Heat Pump vs Gas Furnace - Which is the Best Choice For You?

When it comes to heating and cooling your home, many customers are curious about heat pumps but don't want to give up their gas furnace or think because of their climate they can't have a heat pump. In this video, Zach explains heat pumps and compares them to gas furnaces and propane heating to help you in your decision process.
Shop heat pumps here hvacdirect.com...
Shop dual fuel heat pump and furnace systems here hvacdirect.com...

[@CLdriver1960]

Canadian here. Winter temperatures here regularly dip below-20F in January. We have both heat pump and oil fired furnace. I’ve programmed the changeover from heat pump to furnace at 15F because below that temperature, the heat pump runs continuously, and barely keeps up with the desired temperature. This gives us good heating, and saves a lot of money. The oil furnace is a high efficiency unit with a dual fan speed capability. Truly is the best of both worlds.

[@fool9111z]

How did you determine the change over temperature? the running cost of heat pump could be higher at much higher temperature. At the current prices of gas and electricity, heap pump needs to run at COP>2.75 in order to beat gas furnace. Some say that’s around 0C.

[@CLdriver1960]

@@fool9111z Good catch. It was a typo on my part. I meant 15F, and that was based on run time of the heat pump, and electrical usage. I live in Quebec where our electricity is relatively cheap. Editing that number on my post, Thanks!

[@Westexec]

@@CLdriver1960…your electricity may be cheap now but it will soon rise as the globalists continue with their agenda to transfer all the wealth from the poor to the rich. We are facing bleak conditions over the costs of natural gas, oil and electricity here in UK. Oil companies are raking in profits of billions per year whilst a huge percentage of our population have to choose between heating or eating and it will only get worse. The oil giants like BP and Shell are installing EV charging points in their filling stations and are already some of the most expensive EV charging points. It now costs more to fill your vehicle with electricity than diesel at many places. And all this is based upon a huge lie.

[@pgbrandon]

I was thinking of doing this. Our air conditioner is getting old and I'm wondering if I should replace the air conditioner with a heat pump. Unfortunately, I'm in Ontario where the cost of electricity is much higher than the cost in Quebec.

[@CLdriver1960]

@@pgbrandon I replaced our central AC with the heat pump when our AC died. Glad I did because there was tremendous savings in heating oil (really expensive here thanks to Quebec’s cap and trade scam) I suspect you would see some cost savings, even with Ontario Hydro rates. Another thing you could consider with the heat pump upgrade is also replacing your thermostat. You could program it to use the heat pump during the overnight hours when your rates are the cheapest. Hope this helps.

[@wudubora]

I have always questioned the idea that a heat pump is more efficient than a natural gas furnace. I like how he explains it because now I understand that the heat pump is more energy efficient but that doesn't mean cheaper to operate. I spend way less on the gas to heat my house in the winter than I spend in electricity to run the A/C int the summer (A heat pump being basically an A/C unit running in reverse.)

[@LTVoyager]

Another issue going with a heat pump is power outages. With a natural gas furnace or boiler, you can still heat your home with just a small generator to run the furnace blower or the boiler circulators. With an all electric home, you need a huge generator too run your heat pump when it is below zero and the power is out. Redundancy is a huge benefit that not many think about until the power goes out.

[@EdwardGarrenMFT]

If electricity is unreliable in your area, get a whole house generator, a gas heater or a wood burning heater to warm the house till the electricity comes back on.

[@LTVoyager]

@@EdwardGarrenMFT No need as my gas furnaces work great when the power is off with very little backup electricity needed. After you pay thousands more for a heat pump and then $10,000 or more for a whole house standby generator, tell me how long it will take to recover that investment through energy savings? The answer in most northern latitudes is … never.

[@dperreno]

This is true, however, 99.9% of people with a natural gas furnace do not have a generator, nor do they have the knowledge or motivation to figure out how to run their furnace using a generator, so for most people, they will lose their heat either way. But yes, if you are a little more on the handy side, then you can still use your gas furnace during a power outage if you have a generator. (I am one of the 0.1% and I've re-wired all of my gas furnaces to operate this way except my current house, which has incredibly reliable underground power service.)

