Choosing a new heating system for your home is a big decision. It will have an impact on your comfort for years to come. It also represents a significant investment you’re making in your home. Plus, making changes after installing a particular heating system isn’t easy. Right now, most homeowners find themselves weighing two main heating options. One is a gas furnace, the dominant type of heating system here and elsewhere in the US. The other option is rapidly gaining popularity: a heat pump. Here is some information about the two systems’ strengths and weaknesses.
The Advantages of a Gas Furnace
If you live here in Grand Junction, CO, your home likely has a gas furnace. They are the primary heating system in approximately 75% of Colorado homes. There are plenty of good reasons for that, including the following.
Mature, Dependable Technology
Natural gas furnaces first appeared in the US back in 1919. That means the gas furnaces sold today have over 100 years of development, refinement, and innovation behind them. As a result, gas furnaces are highly reliable and very durable. The average gas furnace can last about 20 years with proper care. It isn’t uncommon for a gas furnace to go through most of its lifespan without needing significant repairs.
Low Upfront Costs
Gas furnaces are also one of the most economical home heating system options. Assuming your home already has natural gas service, a new furnace installation could cost as little as $2,500. Of course, high-efficiency furnaces may cost more than that. However, given the longevity of the average furnace, they’re a bargain at almost any price point.
Low Operating Costs
Another advantage homeowners enjoy with a gas furnace is low operating costs. Natural gas is plentiful and inexpensive, and the relative efficiency of the furnaces equals low heating costs.
High Heat Output
Finally, gas furnaces have a reputation for high heat output. That means they can raise the temperature in a home quickly. Many homeowners enjoy the high-temperature air that gas furnaces send into their homes. The air temperature leaving the average furnace is between 140 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s hot enough to eliminate drafts and recover to your set temperature immediately after cold air comes in from outside.
The Disadvantages of a Gas Furnace
For all their advantages, gas furnaces aren’t perfect. They do have a few disadvantages worth noting. Here are some of them.
Safety Concerns
Although gas furnaces have an excellent safety record, they’re not without risk. After all, they involve controlled combustion indoors, which can cause house fires. Plus, gas furnaces can develop cracks in their heat exchangers as they age, leading to carbon monoxide leaks that pose a lethal threat to a home’s residents.
Environmental Impact
Natural gas has a reputation for being one of the cleanest-burning fossil fuels. However, natural gas combustion is still a major driver of climate change. A gas furnace releases significant quantities of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere, responsible for up to 72% of the carbon footprint of homes that use them. Vapors from gas-burning products that are released indoors can also have long-term health implications. That’s a big reason cities like Denver now ban natural gas furnaces in newly constructed buildings.
The Advantages of a Heat Pump
Heat pumps are a newer residential heating solution advocates see as the eventual successor to gas furnaces. If you’re unfamiliar with them, they have some major advantages compared to furnaces. Here’s what they are.
Year-Round Comfort
One of the most significant advantages of a heat pump is its ability to provide heating and cooling from the same unit. In cooling mode, a heat pump works like an air conditioner, collecting heat inside your home and releasing it outside. In the winter, heat pumps reverse their operation, collecting heat outside and using it to warm your home.
Amazing Energy Efficiency
Heat pumps offer impressive energy efficiency that other heating systems can’t match. In heating mode, an air-source heat pump can achieve up to 400% efficiency in mild weather. Most of today’s standard heat pumps remain at least as efficient as the average gas furnace down to 25 degrees. Even cold-weather heat pumps maintain their highest efficiency to as low as -15 degrees.
All-Electric Operation
Unlike gas furnaces, heat pumps don’t require fuel to operate. They’re an all-electric solution that can eliminate the need for a natural gas supply connection. A heat pump is an ideal HVAC solution for going all-electric in your home.
Available Tax Credits and Incentives
Heat pumps qualify for federal tax credits and incentive programs that dramatically lower costs. Local utilities also frequently offer heat pump incentives, too. They’re a key technology in the fight against climate change, so stakeholders at every level have reason to spur adoption.
The Disadvantages of a Heat Pump
Heat pumps have a few drawbacks, primarily if you’re used to a gas furnace. Here are their most important disadvantages.
Lower Air Temperatures
Heat pumps operate at lower temperatures than gas furnaces, with air output temperatures rarely exceeding 120 degrees. In some cases, homeowners report a drafty feeling in their homes when running a heat pump. Typically, that feeling fades as you get acclimated to the system. However, some people never quite adjust, especially if they’ve had a gas furnace for many years prior.
Higher Upfront Costs
Installing a heat pump almost always costs more than installing a gas furnace. However, considering that a heat pump also serves as a cooling solution, that’s understandable. The aforementioned incentive programs can sometimes lower a heat pump’s installation cost. If you qualify for enough of the available programs, your upfront cost could be the same or lower than a gas furnace.
High Electrical Demand
As an all-electric HVAC solution, heat pumps require their own high-amperage electrical circuits and use significant amounts of electricity. In some homes, electrical upgrades can be necessary to support one, which can add to installation costs, which are already higher than those of alternative systems.
Local Efficient Heating Experts
Home Comfort Services is a locally owned and operated HVAC company serving the residents of Grand Junction. Since opening in 2016, we’ve worked hard to help homeowners make their homes the comfortable sanctuaries they deserve. To that end, we provide HVAC installation, repair, and maintenance. We also offer complete plumbing, indoor air quality, and duct cleaning services. Our expert HVAC technicians are highly trained, background checked, and drug tested. We also offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re unhappy, we’ll do what it takes to make things right. We also offer financing options on approved credit to help you pay for the new heating system you want. Please check out some of our testimonials, which we feel represent the experience you can expect with us. And if you need a new heating system installed in your Grand Junction home, contact Home Comfort Services today!
