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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Gas Furnace vs. Heat Pump: The Battle For Supremacy


Probably the most common question we get in the hvac business is this; which is better, gas furnace or heat pump?  Well folks, it all pretty much comes down to your location.  If you live in a colder area of the country, a gas furnace may well be the best thing for your home, whereas in areas of the country that are typically moderate to warm(our area) a heat pump can be much more cost effective.

Efficiency
An older gas furnace with a pilot light has an efficiency of only 65 percent, modern gas units have an efficiency of 80 percent. A heat pump is often up to 50 percent more efficient than a furnace. If a heat pump is sized to run continually, more money will be saved as efficiency will be maximized as it will not cycle on and off too often. Too much cycling produces wear on the components. The main loss of efficiency with a ducted gas system is loss of heat through ducts. If your ducts are well insulated, the heat loss can be minimized.

Cost
A heat pump may be much cheaper to run than a gas furnace, depending on the costs of electricity and gas in your area. A heat pump may be slightly more expensive to install which may not make installing one cost efficient if you already have a working gas furnace. If you are installing from scratch, a heat pump will be a lot cheaper than a new gas furnace.

Life Span
Gas furnaces have an average life span of 15 years, which is only slightly longer than a heat pump.  Because a heat pump is used all year round, it usually has a shorter life span than a separate furnace and central air conditioner.

Bottom line is that for our area, a heat pump is probably going to be more cost efficient.  Plus, you're not going to have to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning from a heat pump.  But as mentioned above, both systems have their advantages and disadvantages so it's ultimately up to you and what you think will give you the most bang for your buck!

Nickadeemus


32 comments:

  1. Ok Let me chimein here. I like my gas furnace. BUT my next unit will be a likey a Lennox Hybrid which I will make TRIbrid. The sunsource unit adding solar panels. Lets face the facts a 30 year product (solar panels) that pays back. Energy gets more expensive. But your panels are fixed cost once you purchase.

    Lets get wild and crazy here and think about reality.

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    1. Thank you for helping people get the information they need. Great stuff as usual. Keep up the great work!!! emergency furnace repairs

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  2. Thank you for the info. It sounds pretty user friendly. I guess I’ll pick one up for fun. thank u


    Gas Ducted Heating Repairs

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  3. i know some what about that A furnace is a device used for heating. The name derives from Latin fornax, oven.Gas Appliance Repair

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  4. HI,
    Very informative and helpful post. You have good command on the topic and have explained in a very nice way. Thanks for sharing.

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  5. A heat pump may be much cheaper to run than a gas furnace, depending on the costs of electricity and gas in your area. A heap pump may be expensive to install which may not make installing one cost efficient if you already have a working gas furnace. If you are installing new, a heat pump will be a lot cheaper than a new gas furnace.

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  6. Heat pumps are designed to be unobtrusive in size, neutral decor and low noise levels. There are also different types of heat pumps, from a stylish through the wall packaged unit to different varieties of split systems.

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  7. This is such a great blog! I love reading all of the posts and learning about things I didn't know before! I recently just learned about hvac orland park il and it made me interested in it more and wanting to learn. This website has sure helped me learn more. Can you tell me where I might be able to find even more information about furnaces and heat pumps?

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  8. The stuff contains clear comparision between both, according to me depend on the usability it suits for the customers

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  9. Nice look at the two technologies.

    This is one of the most common questions we are asked as well and with our area (San Diego) having so many climate zones within the metropolitan area, the answer can change dramatically from one area to another.

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  10. Thank you for the break down. With some many options out there for both heating and air conditioning a home it can get a bit confusing. A friend works for heating company and was explaining how important efficiency is in a system and this post helps put it all together

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  11. Even in the north east, heat pumps can be a good thing. I have installed a few systems with both a heat pump and gas furnace. The heating system used is switched automaticly depending on the weather conditions.
    Thanks for your great blog, i enjoy reading it.

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  12. I have been debating a lot lately about whether or not I want to get a Coleman gas furnace or heat pump. I hear a lot of good benefits to both which is just making it harder. Thanks for the added help in deciding.

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  13. Update for me I have changed out my furnace and went with a 98% afue nat gas furnace. the seer for the AC is as high as they make 17+ because its 5 tons. Its the XC 21 on smaller models of AC units it would achieve the higher seer. Quiet beyond believe under 70 decibels. In other words my fridge makes more noise. Enviro nc did the install ofcourse and I am thrilled.

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  14. This is great info. Thanks for taking the time to explain it!

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  15. Thanks for the heads up, I was wondering this exact thing for the home that I am building, I don't think it will be too bad for heating here in Kamloops, but this has given me a little bit to think on.

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  16. A heat pump can be much less expensive to operate than a gas oven, depending on the cost of electricity and gas in your area. A pump heap can be expensive to install, which can be installed cost-effective if you. You already have a gas stove work if you install a new heat pump is much cheaper than a new gas furnace.thank u dear... Aire Flo furnace

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  17. Great conclusion, it should depend on the situation and needs.

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  18. Gas furnaces are definitely a wonderful addition to your home. In fact, they are already becoming widely popular nowadays because of the great convenience they bring.

    Furnace Repair

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  19. Great post! Been trying to improve my HVAC recently. Thanks for the info!

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  20. I agree that heat pump is probably going to be more cost efficient other than gas furnace.

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  21. We are about to buy a house in Asheboro, NC and just checked the house has heat pump..We are moving from Illinois so were are more familiar with gas furnace. Will heat pump really heat my house well?

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  22. I had never heard of a heat pump until now, but I'm guessing I've seen one before. I'll have to check and see what my house has so that I can find out how to fix it. I should probably have a service come out and see what to do first. It'll be good to have a professional to check it for me.
    -Seamus | http://www.robertsonairconditioning.com.au/heating

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  23. I have read your blog and got lots of information about Heat pump…

    Heatpump

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  28. If you have more specific service-related questions, please contact us.
    Heating and Cooling Oakville

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  29. Great information from an expert. It should be publishedd in a peer review journal

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  30. I read that Post and got it fine and informative. Please share more like that...Warmtepompen

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