[@briantelford8532]

I have a natural gas fire place and wall heater in my basement neither requires hydro to run that is my back up. Heat pumps are great in the shoulder seasons however loose a lot of efficiency below 8 degree C.

[@dperreno]

@@briantelford8532 The newest cold climate heat pumps can work effectively down to -30C.

[@canoebelue]

I heated a drafty mountaintop home for over 15 years with a waste oil furnace setup in the basement. Other than rebuilding the gun and nozzle once a season it was relatively trouble free. Had a GE Weathertron heat pump as backup that was a lot less dependable than the furnace. I've used a geothermal heat pump for 18 years now at this place. It's done a good job.

[@rockymountainman7]

First make sure you insulate your house as best you can. Money you spend on insulation you spend only once to cut down on heating cost for many decades! Your propane heater will use a lot less fuel if your house looses less heat, so maybe hang on to it for now. Investing in a new heat source for a inefficient home is not smart!

[@HVACdirect]

Great suggestions!

[@Monkeyseemonkey79]

In my area (Oregon) I can't get a quote under $22k for a cold weather heat pump. Yet it is only $9k to replace with an 80% gas furnace and AC unit. It's hard to justify paying more than double to go green.

[@HVACdirect]

Wow! That is very high. check out our heat pump selection, we can help you save some money! hvacdirect.com/heat-pump-split-systems.html

[@Garth2011]

NOT WORTH IT. Use the gas 80%...you alone will not save the planet.

[@9546aw]

I had a 5 ton Lennox Heat Pump System installed for $12,000 in August of 2021. I also happen to have 65 Solar panels on the roof. I could get gas if I wanted but I don't have gas. My bottom line cost for Electric for the period 4/1/2022 to 4/1/2013 came to $165. I keep the thermostat at 74F for heat and 78F for cooling. I live in Long island NY where it does get cold in the winter but insanely cold, most of the winter is in the 20's and 30's with the occasional stretch at 0F to 5F

[@Bob.W.]

In Oregon I would think you could install your own mini split, like a Mr. Cool, and have some supplemental heat for the coldest days. I use a cold weather mini split in Minnesota. We have to have some additional heat.

[@EdwardGarrenMFT]

If you think fueling the Climate Crisis with methane, or the carbon dioxide that happens when it is burned is "cheap," why don't you ask the people on ;Maui, the folks in Phoenix, the folks in Europe, Asia and Vermont how cheap heating up our climate has been for them. Or maybe you only watch Fox News. ALL fossil fuels are kiliing the planet and the effects of it are happening NOW. Oh yeah, I forgot the 100F water all around Florida, the Caribbean, south Atlantic, all of which are vulnerable to major hurricanes from all that hot water. We are no longer dealing with global warming. WE ARE DEALING WITH GLOBAL BOILING.

[@jgesselberty]

Have had four homes in my life. Three used natural gas and the current one has a heat pump. All three gas furnaces lasted the life of my time in those homes, over 20 years each. I retired to a home and installed a high efficiency heat pump which promptly broke down after the 5 year warranty expired and cost me over $1,200 to repair. I still have to use electric space heaters, which I never did with gas furnaces. That money you think you save, might be used up in repairs.

[@horsepowerandtalk1033]

Did you ever mention a heat pump runs on electricity? The price of which keeps going up.

