What’s the Difference Between a Furnace and a Heat Pump?

If you’re looking to upgrade your home’s HVAC system, you have a variety of options for your heating. It’s important that you do some thorough research into your available options before making a decision so you can give yourself the most efficient and effective heating possible in your home throughout the winter months.

There are a couple primary options that will be available to you when you are in the market: furnace installation and heat pump installation in Oklahoma City, OK. But what are the differences between these two options, and which is going to give you the best results for your needs?

Here’s a quick overview of furnaces and heat pumps and what you should know about them.

Furnaces

You’re probably already familiar with what a furnace is and what it does, but here’s a quick overview anyway. Furnaces create heat by burning natural gas or oil, and then use a series of fans to blow the heated air into your home through your ductwork. You can also find electric furnaces.

In past years, furnaces were a less efficient means of heating a home, but the technology has come a long way over the decades. Some of today’s models achieve 98 percent efficiency, meaning just two percent of the air they heat escapes the system and gets lost. That’s a remarkable efficiency rate when you consider what furnaces looked like years ago.

If you have natural gas lines by your home or have already installed an air conditioning system, it is going to probably be in your best interest to install a furnace. The furnace will complement the AC system quite well.

Heat pumps

Heat pumps do not generate heat or use fuel sources to heat air. Instead, they use electricity and refrigerant, extracting heat from air outside and blowing it into the home. They can also be reversed in the summer to extract heat from the air inside your home and force it back outside to cool down the space.

Heat pumps are a much more efficient method of heating and cooling because they rely on electricity rather than natural gas or oil. They can be up to 300 percent efficient, as it takes just a single unit of electrical energy to move three units of heat into the home during peak operation.

You’ll likely benefit the most from heat pumps if you do not have any natural gas lines running to your home. However, if the temperature drops below freezing in your area, the efficiency of the heat pump will be affected. People who have heat pumps tend to live in slightly warmer environments, but just about anyone can benefit from the use of a heat pump.

If you’re in need of more information to help you make your decision between furnace and heat pump installation in Oklahoma City, OK, we encourage you to contact the technicians at Dailey Heating & Air Conditioning today. We will be happy to answer any questions you have about your options.

Categorised in: Heat Pump Installation

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