A growing number of people are opting to install a heat pump instead of a furnace to help save on the costs of heating their home. Heat pumps are highly efficient and have the added benefit of providing effective air conditioning during the hot summer months. Heat pump technology has also vastly improved in recent years, resulting in units that work far more effectively in freezing temperatures than older models did.
While heat pumps definitely have their advantages, they aren’t without their faults and aren’t always the best option for places like Nebraska where it can get extremely cold during the winter. By instead opting to install a dual-fuel heating system in your home, you can enjoy all of the benefits of a heat pump without the downsides. This type of system has both a heat pump and a gas furnace and can be a great investment for all of these reasons.
Read on for more details from our heating installation experts!
1. Lower Heating Bills
Heat pumps work by using refrigerant to capture heat energy from outdoors and then transfer the heat inside to keep the house warm. This heat transfer process is far more efficient than simply converting gas or electricity into heat energy, which is how all other types of heating work.
When the temperature outside is around 40 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, heat pumps typically work at least three to four times more efficiently than gas furnaces. However, their efficiency then continually decreases the lower the temperature is. Nonetheless, most cold-climate heat pumps can continue heating in temperatures as low as -15 to -20 degrees.
Even in temperatures well below freezing, a furnace usually won’t have to stay on for more than 20 minutes or so. The exception is if you just turned your thermostat up and the furnace has to increase the temperature in your house by more than 1-2 degrees. Heat pumps don’t heat nearly as quickly or effectively as furnaces, resulting in them often needing to run almost nonstop whenever it’s much colder outside.
Despite the heat pump still technically working more efficiently, it can still end up costing you more money to use overall in colder weather due to how much more it will have to run compared to a furnace. This is where having a dual-fuel HVAC system can be extremely beneficial and save you money compared to what it would cost you to heat your house if you only had a heat pump or a furnace.
You can just use the heat pump during the not-so-cold times when it can operate at its peak efficiency without needing to run constantly. You can then switch to running the furnace whenever it gets too cold for the heat pump to work as efficiently and it would need to run constantly. Many smart thermostats can monitor the current temperature. That means you can program the thermostat so that it automatically switches from the heat pump to the furnace whenever the temperature outside drops below a set point.
Any standard heat pump system in a cold climate has electric heat strips that will automatically come on in colder weather to ensure the house still stays warm. The issue is that the heat strips consume far more electricity than the heat pump and will result in your heating bills being much higher if they have to be on all that much. This is another area where having a dual-fuel system can save you money, as running the furnace will cost far less than running the heat strips.
2. Effective Heating in Any Weather Conditions
You might have an older home that isn’t all that well insulated and/or has numerous air leaks. If so, you can also encounter issues with a heat pump being able to keep your house fully warm in much colder weather even if it runs constantly. With a standard heat pump system, the heat strips will always come on and run alongside the heat pump if the temperature in your house ever starts dropping. That way, you still shouldn’t ever encounter issues with your house being colder than you want.
You can also rely solely on the heat strips to keep you warm whenever it’s so cold outside that the heat pump can no longer work. However, this will again lead to your electricity bills being much higher. With a dual-fuel system, you’ll never have to worry about not being able to stay warm or your energy bills spiking during a cold snap due to how effectively the furnace will work.
Most people turn their heating down at night to help them sleep more comfortably and to save on energy. The issue with doing this if you have a standard heat pump system is that it can take an extremely long time before your house finally gets fully warm again. This is the case when you turn the temperature back up in the morning—especially if it’s much colder outside. If you have a dual-fuel system, the furnace will always start running when you turn the temperature back up to ensure your house gets heated much more quickly.
3. Long Life Expectancy
A properly maintained heat pump can potentially last for around 15 years. However, many units end up needing replacement after only 10 to 12 years due to how much more work they have to do each year compared to traditional HVAC units. Furnaces, on the other hand, usually last for a minimum of 15 years and can sometimes even keep working after 20 years.
A dual-fuel system lessens the workload on the heat pump and the furnace. As a result, you can typically get more life out of both units than you would if you just had one or the other. The system especially helps protect the life of the heat pump by ensuring it never has to run in extremely cold conditions where it would be under much greater strain and experience more than the usual amount of wear and tear.
Another great thing about dual-fuel systems is that if the furnace or heat pump breaks down, you can rely on the other unit while waiting to get the problem repaired. You’ll still have an effective backup in case either the furnace or the heat pump fails and you can’t afford to immediately replace it as well. If your furnace were to fail, you’d typically need to install heat strips just to ensure that your house is always warm. Nonetheless, this will be much cheaper than replacing the furnace. In most cases, you’ll also save a bit of money by replacing both units at the same time.
Call Us Today
John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical is the top choice for heating services in Lincoln, Omaha and the surrounding areas. We’ve been in business for nearly 30 years and are dedicated to helping Nebraska homeowners stay comfortable all year long. As a Lennox Premier Dealer, we’re able to offer some of the best HVAC equipment in the industry. We provide free estimates on new system installations and will ensure you get the right heating option for your home—whether that’s a furnace, a heat pump or a dual-fuel system.
You can also trust us to reliably manage your repair and maintenance needs to ensure your HVAC system remains in good condition and continues working for years to come. To schedule a consultation and get help deciding if a dual-fuel system is the right choice for you, contact us today.