[@bills6946]

I have a dual fuel heat pump/ gas furnace system. 18 Seer 4 ton condenser and an 80% 100,000 btu gas furnace. In South Carolina, electric is nuclear and hydro. Pretty cheap. The changeover is 40 degrees and the furnace may run at night and up to maybe 10 am and switches to the heat pump. Cheap to run and very happy with it

[@keithw32123]

1. Why does it switch over at 40F if the heat pump is still producing heat?

[@markp.7165]

We have the same system (Natural Gas/Heat Pump) and have been very happy with it. The temperature the furnace cuts in can be set I think ours is 38 degrees. As has been mentioned the air is quite a bit warmer when the gas furnace is running thus the system runs less overall which I like. During the coldest months I sometimes set the system to only use the gas furnace mainly because I don't like hearing the fan running almost 24/7 which is common with a heat pump. Doing that might be more expensive I'm not sure but we like it better so I am not that worried about it. As I said I do like the dual fuel system. In another property I have a standard heat pump and to me it seems colder during those cold months and it does have a coil for emergency heat. Just my opinion.

[@jamessmyth5949]

Well in summer with the heat pump, when the cooling cycle is used the power bill always goes up much higher, so it's going to be the same when the heating cycle is used in winter. Natural Gas is the less expensive option to run where I am and luckily enough for most of the year due to a favorable climate I don't need to run either heating or cooling.

[@MimicoBungalow]

I replaced an old oil burning furnace with a new heat pump/Air conditioner system. There are several things that you need to know before you make the switch: 1. You will likely save money on the heating as well as the air-conditioning because with a modern heat pump the air-conditioning part of it is also more efficient than the older ones 2. Heat pumps - when used on heating - cycle a lot more often than a fossil fuel furnace (when it is very cold outside) 3. below -20 C, you will find that the exhilarate heating coil generally cuts in if you have one installed, to save the compressor from running almost continuously outside to pull heat out of the cold air. 4. If you have been used to the blast of hot air that comes out of your heating registers when a fossil fuel furnace kicks in, you might be disappointed when the heat pump goes on because the air is merely warm rather than hot - Which is not to say that it does not heat the space properly it just takes longer to do it and will likely cycle longer as it works in colder weather The Bottom line is: heat pumps are much easier on the environment and work well if you can deal with the different points listed above. I am very happy that I switched to a heat pump from a fossil fuel furnace...

[@bobshanery5152]

Like to add.. Modern heat pumps are not necessarily more efficient then a modern air conditioner. Its basically the same thing when it comes to Cooling. They work the same way. Its the heating that is different. Heat pumps are not drastically better for the environment. Electricity does not come from your butt. This is the same marketing gov scam nonsense we see for all electric devices being pushed today over gas. Or the nonsense with electric school buses.. (Enjoy sitting in snow waiting on a battery to charge.) Electricity is usually taking something like coal/gas and converting it. Like a middle man. Just because your vacuum has zero co2 emissions this does not mean what it took to create and maintain that energy/vacuum did not come from nothing. Regardless.. Yes a heat pump can produce less co2 BUT only in those not so cold months. Once it starts going into defrost and running constantly or even worse turning on Aux heat.. Then that heat pump is the same if not worse. There is newer heat pumps that can handle much colder climates but I can not find apples to apples comparisons on costs vs a typical unit. They all leave out so much information. Life expectancy, install, energy bills, etc. The newer cold climate heat pumps cost significantly more. Most articles compare a heat pump to something like an electrical baseboards which are highly inefficient and not remotely close to an apples to apples compassion. Overall if you have mild winters.. Heat pump all the way. Not mild.. Then a heat pump is questionable The other item to consider is gas prices are being artificially inflated due to our good old gov being overbearing so this will make heat pumps and anything all electrical more cost saving.

[@micaht52]

I'm about to add a dual fuel propane burner to my heat pump system because my heat can't keep up with these crazy temps in Alabama.

[@raghurao670]

Another big advantage of heat pump is for houses with solar panels so literally they don’t have to worry about increasing energy costs

[@bobshanery5152]

Oh but you do for a few reasons. One solar is not 24/7. Storing the energy is really out of the question and not cost effective either. Two many states are starting to charge a minimal electrical bill regardless if you are using the power or even given them power back. So if prices increase.. You are still eating that up in both the off times of no energy, the minimal cost requirement and the cost to install the unit itself. Solar is not a main source but an addition and should be used as such but sadly we in the time of political nonsense and the limitations and actual "green" of said technology is greatly exaggerated for unknown reasons to me.

