3,200 per year. Most furnaces don’t qualify for these tax credits.
Reliable Heating System Installation Service
FTS Heating & Cooling offers reliable heating system installation services for the Lebanon, MO area. We can also assist with your heating repair, maintenance, and replacement needs. Call our office today to schedule an appointment with one of our helpful heating technicians.
