How Heat Pumps Actually Work
A gas furnace burns fuel to create heat. A heat pump moves heat from the outside to the inside. Even when it is cold outside, there is still heat energy in the air. A heat pump runs like an air conditioner in reverse, grabbing that outside heat and pumping it into your house. ENERGY STAR publishes the efficiency ratings for air-source heat pumps if you want to compare models.
Surviving Cincinnati Winters
People always ask if a heat pump can survive an Ohio winter. Modern heat pumps are great down to about 30 degrees. Once it drops into the teens, they struggle. Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati get cold enough that a heat pump usually needs a backup heat source. If you have an older home in Mt. Washington with drafty windows, a heat pump by itself will run non-stop and you will still be cold.
Comparing Duke Energy Bills
Heat pumps run on electricity. Gas furnaces run on natural gas. Your Duke Energy bills will look different depending on what you use. In the spring and fall, a heat pump is cheaper to run than a furnace. But when it gets below freezing, the electric backup heat kicks on. Electric backup heat is very expensive. A gas furnace provides hotter air and is usually cheaper to run during the bitter cold months of January and February. If you are pricing both sides of the system at once, here is what a full HVAC replacement runs in Ohio.
The Dual Fuel Setup
There is a way to get the best of both. We call it a dual-fuel system. You install a heat pump outside and a gas furnace inside. The heat pump runs when it is 40 degrees outside, keeping your bills low. When a polar vortex hits and it drops to 15 degrees, the system automatically switches to the gas furnace. It is a smart setup for our specific climate. The furnace half of it is covered on our furnace installation page.
Making the Right Call
If your current heating system is acting up, we need to look at it first. We have a strict Repairs First policy. We charge a simple $89 diagnostic fee. If your current furnace just needs a new blower motor, we will tell you. That is ordinary heating repair, not a replacement. If it is time to replace it, we will look at your home's insulation, your current ductwork, and your gas lines before we tell you whether a heat pump or a gas furnace makes more sense for you. When you want that look, get in touch.