Furnaces and heat pumps help warm homes during the chillier months in Montgomery, AL. These heating systems work in different ways to ensure you’re comfortable while indoors. Find out the differences between furnaces and heat pumps so you can choose the best for your comfort needs.
How They Regulate Your Home’s Temperatures
A heat pump regulates your home’s temperature by shifting warm air from one place to another. During cold months, the system draws warm air from the ground or air outside and circulates this it in your home. During hot months, heat pumps reverse the flow of the refrigerant and start extracting heat from your indoor air and transporting it outside.
On the other hand, most furnaces burn natural gas or oil to generate warmth; some operate powered by electricity. Furnaces then blow this warm air into your home through the ductwork. The unit then discards gaseous byproducts released after combustion to ensure they don’t make their way into your house.
Effectiveness During Chillier Months
When it’s extremely cold outside, a heat pump may not get enough heat from the outside air or ground to circulate in your home. Although, there are hyper-heating options available on the market. Most heat pumps work especially well in regions that experience milder winters.
On the other hand, a furnace can still supply warm air even when it’s freezing outside. Therefore, if you live in areas that experience extremely cold temperatures, a furnace would be the better option.
A heat pump would be a good purchase if your area experiences milder winters, like Montgomery, AL. That’s because heat pumps offer 50% more energy efficiency than furnaces.
Maintenance for Furnaces and Heat Pumps
Usually, a furnace is only in operation during the cold months. Therefore, the unit has fewer chances of breaking down compared to a heat pump that works all year-round. In addition, a furnace has fewer mechanical parts than a heat pump, meaning it has fewer maintenance requirements. That said, you still need to schedule HVAC maintenance twice per year, whether you own a heat pump or operate a combination of a furnace and air conditioner.
Contact Air Conditioning by Luquire for outstanding HVAC services if you need a furnace repair or heat pump installation. Our service technicians have years of experience and will work tirelessly to restore your comfort. Ask us about our maintenance plans, too.
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