If you’re in a traditionally cold area in winter, the question of a furnace versus a heat pump is eventually going to be put in front of you. As a renter, you may have ended up settling for what was provided by the landlord, but as a homeowner, your heating situation is going to, sooner or later, be dictated by a choice between one or the other. Both systems functionally work, but some differences turn into advantages or disadvantages for your particular situation in a heat pump vs. furnace comparison.
What to Expect With a Heat Pump
A heat pump works with a lot less energy demand. So, no surprise, it’s going to cost less to operate as well. They don’t make a lot of noise, and heat pumps require less complexity to put in place and install. More importantly, they don’t have any risk of a gas leak or CO venting, which could be harmful. However, they don’t work as well in much colder climates. While a heat pump works fine in mild climates or specific to certain rooms, it loses power and capacity when trying to warm the entire home in a locale that becomes frozen in winter or similar.
Heat pumps also need regular maintenance. Just like other appliances, they work best with regular checks and updating of parts that wear out. Unlike a furnace, a heat pump has more moving parts, and that produces wear and tear over time. Most experts recommend at least a bi-annual check and maintenance update every year, especially given the fact that the heat pump works year-round.
Why a Furnace Works
A furnace is essentially a controlled burn. It burns at a hot temperature and produces a significant volume of hot air. However, that heat is moved out of the furnace quickly by a blower and distributed quickly throughout a home. Not surprisingly, furnaces are an integral part of the HVAC system in most homes that have central heat and air. The key factor to worry about is that the furnace can handle the home size adequately. Many homeowners with a choice get a unit that is a size larger than needed so there’s no question about capacity under pressure.
Most times, if there is a heating deficiency, it’s due to the ductwork not working properly or the blower is failing to push the war air sufficiently. Life-wise, furnaces easily work for a good 15 years, and they can last even longer with maintenance. After that, any additional years are a bonus.
The downside of a furnace is the fact that it uses natural gas as a fuel for the furnace burn. Ideally, the furnace works correctly, burns all the gas fed at a steady rate, and none of it escapes. However, there is always the risk of a gas leak or a CO leak. Furnace maintenance as well as air filter changing helps spot problems quickly. A CO monitor also warns of problems before they become a serious health risk too.
Every Home is Going to be Case by Case
When it is time to replace a furnace, the most likely cause tends to be mechanical failure of the blower and moving parts or corrosion, or both. There is usually no recycling of a furnace system once it fails. The ductwork can and usually is still re-connected when the furnace is replaced, but the primary equipment has to be changed, usually with an updated model given the amount of time that has passed since the original installation.
Again, which system to choose depends a lot on how cold it will get seasonally in a homeowner’s location. Heat pumps save money and work fine in mild climates, but a furnace is the smarter approach when it’s going to consistently be below freezing outside week after week, especially in larger homes with lots of rooms to keep heated.
