Which Heating Method Is Best: Heat Pump or Furnace?

The two basic choices Yuma-area residents have when they’re faced with replacing their home heating method are heat pumps and gas furnaces. Both have proven records in this region, where the heating load is light. Each has advantages, although in this climate, the logical choice for most homeowners is the heat pump.

A heat pump pulls heat from the air, while a furnace uses fuel to create heat. This difference contributes to the most fundamental advantages that heat pumps have over a gas-heating method in our climate because:

  • Heat pumps are a safe heating method. Unless they’re a hybrid system, heat pumps use electricity exclusively. There’s no danger of carbon monoxide (CO) generation, nor is there a risk associated with gas leaks.
  • Unless you have other appliances that use natural gas, you won’t need to pay for access to another utility.
  • Heat pumps function as air conditioners in the summer, which makes maintenance for both you and the HVAC pro simpler.
  • Heat pumps use energy more efficiently than any other heating method because they use the heat in the air to create heat instead of burning fuel.
  • Energy engineers calculate efficiency by measuring how much fuel it takes to create one unit of heat. A typical heat pump uses one unit of energy to create three units of heat, making it at least 300% efficient. The most efficient gas furnace is only 97% efficient.

Although heat pumps are typically the best choice here in the Yuma area, there are times when gas furnaces have the advantage:

  • A heat pump may take longer to warm your home as the temperature falls close to freezing and below. Fortunately, such weather is rare in this area and is usually short-lived.
  • They may not work as well as a gas furnace for a family who needs warmer air during the winter. Gas furnaces blow the same temperature throughout the winter, regardless of the weather, which makes them a popular heating method in cold climates.

If you’d like to explore the best heating method for your home, contact the pros at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company. We provide HVAC services for Yuma-area homeowners.