3 Reasons You Should Consider Replacing Your Furnace with a Heat Pump

Many older homes in use oil- or gas-fired furnaces to provide heat in the wintertime. When your home’s furnace reaches the end of its life and it’s time to replace it, you should consider installing a heat pump in place of a new furnace. Modern heat pumps are technologically advanced pieces of HVAC equipment that offer several advantages. Here are three reasons to consider replacing your gas or oil furnace with a heat pump:

A Heat Pump Will Save You Money On Your Energy Bills

Gas and oil prices fluctuate from year to year and from month to month throughout the heating season. Even when they are at their lowest, however, it will still cost you more money to heat your home with gas or oil than it will to use a heat pump. A heat pump does not actually burn fuel to generate heat. Instead, it uses a small amount of electricity and a series of coils filled with refrigerant to extract the thermal energy already present in the air outside and pump it into your Fairfax home. This process uses far less energy than burning gas or oil does, so it results in lower monthly utility bills.

Heat Pumps Are Eco-Friendly

Natural gas and heating oil are both petroleum byproducts, and thus manufacturing and distributing these fuels has a considerable environmental impact. Also, both oil and gas could potentially pose a threat to your home. Heating oil must be stored in tanks, and if the tank leaks the fuel oil will contaminate your soil and groundwater. Natural gas pipelines can also leak, and since gas is flammable, any leaks pose a serious safety risk. Also, if your furnace is not properly tuned and maintained, both of these fuels can potentially produce toxic fumes which will contaminate the air inside your home. Since a heat pump does not burn any fuel, it has less negative environmental impact than a furnace.

A Heat Pump Can Also Be Used for Cooling

Because it is designed to move thermal energy from one place to another, a heat pump can double as an air conditioner by simply reversing its flow. In warm summer months, a heat pump will extract warmth from the air inside your home and vent it outside. Certain models of heat pump can use the existing HVAC ductwork in your home, making them convenient replacement options for both heating and cooling equipment.