Heat pumps and furnaces are the two most common types of central heating.
Used in homes and commercial buildings alike, they are designed to raise the indoor temperature, thereby creating a more comfortable environment during the otherwise cool fall and winter months.
With that said, heat pumps and furnaces use completely different mechanisms to perform this operation.
If you’re thinking about upgrading your home’s central heating, you should familiarize yourself with the differences between heat pumps and furnaces.
What Is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump is a dual-purpose device that both heats and cools a home or building via an air-pumping mechanism.
During the summer, it extracts heat from the indoor air and pumps it outside. During the winter, a heat pump extracts outdoor heat and pumps it inside the home or building.
Using this mechanism, a heat pump is able to create a comfortable indoor climate year-round.
What Is a Furnace?
A furnace, on the other hand, is a single-purpose device that’s designed specifically for heating a home or building.
There are both electric- and gas-powered furnaces. The former uses electricity to engage a heating element, whereas the latter burns natural gas to produce heat.
Although there are different types of furnaces, most gas-powered furnaces consist of the four following components:
- Heat exchanger
- Burner
- Blower
- Flue
Should I Choose a Heat Pump or Furnace?
Both heat pumps and furnaces offer their own unique advantages.
Heat pumps, for example, are typically more energy-efficient than both electric and gas furnaces. Some heat pumps, in fact, are up to three times more energy-efficient than their furnace counterparts, making them an excellent choice for energy-conscious homeowners.
Heat pumps also don’t rely on combustion to produce heat, so they don’t create harmful gases like carbon monoxide (CO).
In terms of heating power, though, there’s no substitution for a high-quality furnace.
Heat pumps aren’t capable of producing the same hot air as furnaces. This may not be a concern if you live in a Southern state that experiences mild winters. But if you live in a Northern state with cold winters, a heat pump may lack the heating power needed to effectively warm your home.
In addition to greater heating power, furnaces – especially gas-powered furnaces – typically cost less than heat pumps.
Numerous factors affect the cost of a central heating device, but you’ll probably discover that furnaces are less expensive than heat pumps.
If you are experiencing a problem with your heat pump or furnace call us at 512-336-1431 to schedule an appointment. We’ll be glad to come out and take a look at the issue.
1431-183 A/C & Heating proudly serves Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Leander, Liberty Hill, and North Austin.
