If you’re in the market for a new heating system, you’ve likely come across a few different options. Two of the most common in Florida are furnaces and heat pumps. We’ll discuss each of these systems to help you make a better-informed decision about which one is right for your home.
Understanding Furnaces
Furnaces can run on any of four types of energy. These include natural gas, propane, oil, and electricity. Electric furnaces have an internal heating element that heats up to generate heat. Furnaces that burn natural gas, propane, or oil create heat through the combustion process of burning that particular fuel.
All furnaces attach to ductwork with a blower compartment that circulates air throughout the ducting. When your furnace turns on, the blower compartment spins a fan that forces air from your home through the furnace for heating. That warm air is then delivered to all the rooms in your home with vents and registers.
Understanding Heat Pumps
Heat pumps operate much differently than furnaces. Air-source heat pumps powered by electricity are the ones most commonly used in Northwest Florida. They don’t burn fuel to generate heat, making them a much safer option for your home. You can think of heat pumps as heat transfer systems. During the winter, a heat pump will absorb heat from the air outside and bring it into your home.
There are also geothermal heat pumps that can extract heat from the soil. These are more complex and expensive systems that aren’t common among area homeowners. Some heat pumps used for larger homes and commercial facilities can run on natural gas, propane, or even solar-heated water.
One of the biggest benefits of a heat pump is that it can cool as well as heat your home. During the summer months, a heat pump extracts heat from the air inside your home and transfers it outside, effectively cooling the interior of your home. Heat pumps are available in both ducted setups, like traditional furnaces, and ductless mini-split setups for those homes without traditional ducting.
Year-Round Comfort
When comparing heat pumps and furnaces, one of the biggest things to keep in mind is how they affect your home’s comfort throughout the year. While both can surely keep your home comfortable during the winter months, a furnace doesn’t do you any good in the summer.
Rather, you would have to pair it with a central air conditioning system to keep your home comfortably cool. On the other hand, a heat pump can both heat and cool your home in a single unit. There’s absolutely no need to purchase a separate air conditioning system.
Energy Efficiency
One other factor to consider when selecting a heating system for your home is its operating efficiency. The more energy-efficient a system is, the less you’ll have to spend on your utility bills. Furnaces will have varying efficiency levels depending on the type of fuel that they use. These are expressed as annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) ratings.
In general, furnaces that run on electricity operate at 100% efficiency. Furnaces that operate on oil, propane, or natural gas have a standard efficiency of 80%-89%. There are also high-efficiency condensing natural gas units that can achieve efficiency levels of 90%-98%.
The efficiency rating of heat pumps is expressed as the heating service performance factor (HSPF). Most heat pumps will operate at an efficiency between 200% and 400%. Ductless heat pumps have the highest operating efficiency, closer to 400%, while standard heat pumps typically operate in the 200% to 300% range.
Safety
One additional factor to consider when selecting a heating system for your home is its overall safety. Heating systems that burn fuel to generate heat all produce toxic exhaust fumes, such as carbon monoxide. To use these systems safely, they must be properly vented to the outdoors. There’s always the possibility that the unit could malfunction, allowing these toxic fumes to back up inside.
That’s why it’s necessary to have working carbon monoxide detectors in your home. Furnaces that burn natural gas, heating oil, and propane all fall into this category. Furnaces that run on electricity and heat pumps that solely use electricity don’t produce any toxic exhaust fumes. This makes them a safer option than traditional furnaces that burn fuel.
Reliable Heat Pump Installation Service
Avalon Air Heating & Cooling offers reliable heat pump installation services for Pensacola, FL and the Gulf Coast area. We can also assist with all your heat pump repair, replacement, and maintenance needs.
Call our team at Avalon Air Heating & Cooling today to schedule your next heating consultation.
