Has your furnace reached the end of its days? Has it stopped heating your home evenly, or started causing higher and higher heating bills? Has it been requiring small repairs more frequently, or does it currently require a very expensive repair, something not worth investing in for such an old furnace?
Depending on whether it’s gas or electric, a furnace can last for 15–20 years, but eventually the day will come when it isn’t worth repairing or can’t be fixed.
It’s time for a new furnace. Or is it time for a heat pump instead? Here are some reasons to consider choosing a heat pump as your next heating system.
Because a Heat Pump’s Efficiency Can’t Be Beat
Heating uses a lot of energy. But why is that? Generating heat, creating it from nothing, is one of the most energy-intensive things people do. It doesn’t make a difference what fuel or form of energy you use, it’s simply going to take a lot of it to make heat. But your heat pump won’t be trying to create heat. Instead, it simply moves it from place to place. Only a fraction of the energy is used, drastically cutting your utility bills.
Refrigerant in an air conditioner absorbs heat from inside your home. When it travels to the outdoor unit, it releases that heat. A heat pump has a component called a reversing valve. This makes it possible for the refrigerant to flow in the opposite direction, carrying heat in from outdoors, and it works at temperatures quite a bit colder than typical winter overnights in our area.
Because It’s an Air Conditioner, Too
You’ve come to the conclusion that your heating system needs to be replaced right away. But how is your air conditioner doing? Is it getting old as well? If you get a heat pump instead of a furnace, you’ll be able to skip the AC shopping and all the cost and inconvenience of purchasing it and having it installed. The heat pump will be all you need for your complete HVAC replacement in St. Petersburg, FL!
Because Ducts Are Not Necessary
How are your ducts holding up? Over time, they deteriorate. Specific incidents such as damage from home repairs or rodents or insects make them deteriorate faster. Ducts full of holes and cracks allow a great deal of your expensive heated or conditioned air to be lost, often adding up to 30% or more of your heating and cooling bills! If you’re not sure about the condition of your ducts, you should have them inspected. If they’re in bad shape, you’ll have to consider replacement.
With some types of heat pump, ducts are not required. A ductless heat pump, sometimes called a mini split, conducts the refrigerant to separate air handlers in different zones of your home. Each air handler has a separate thermostat. This allows for energy savings, not just from avoiding the loss from damaged ducts, but also from controlling each zone’s thermostat individually, so you don’t need to keep the whole house at the same temperature.
If fantastic energy savings, being able to heat and cool with the same appliance, or eliminating the problem of leaky ductwork sounds good to you, we’d love to help you get those benefits with a heat pump.
Contact us today to learn more about heat pump installations.