In Portland, OR, reliable, efficient heating is essential for every home. Approximately 50% of all homes in our state use gas furnaces for heat. However, heat pumps are another type of heating system that is rapidly gaining popularity. When your home needs a new heating system, you may be debating between these two options. Here’s everything you need to know about both systems.

Gas Furnaces and How They Work

Natural gas furnaces have been a standard home heating option for over a century. They use natural gas combustion to generate heat, which they distribute with a fan and ductwork. The main components of a standard natural gas furnace include:

  • A set of burners
  • An ignitor
  • A heat exchanger
  • A blower fan
  • An exhaust flue

When your thermostat demands heat, gas begins flowing into the furnace’s burners. Then, the ignitor activates to start the combustion process. Most gas furnace ignitors use an electric resistance heating element to create enough heat to ignite gas. Others use an intermittent pilot light system that relies on an electric spark for ignition.

Once the burners ignite, the resulting hot combustion gases heat the furnace’s heat exchanger. When it reaches a predetermined temperature, the furnace activates its blower fan to start heating your home. This pulls in cold air from your home and circulates it past the heat exchanger, warming it up. The now-warm air passes back into your home while the remaining combustion gases exit through the furnace flue.

Gas Furnace Advantages

The main reason gas furnace installations are popular is their operating cost. Natural gas is the cheapest heating fuel option available. That’s because the US is the biggest global natural gas producer. On top of that, even a minimally efficient gas furnace converts 81% of its fuel to heat. That results in extremely low heating bills compared to most other systems.

Another gas furnace advantage is reliability. The average furnace should last between 15 and 20 years with routine maintenance. Plus, they don’t have high component failure rates, either. Much of their reliability hinges on the fact that manufacturers have honed their designs for decades. Additionally, gas furnaces are mechanically simple.

The ubiquity of gas furnaces also means they’re well supported by HVAC companies like ours. In general, it’s easy to get replacement parts for gas furnaces, too. That can help minimize downtime in the event a failure occurs.

Gas Furnace Disadvantages

Gas furnaces do have some disadvantages worth considering. Perhaps the most important among them is that gas furnaces contribute significantly to climate change. The combustion gases they release into the atmosphere accelerate the global warming process. Estimates indicate that the average furnace emits a pound of carbon dioxide per 10 cubic feet of natural gas consumed. As a result, many municipalities are enacting bans on natural gas hookups to newly built homes.

The exhaust gases from a furnace are also toxic to humans. While furnace malfunctions are somewhat rare, they can jeopardize the safety of you and the people who live in your home. Of particular concern is the risk of carbon monoxide leaks. It’s a colorless and odorless gas that can be deadly in high concentrations. It’s the cause of approximately 1,200 deaths in the US every year.

Heat Pumps and How They Work

Heat pumps, unlike furnaces, consume no fuel to generate heat. In fact, they don’t generate heat at all. They merely collect heat energy already in the outside air, condense it so it becomes warmer, and bring it indoors. Mechanically, they’re similar to air conditioning units. The significant difference is that heat pumps can run in reverse, functioning as a heating system. The main components of a heat pump include:

  • A compressor
  • Heat exchangers
  • A blower fan
  • A reversing valve
  • Expansion valves
  • An outdoor fan

Aside from the science that makes heat pumps possible, they’re relatively easy to understand. In heating mode, they begin operating with a call for heat from your thermostat. That triggers the activation of the system’s compressor to begin circulating refrigerant. Next, the expansion valve located in the outdoor unit lowers the refrigerant’s pressure. That also causes the refrigerant’s temperature to drop.

The cold refrigerant next passes through the heat exchanger in the outdoor unit while a fan blows air across it. As the refrigerant is colder than the air, it will absorb heat energy until boiling into a warm gas. That warm gas then passes through the compressor, raising its pressure and temperature. At that point, the refrigerant may be as hot as 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

The hot refrigerant then flows indoors through the second heat exchanger. As it does, the indoor unit’s blower fan pushes cold air from your home over the heat exchanger. The result is plenty of warm air to warm up your home.

Heat Pump Advantages

The most important advantage offered by installing heat pumps is their energy efficiency. They can have coefficients of performance as high as 4.5. As an all-electric heating solution, they don’t have any of the environmental drawbacks that come with furnaces. If you pair a heat pump with renewable energy, they have virtually no carbon footprint.

The other significant advantage of heat pumps is that they’re a year-round comfort solution. They can replace your home’s AC and its heating system. Doing that can also reduce your overall HVAC maintenance needs since you’d only have one system.

Heat pumps may also lower your home’s heating costs significantly. While electricity is more expensive than natural gas, the efficiency of a heat pump makes a big difference. Plus, homeowners in Oregon pay some of the lowest electrical rates in the nation.

Heat Pump Disadvantages

The primary disadvantage of heat pumps is their cost. They may cost more than double what you’ll pay for a furnace. However, some generous tax credits and subsidies can help reduce a heat pump’s upfront cost. Also, when you consider a heat pump a two-in-one system, their price becomes easier to understand.

Another disadvantage of heat pumps is that they sometimes perform poorly in extremely cold temperatures. As the air grows colder, extracting heat energy from it gets harder. Heat pumps often have backup electric heat strips to compensate for cold weather issues. While those will guarantee ample heat, they’ll drive up your electricity usage while running. During prolonged cold snaps, that may eat into your energy savings significantly.

Local Heating System Experts

As you approach your heating system decision, having an expert on your side is helpful. Specialty Heating & Cooling LLC has been that heating services expert for countless Portland homeowners since 1985. We offer comprehensive HVAC installation for different types of equipment, repair, and maintenance services. We also handle water heaters and generators and provide indoor air quality solutions. Our team of HVAC technicians has hundreds of years of collective experience. We’re also a Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer that’s won the Carrier President’s Award 13 times. So, when your Portland home needs a new heating system, call Specialty Heating & Cooling LLC to schedule an appointment.

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