Heat Pump With Natural Gas Furnace
Although they both accomplish the same goal of heating your home they do so in different ways.
Heat pump with natural gas furnace. A gas furnace generates heat by burning combustible fuel such as gas or propane while an electric furnace generates heat in much the same manner. Myth 7 carbon monoxide is a risk with both gas furnaces and heat pumps gas furnaces do produce co which can be harmful. Electricity powers the fans and controls. Because natural gas is significantly less costly than electricity the.
A heat pump uses a refrigerant to transfer heat from other sources such as the outside air into the home. A heat pump like an air conditioner more commonly has a lifespan of 15 years. Instead of an electric motor a natural gas engine powers the heat pump s compressor in the outside unit. Heat pumps however do not require regular monitoring and inspections.
Furnaces with proper maintenance can last 20 years or more. It does not use a fuel to create heat and so is much more efficient that other options including natural gas heaters. When outdoor temps again rise above the balance point the gas fired unit shuts down and the heat pump kicks in again. For instance furnaces generate heat by burning oil or natural gas while heat pumps use electricity.
Natural gas engine heat pumps work on the same principal as electric heat pumps. Gas heat pumps also called absorption heat pumps run on a natural gas engine. Since a gas operated furnace is only used for a few months out of each year the maintenance requirements are less than those for a heat pump. Gas heat pumps differ from electric heat pumps in these ways.
Sometimes referred to as absorption pumps gas heat pumps work similarly to any other air source heat pump except instead of using electricity to fuel their operation they rely on natural gas like furnaces. A water heat pump will only use around 190 worth of energy per year almost half of what a natural gas heater must use. They don t use refrigerants like electric heat pumps. They transfer heat into or out of the home within a recirculating refrigerant.
As long as gas furnaces are installed correctly regularly monitored and inspected gas furnaces are safe. Heat pumps are extremely efficient for cooling in the summer and for winter heating until temperatures drop below 35 degrees. Heat pumps don t generate heat they transfer it.