Heat Pump vs. Furnace - What's the Difference?

Finding the perfect heating and air conditioning system for your Anderson, SC home is extremely important. Without it, you’ll risk compromising your comfort and reduced your homes energy efficiency. When selecting a heating system for your home, there are two system to choose from: a heat pump or a furnace. The question that most homeowners face is, what’s the difference between the two and which will work best for your family, your home, and your heating needs? Below, the David Taylor Heating & Air team covers the major differences between heat pumps and furnaces in hopes to help you make an informed decision on what is best for your Anderson, SC home.
Furnaces
Most homeowners are familiar with furnaces as this is the most popular choice when it comes to heating systems here in the greater Anderson, SC area. A furnace generates heat by burning natural gas or oil before blowing the warm air into your home. A furnace is a good choice if you have natural gas lines by your home and recently installed an air conditioning system. It can cost significantly less to complement your air conditioner with a furnace than installing a backup heating method such as a heat pump.
Heat Pumps
Unlike furnaces, heat pumps don’t use fuel sources nor do they generate heat. Instead, they rely solely on electricity and refrigerant to extract heat from the outside air to move it into your home. Additionally, a heat pump can work in reverse in the summer time to extract warm air from inside of your home and move it outside to cool your home down. Heat pumps are more energy efficient and don’t require an additional cooling system like an air conditioner. The downside to heat pumps is that as the temperature outside drops below freezing, it impacts the efficiency and the effectiveness.
If you need help choosing the right heating system for your Anderson, SC home, contact the HVAC specialists at David Taylor Heating & Air today! To learn more about some of the furnaces and heat pumps we carry and install, check out our products page https://www.andersonscheatingandair.com/products.



