You might have heard about rebates available to homeowners who choose to buy an HVAC heat pump for their home and wonder if it’s a good addition to your home. While this energy-efficient upgrade to your home sounds great, it isn’t perfect for every home or homeowner.
At Genuine Comfort, we want you to make your most informed decision before making upgrades to your home. If you are considering getting a heat pump for your home, continue reading to learn about the benefits and drawbacks of getting one installed in your home before making the investment.
What Is A Heat Pump?
Heat pumps are known as a more energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners. They work by pumping heat from cool spaces to warm spaces. In the summer, it pulls hot air from your home and pushes this air outside. In the winter, it pulls warm air from outside and pushes it inside. Because it is not generating heat and is instead transferring it from one space to another, heat pumps provide comfortable, but not overly warm or cool, temperatures to your home.
What Are The Benefits Of Heat Pumps
There are many factors to consider when choosing to install a heat pump in your home. The benefits of installing a heat pump in your home include the following:
- Great Add-On To Energy-Efficient Homes: If you have installed solar panels in your home and are looking for an addition to your energy-efficient home, a heat pump is a great addition. Because they connect to your home’s solar panels, you don’t have to worry about using energy to heat or cool your home.
- Lower Operating Costs: If you switch from a gas furnace to a heat pump, you may save up to $1,000 a year on your home’s heating and cooling. This savings is because a heat pump doesn’t require gas to create warm air. Instead, it simply transfers the heat, saving you money in the long run.
- Less Temperature Fluctuation: While heat pumps don’t warm your home as intensely as a furnace, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With a heat pump, your home’s heat cycle may run longer, leaving fewer opportunities for the air temperature to fluctuate.
- Year-Round Use: With a name like ‘heat pump,’ you may think this device is only useful during cooler months. However, heat pumps are useful year-round, and you won’t have to buy add-ons to use them with your home’s air conditioning.
What Are The Drawbacks Of Heat Pumps?
There are certainly many benefits to adding a heat pump to your home that you should consider. However, there are several drawbacks you may want to consider before making the final decision. The drawbacks to installing a heat pump in your home include the following:
- High Installation Cost: While you may want to add a heat pump to your home, it can be costly. Forbes estimates that installing heat pumps in homes across the country costs between $2,500 and $10,000. It may be a little off-putting if you aren’t prepared for this upfront cost.
- Not As Warm As Gas Furnaces: When you live in especially cold climates or run a little colder, you likely relish the warmth provided by your furnace. If you add a heat pump to your home, however, your home might not get as warm as it does with your gas furnace. While your home will still be warm, expect the temperature to drop just a bit.
- Shorter Lifespans: A gas furnace can have a lifespan of 15 to 30 years. However, a heat pump doesn’t have quite as long a lifespan. Your heat pump is expected to last 10 to 15 years on average. If you plan to be in your home for a long time and don’t want to deal with the hassle of replacing it, this may not be the best fit for your home.
- They’re Noisy: We mentioned above that the heat run for a heat pump is longer than for your gas furnace. While that does provide you with less temperature fluctuation, it can lead to more noise in your home. If you want a heat pump, you may want to find one with a lower sound noise rating or position it further away from your home.
Who Should Buy An HVAC Heat Pump?
A heat pump could be a great investment for your home, but it might not be a great investment for you or your family. Ultimately, heat pumps might not be worth the cost if you always run a little colder and want an especially warm home. Additionally, if you don’t plan to spend a substantial amount of time in your home before selling, you might not get the return on investment that you are looking for.
However, a heat pump may be perfect if you plan to stay in your home for the foreseeable future and are looking for a great energy-efficient add-on to go with your home’s solar panels. In colder states, however, we do recommend a dual fuel heat pump. This means you still have a furnace in your home, in addition to the heat pump, to keep you and your family warm through the brutal winter months.
Getting An HVAC Heat Pump With Genuine Comfort
If you are looking for a company to install an HVAC heat pump in your Northern Utah home, our team at Genuine Comfort can help you through the process. With our team of highly trained professionals, we are confident we can make this transition a smooth one and that you’ll get to enjoy your new heat pump all winter long.
To schedule an appointment to get a heat pump installed in your home, reach out to our team today.
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