Do Heat Pumps Replace Central Air Conditioners?

Can you replace a gas furnace/air conditioner system with a heat pump? That’s a question many homeowners ask as they consider the next heating and cooling system for their home. Heat pumps do replace air conditioners frequently. Here’s how it is done and why it is worth considering in your home.

Heat Pump HVAC Systems

A heat pump produces both heating and cooling. It’s built like a central air conditioner, but with a reversing valve. In warm months, the refrigerant captures heat inside your home and carries it outside. In cool months, it collects heat outside and carries it indoors, releasing it to warm your home. This action is why this type of system is called a heat pump – its moving of heat from one location to another.

In most climates, instead of a furnace, the system uses an air handler to circulate heated and cooled air. It’s a cabinet that can house the system’s indoor coil as well as a blower motor and fan. There’s no burner, and it doesn’t make heat. Most air handlers in heat pump split systems do contain one or more electric heat strips that produce heat like a space heater does. They make extra heat to assist the heat pump when temperatures outside are quite cold. By themselves though, the heating strips don’t make enough heat to fully warm your home.

Standard heat pumps work in all but the coolest climates. Once the temperature outside falls into the low 30s – it varies slightly from heat pump to heat pump – they become inefficient in their collecting of heat, and eventually ineffective altogether.

The solution to this problem is a type of unit known as a dual fuel heat pump. It works in a split system with a gas furnace. The heat pump does the work when temperatures are in the 40s or above; the system is programmed to switch to the gas furnace for heat when outside temperatures fall into the 30s and below. It switches back to the heat pump when outside temps rise again.

The Advantage of a Heat Pump Split System

The primary reason to consider a heat pump versus a gas furnace is that these systems heat much more efficiently, so they cost significantly less to operate. Depending on how efficient the system is, it may produce 20% to 40% lower heating bills than a gas furnace. Even in a dual fuel system, it is cost-effective to run the heat pump as much as possible. Depending on how cold the climate is, heat pumps do 70% to 85% of the heating in dual fuel systems.

Summary

Yes, heat pumps replace central air conditioners and gas/oil furnaces. They are a comfortable way to heat any home and to keep utility costs down throughout the year.

Do Heat Pumps Replace Central Air Conditioners?

What’s the best heat pump system when money is tight? Depending on how much space you have to heat and cool, there are two options that stand out.

Air Source Heat Pumps for Large Spaces

If your home is average size or larger, a standard heat pump split system is probably the most cost-effective system to choose. It offers very affordable equipment costs for standard-efficiency models, those in the 13-14 SEER range. Putting together a system that includes a single-stage heat pump combined with a single-speed or multi-speed air handler, rather than a variable-speed model, can be surprisingly affordable.

All of the heat pump manufacturers, even top brands like Carrier and American Standard for example, build low-cost heat pumps designed for value-conscious consumers. For Carrier, it’s the Base Series heat pumps; for American Standard, it’s the Silver Series models. Get several estimates for affordable systems in order to find the lowest equipment prices and installation costs.

Window Unit Heat Pumps for Small Spaces

For very small homes, small apartments or additions, a window unit heat pump is hard to beat in terms of price. These units come in sizes from 12,000 BTU to 24,000 BTUs, and are designed to heat and cool up to about 750 square feet depending on the climate. Many of these units cost less than $1,000, and there are no installation costs if you do it yourself. Choosing to have a contractor install the unit in through a wall, an option with some models, will still cost less than installing a standard heat pump system.

When shopping for window unit heat pumps, make sure the heating is done by with heat pump technology. Some window air conditioners are equipped with a heating coil like those found in a space heater. While they may cost less than true window heat pumps, they will use up to 3 times more electricity when heating, producing very high utility bills. The extra you spend for a heat pump will quickly be made up to you in the form of lower heating bills.

Consider a Minisplit System

The cost of minisplit ductless heat pumps is becoming more competitive. While they probably won’t be your cheapest option for heating and cooling, it won’t hurt to get estimates on having one installed. With their higher efficiency, you will save money on utility bills, and that’s always something cost-conscious consumers are interested in doing.

Best Heat Pump Systems for a Tight Budget

How do minisplit heat pumps compare with standard heat pump split systems? When homeowners are looking for the best way to heat and cool their home, this is a common question. In the minisplit system versus standard heat pump system debate, what are each type’s relative advantages?

Heat Pump System Size

For compact size, minisplit systems are unbeatable. The condensing unit is less than half the size of a standard heat pump condensing unit, so less room is required outside your home. The compact size makes roof installation more feasible on some homes.

Inside your home, minisplit systems don’t necessarily take up less space but the space they use is distributed. They don’t have a single large air handler that is installed in the basement, for example. In an average-size home, a minisplit system may require 4 smaller air handlers in 4 separate zones, installed on or near the ceiling where they are unobtrusive.

The Ductless Difference

Equipment costs for minisplit systems are often lower in part because most don’t require duct work. The air handler is located in the zone it serves, with a power line, refrigerant line and drain line connected to it through the wall and out of sight. There are no ducts to clean, insulate or maintain. This attractive features is just one more reason ductless minisplit systems are growing in popularity.

Balanced Temperatures

Here, the advantage goes to a traditional heat pump system and ducts. While a single zone will have just one air handler with a minisplit system, with a standard heat pump system the same zone may have 2-5 air vents distributing heated or cooled air to the room. Minisplit systems do contain quiet but powerful distribution fans that do a good job of circulating treated air throughout the zone, but slight temperature differences may be noticeable, though generally not uncomfortable.

Heat Pump Cost

Prices are more competitive than they’ve ever been, though for an average-size home, total equipment costs will still be higher for a minisplit system in most cases. For smaller homes where just one outdoor unit is required along with 2-4 indoor units, a minisplit system can be very cost-effective, especially since total installation costs are usually less.

The type of heat pump system you choose depends on the specific factors of your home and heating/cooling needs. It may make sense to get written estimates from several contractors for each type of system so you can compare them head to head in all the important factors.

MiniSplit Heat Pumps Versus Split Systems