Most homes have either the forced pump or forced air system for their home’s setup. Either of these options is typically considered based on the home owner’s needs. This means that needs can change at any time, and a homeowner may switch from forced air to heat pump or vice versa. When considering an upgrade or anticipating some upcoming renovation or maintenance on your heating system, you must compare these two options to make the right choice.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Electric Heat Pumps And When To Use It
When it comes to the debate of heat pump vs. forced air, it is essential to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each option and what situation they best fit into.
Heat pumps rely on air from outside your home to heat the space in winter and cool it in summer. The heat pump works by constantly moving warm air from one region to another. The pump extracts warm air from your home to make it cooler in summer.
One of the main advantages of the heat pump is that it is highly efficient in temperate climatic regions. It can work as both the cooling and heating systems in temperate regions, while its safety concerns when it malfunctions can also be very minimal. You can also get a heat pump repair in Sacramento for affordable costs, and such repairs come with a guaranty.
The heat pump’s main disadvantage is that it depends on the weather outside the home; hence, it may not be the best option for extremely hot or extremely cold regions. It is also possible for heat pumps to be affected by frosts. You will likely require more energy for the heat pump to produce your desired temperature, significantly if outside temperatures fluctuate rapidly.
In conclusion, heat pumps are great for temperate climates where winter temperatures are not extreme. For instance, heat pumps are great when temperatures fall below -2C degrees.
For most heat pumps, the annual operating cost may vary between $700 and $1000. Costs may increase depending on the size of your home and the effectiveness of the heat pump in distributing and moderating air and temperatures, respectively.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Forced Air System And When To Consider Using It
Forced air furnace has become one of the most popular ways of heating the home. Unlike a pump system, you cannot use forced air for cooling, and it can only heat the space in which it is installed.
Forced air furnaces can be powered by different things, including oil, gas, and electricity. Forced air, for instance, can use flame and oil to distribute heat through air vents within a home. When the air gets cool, it will be circulated back into the furnace and re-heated for distribution.
There are several advantages of using a forced-air furnace for home heating. The main advantage is choosing between several available options based on your preference and needs. Gas, Propane, diesel and electric options are the most prominent options.
The modern and newer models of forced-air furnaces are more efficient, and you can achieve up to 98% with such models. Unlike the pump heating system, forced air does not depend on external environmental conditions. This technique of operation means it is 24/7 reliable. Another significant benefit of forced air is that it is much more affordable to repair and maintain than heat pumps.
The main disadvantage of the forced air heating system is that it doesn’t come with a cooling system, hence its limitation. Another disadvantage of this option is that variations in the cost of energy sources can make it more expensive in the long run.
Forced air heating systems are most suitable for extremely cold climatic conditions where heat pumps are not applicable. Since it does not rely on air from the outdoor, it is easier to use it to warm confinement. With a shorter time to warm up a space, this heating option consumes much less energy than heating pumps.
What Is The Main Difference Between Force Air And Heat Pumps?
Aside from the environment within which they are most suited, heat pumps and forced air for heating can differ quickly in their costs.
For the forced air furnace, for instance, you will likely depend on the market prices of fuel source to calculate how much is needed to sustain the heating solution. The costs of Propane, oil, natural gas, and electricity, for instance, have increased steadily over the years. Today, you can expect to spend between $1500 and $1700 a year if you power your forced air furnace with Propane.
You can also expect to spend between $800 and $900 a year to power your forced air through natural gas. You can expect to spend between $850 and $1000 if your forced air is powered by electricity and between $800 and $900 if you power your forced air furnace with oil.
It is important to note that electricity remains the most stable option among the energy sources for powering forced air furnaces for heat. Oil, Propane, and other energy sources tend to fluctuate in prices from time to time, making them very unstable and less reliable.
Only the electricity-powered forced-air furnace seems to have similar costs of running with the heat pump; other energy sources for forced air are more expensive in the long run. Perhaps, if you don’t live in an extremely cold region, it will make more economic sense to stick with the heated pump rather than the forced air heating option.
Conclusion
Both the forced air and heated pump options for heating are practical in delivering the best heating method for your home, but forced air comes with no cooling, thus making it limited in some ways. On the other hand, heated pumps will take a longer time to heat up your home compared to forced air; hence you may consume more energy in the long run even though the costs of electricity are stable.
