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In Statesville, NC, we’re lucky to have comparatively mild winters. While we occasionally experience some sub-freezing temperatures, they rarely last long. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can go without an efficient heating solution for your home. For that, most homeowners choose either a gas furnace or a heat pump. Each has strengths and weaknesses you should be aware of. Here’s everything you need to know to choose between the two.
All About Gas Furnaces
Gas furnaces are the most popular heating option in Statesville, as well as the rest of the US. They’ve heated American homes since the early 1900s. A gas furnace burns natural gas in a combustion chamber and transfers the resulting heat to the air using a heat exchanger. From there, a blower distributes hot air around your home via a network of ducts.
The Advantages of Gas Furnaces
One of the most important advantages of a gas furnace is that it’s affordable to install and operate. Countless manufacturers make them, which helps keep prices low. Plus, natural gas is plentiful in the US, so running a gas furnace is inexpensive compared to alternatives. A basic gas furnace operates at approximately 81% efficiency. However, you can also choose high-efficiency models that operate at up to 98.5% efficiency. Those use a secondary heat exchanger to extract even more heat from the combustion process.
Another advantage of gas furnaces is their longevity. A quality gas furnace can last up to 20 years with regular maintenance. Gas furnaces also have a reputation for reliability and rarely require major repairs over their lifetimes. Homeowners also love gas furnaces for their ability to warm their homes quickly. A gas furnace will output air between 140°F and 170°F. That helps them drive the chill out of the air, even on the coldest days and nights. Plus, gas furnace output temperatures remain within that range, regardless of the outdoor temperature. So, if we get unexpectedly frigid weather, a gas furnace will handle it with no problems.
The Disadvantages of Gas Furnaces
For all their advantages, gas furnaces do have some downsides. One is that they increase your home’s carbon footprint. Natural gas, while touted as a cleaner alternative to other fossil fuels, still emits noxious byproducts when burned. Gas furnace flue gases include a mixture of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and water vapor. In addition to fueling climate change, those substances also negatively impact air quality around your home.
Furthermore, gas furnaces, while quite safe, also come with some risks. A cracked heat exchanger, for example, can allow carbon monoxide to seep into your home. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be fatal at high concentrations. Burning natural gas in your home poses the inherent risk of fire. Gas furnaces feature multiple safety systems meant to minimize that risk, but they cannot eliminate it.
All About Heat Pumps
If you are unfamiliar with them, heat pumps offer a unique heating solution. Unlike furnaces, they don’t consume fuel to generate heat. In fact, they don’t generate heat at all. Instead, they harvest heat from the outdoor air and use it to warm your home. A heat pump is mechanically similar to an AC. It manipulates the temperature, state, and pressure of a refrigerant to collect and release heat. As a result, a heat pump is an all-electric heating solution.
The Advantages of Heat Pumps
The biggest advantage of heat pumps is their energy efficiency. They operate more efficiently than any other heating solution, and it’s not particularly close. In mild winter weather, a heat pump can run at efficiencies approaching 400%. They can do that because they don’t consume electricity to make heat. Therefore, their efficiency is only limited by how well they can absorb heat from the outside air. And since heat pumps use only electricity, they don’t produce any direct emissions. If you combine a heat pump with solar power or another renewable energy source, you can all but eliminate its carbon footprint.
You should also know that some heat pumps can operate bidirectionally. That means your heat pump could also function as a cooling solution in the summer. Standard heat pumps have a similar form factor to conventional central ACs. So, if you already have an AC and furnace combination, your home shouldn’t need much modification to support a heat pump.
The Disadvantages of Heat Pumps
A primary disadvantage of heat pumps is that they can struggle in extreme cold. All heat pumps lose efficiency and capacity as temperatures drop. That’s because colder air contains less heat energy, making its collection more energy-intensive. As a result, a standard heat pump will be no more efficient than a standard gas furnace once the outside temperature reaches 20°F. However, the relatively higher cost of electricity means a heat pump will be far more costly to run at that point. Additionally, at very low temperatures, a heat pump may need to engage supplementary electric resistance heating. While that ensures your home has enough heat, it can send operating costs skyrocketing.
While it can be convenient to have an all-in-one heating and cooling solution, there can also be some downsides. One is that your heat pump will have less downtime, complicating maintenance and repairs when needed. Plus, it means your system suffers twice as much wear and tear, shortening its lifespan. As a result, the average heat pump only lasts about 15 years, even with regular maintenance.
Making a Wise Choice
In truth, gas furnaces and heat pumps both work quite well in Statesville homes. For most homeowners, the choice between the two almost always comes down to a few key factors. One is their budget. If your home already has a natural gas supply, installing a gas furnace will always be the cheaper option. If your home needs a new natural gas supply to support a gas furnace, the price of a heat pump becomes comparable.
Another factor that will likely influence your choice between a gas furnace and a heat pump is your home’s existing cooling solution. If you recently installed a new central AC, replacing it with a heat pump would make little financial sense. However, if both your heater and AC are approaching replacement age, a heat pump makes an ideal choice.
Your Local Efficient Heating Experts
No matter what type of heating system you ultimately choose, Evergreen Heating & Air LLC can provide it. We sell and install high-quality furnaces and heat pumps from today’s top manufacturers. Plus, our HVAC technicians have decades of combined experience, and always deliver quality workmanship. We also offer free estimates so you can plan for your heating replacement. And if you need financing to afford the system you want, we’ll help you get it on approved credit. So, when you’re ready for a new heating system installation in your Statesville home, contact Evergreen Heating & Air LLC.
(704) 449-3454
