If you’re considering getting a new heating system, there are different types to choose from. The best one for you will depend on where you live and how much you want to spend. Let’s talk about some of the most common types to help you make a good decision for what kind of heating system to install in your home.
A Trustworthy Furnace
The most popular heating system today is the furnace. This system uses an indoor unit that heats air and ductwork to deliver that air throughout your home. There are two different types of furnaces: fuel-burning and electric. Electric furnaces rely on a special heating element powered by electricity. As air flows through your furnace, it will be heated up by the heating element. Electric furnaces are the least expensive to purchase and the easiest to install.
Fuel-burning furnaces can rely on one of three different types of fuel. This fuel includes natural gas, heating oil, and propane. If you use propane or heating oil to power your furnace, you must have a fuel storage tank at your residence. Using natural gas, you can typically pipe it directly from the city’s natural gas supply line.
Unlike electric furnaces, fuel-burning furnaces do not use a heating element. Instead, they rely on burning the input fuel to create heat. This is known as a combustion process, and it creates some toxic fumes. While these fumes are vented to the outside for everyone’s safety, a system malfunction could allow them to back up in your home. Don’t forget to keep this in mind: you should have carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in your home to warn you about any problems with furnaces that use fuel.
Electric furnaces operate at 100% efficiency. Standard fuel-burning furnaces have an operating efficiency of 80 to 90%, and some high-efficiency fuel-burning furnace models can have an efficiency of 90% or more. While efficiency is important, so is the cost of fuel or electricity. Electric furnaces have a higher efficiency but cost more per unit to run than furnaces that use natural gas, heating oil, or propane.
The Revolutionary Heat Pump
Another popular type of heating system that you may be considering is a heat pump. This system transports heat from one location to another instead of creating it. This makes heat pumps extremely energy efficient, operating at 300% to 400% efficiency. All heat pumps rely solely on electricity to run.
The beauty of getting a heat pump installed is that it provides warm and cold air for your home for year-round comfort. During the cold winter months, it will absorb heat from outside and bring it into your home. In the summer, it will absorb heat from your home and transfer it outdoors. The main reason that a heat pump can transport heat is due to refrigerant.
When refrigerant is in a liquid state, it has very low pressure. Heat naturally wants to transition from a high-pressure substance to a low-pressure substance. So, when air from outside passes over the condenser coil, which is full of refrigerant, heat will naturally transition from the outdoor air to the refrigerant. This heats the refrigerant and turns it into gas. This now high-pressure refrigerant gets pumped into your home through your heat pump’s compressor.
As cold air from your home passes over the evaporator coil and your indoor condenser unit, heat from the refrigerant inside the coil will naturally move to your indoor air. As the refrigerant cools down from gaseous to liquid, it flows through an expansion valve. This helps release pressure from the air so it can go back to a low-pressure state where it will be ready to absorb heat from the air outside.
Your heat pump will continue this process until the inside of your home meets the temperature setting on your thermostat. In the summer months, this whole process works in the reverse direction to remove heat from your home and take it outdoors. It’s very important to note that no toxic fumes are created when you use a heat pump, so you don’t have to worry about carbon monoxide exposure.
Below-Freezing Climates
While a heat pump may appear to be the most efficient heating system for any home, this is not always the case. It’s important to realize that a heat pump will only operate at its best when temperatures are above the freezing point. If temperatures dip below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, a heat pump will struggle to absorb heat from the outdoors.
Heat pumps will turn to their auxiliary heating mode. This mode uses a special heating element powered by electricity. Much like the electric furnace, cold air from your home passes over the heating element and absorbs heat to adequately raise the temperature throughout your home. During this operation, the efficiency of your heat pump will drop significantly.
Therefore, it’s important to realize that a heat pump is not the best choice for homes in climates that often experience below-freezing temperatures. These areas are better suited to using a furnace that can produce adequate heat even at below-freezing temperatures. With efficiency in mind, you could surmise that having both systems could be beneficial.
When temperatures are above freezing, you can enjoy the streamlined efficiency of a heat pump. Additionally, you can enjoy your heat pump in the summertime to cool your home. However, when temperatures reach 32 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, you can simply switch over to using your furnace to enjoy maximal efficiency. The dual-system setup will allow you to take advantage of increased operating efficiency no matter the temperature outside.
A Note on Tax Incentives
The federal government is constantly rewarding homeowners who invest in energy-efficient appliances to help encourage the population to reduce their carbon footprint. When it’s time to invest in a new heating system for your home, you may be able to take advantage of some of these tax incentives if you choose an appropriate system.
All modern-day heat pumps are eligible for a federal tax rebate of up to $3,200 per system under the Inflation Reduction Act. Depending on their specific make, some high-efficiency furnaces qualify for federal tax incentives. You may even find that some of these high-efficiency furnaces and heat pumps come with state and local tax incentives that you can use.
Importance of Maintenance
Both furnaces and heat pumps need regular maintenance to work well and last long. For furnaces, this means cleaning or changing the air filters, checking for any cracks in the heat exchanger, and making sure the thermostat and blower motor are working correctly. Heat pumps need similar care, plus cleaning the outdoor coils, checking the refrigerant levels, and inspecting the electrical connections. It’s a good idea to have a professional check both systems once a year to catch any possible problems and make sure everything works efficiently for heating, cooling, and saving energy.
Reliable Heating Installation Service
J&W Heating and Air + Plumbing offers heating installation, repair, and maintenance services to homeowners throughout the Jacksonville, FL community. Our team can assist with all your air conditioning, heating, plumbing, dehumidifier, indoor air quality, humidifier, geothermal, energy audit, duct service, thermostat, and zone control system needs.
Contact J&W Heating and Air + Plumbing today to schedule your next service consultation with our experienced team.
