Here in Sioux Falls, SD, having a reliable heating system is essential. We experience multiple months every year with average low temperatures well below freezing. However, that also means heating expenses can really strain the average household’s budget. That reality is pushing more and more homeowners to consider heat pumps to meet their heating needs. The trouble is, installing a heat pump is significantly more expensive than installing a gas furnace. That begs the question: Is a heat pump worth the price? Here’s everything you need to know to decide for yourself.
How Heat Pumps Work
If you’re unfamiliar with them, heat pumps offer ultra-efficient heating and cooling from a single unit. Physically, they look almost indistinguishable from a traditional central AC. In fact, heat pumps rely on the same refrigeration cycle that ACs do. The difference is that they’re capable of running that cycle in reverse.
In heating mode, a heat pump collects available heat energy from the outdoor air and carries it indoors. After hearing that, you’re likely wondering how that’s possible on a cold day. The reason is simple. It’s that there’s always heat energy in the air, even at sub-freezing temperatures. It’s just that humans feel cold at relatively high temperatures because our bodies operate at around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The reason we feel cold even explains how heat pumps can extract heat from cold air.
You can find an explanation of the mechanism that makes us feel cold and that makes heat pumps work within the second law of thermodynamics. It states, in part, that heat energy will always spontaneously move from warmer substances to colder ones. So, our warm bodies readily lose heat energy to cooler air, explaining why we feel cold so easily. Simultaneously, heat pumps can collect heat as long as they use a refrigerant that’s colder than the outdoor air. Modern cold-climate heat pumps can provide ample heat at temperatures as low as -15 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Advantage of a Heat Pump in Sioux Falls
The most important advantage offered by heat pumps is energy efficiency. In mild weather, cold-climate heat pumps often achieve a coefficient of performance (COP) of 4. That equates to 400% energy efficiency! Additionally, they remain efficient in frigid weather, with many models reaching a COP of 1.75 at 5 degrees Fahrenheit. For comparison, a standard gas furnace has a COP of approximately .8, and a high-efficiency model has a COP of about .985. Even when considering the cost difference between electricity and natural gas, you should still save money with a heat pump.
The other advantage of a heat pump is that it serves as a cooling system, too. So, as the summers grow warmer, you won’t have to worry about staying comfortable. Plus, heat pumps regularly rank among the most efficient cooling solutions on the market.
The Cost of Installing a Heat Pump
It would be easy to choose a heat pump based solely on its merits. However, it’s essential to realize that installing a heat pump will cost far more than installing a gas furnace. The only exception to that is if you need new natural gas service to support a furnace. Those added costs would bring your two options far closer to parity. Otherwise, on average, you can expect to pay two to three times more for a heat pump versus a furnace.
The cost of a heat pump, however, makes a bit more sense when you consider its dual purpose. As a heating and cooling option, a heat pump would replace your furnace and AC. So, it would be more appropriate to compare its cost with a combination of both of those systems. In that light, the price of a heat pump is far more reasonable.
Additionally, heat pumps qualify for a variety of rebates and incentives aimed at making them more affordable. That’s because their high efficiency makes them a key tool in reducing US carbon emissions. If you qualify for some or all of those programs, your heat pump installation may not be nearly as expensive as you think.
Local Heat Pump Specialists
Whether you ultimately settle on a heat pump or a furnace for your Sioux Falls home, Waterbury Heating & Cooling, Inc. can install it. We’ve served local homeowners since 1950. We sell and install the latest furnaces and heat pumps from leading brands like Lennox. And we offer financing options on approved credit to make purchasing either system type easier. So, if you need a new heating system installed in your Sioux Falls home, contact Waterbury Heating & Cooling, Inc. today!