[@user-dw6pj3jn1r]

The article does not explain very well the difference in a heat pump at different temperatures. The colder outside this less heat can be drawn from the atmosphere. At -22 the lowest temperature heat pumps work at there is no efficiency. You would be in a 1/1 where the electricity is used totally to produce any heat coming from your pump. You would have to have a furnace backup if your temp ever goes below 0. By the way everybody with a heat pump is trying to draw max power for the heat pump then of course all the EV's are drawing max power just to get a half charge. This is a great concept for areas that do not see temps below 15 degrees. Other than that you will encounter life threatening conditions.

[@Keith_Mikell]

I have the Bosch ids 2.0 and it’s amazing.

[@zaedlo]

You keep mentioning that "cheap" natural gas. I'm paying $350 a month to heat a 1450 sq ft home at the moment.

[@Monkeyseemonkey79]

What's your $/therm rate? What temperature do you set your thermostat to? And is your home insulated? That seems insanely high for that size of home. I have a 2500 sqft home and spend half that with an 80% gas furnace.

[@HVACdirect]

that is quite high! Many factors do come in to play, especially your area and insulation. But, the majority of the time we do see natural gas being more affordable

[@zaedlo]

@@HVACdirect The house is insulated, the biggest factors are price hikes and the fact that we are old and at home all the time. We never turn the heat off during the winter, we turn it down to 67 at night and its on 72 from 4.30 am to 10.30 at night. It has gone up over 40%.

[@nwsvndr]

@@zaedlo Very easy to dramatically cut your heat bill - they now make great lightweight non-bulky insulated clothing. I'm getting old too, but I wear a down coat and long underwear and wool slippers and turn my heat down to 60, and I'm still very toasty warm. You can even get battery-heated jackets if you want to take it even further.

[@zaedlo]

@@nwsvndr I suppose I don't want to live like a caveman. My point was "The cost of gas" I know how to keep warm.

[@rev.johnpate3231]

Good basic advice. It would be nice to do a cost comparison factoring cost per therm, cost per KWH, the btus they produce at some given ambient outdoor temperature, and considerations of SEER vs. initial purchase cost, life of the devices, and so to calculate return per year. There is also one other fuel some are considering that may be outside of your scope: solar.

[@IARRCSim]

Yes. This video doesn't show the numbers at all. He talks in abstract as if electricity is perfectly free when it isn't or that the heat pumps consume close to 0 electricity while heating entire buildings in an average Canadian winter. Unless carbon taxes and other government controls don't get worse, I'd be surprised if gas is any cheaper even ignoring the huge upfront cost of installing a heat pump vs gas heating.

[@ralphwaters8905]

The invisible elephant in this room is the current cost of electric power ($0.53/KWH in my area) compared to natural gas ($2 per 100K BTU). I would love to see a chart showing the financial tradeoff between these energy sources and the cost of alternative equipment in several different climates. Part of me thinks that simply upgrading your insulation is a good start...

[@KenTanaka303]

That’s interesting, in our area of northern Colorado, electricity is around $0.11/KWH, so it really depends on where you live to determine what system makes financial sense.

[@ralphwaters8905]

@@KenTanaka303 - CA has lots of bizarre laws that interfere with "normal" economic choices. My electric bill has a refund for carbon credits (from a tax on businesses that combust) as well as 3 different rates for power based on the time of day and day of week when it's used. This is supposed to promote solar and wind power, and really punishes people for running their AC in summer when they get home from work (peak demand). There is also a flat fee to be connected to the grid, which I assume is pretty normal. My net average cost at the end of all this is running about 38 cents per KWH and climbing rapidly.

[@JustHazardous]

Try to heat a home in Maine with just a heat pump. I hope you like blankets and being cold.

[@billrentz9133]

A heat pump uses electricity, that electricity is generated by coal, or natural gas most likely. The bottom line is do they work effectively, and what is the return on the initial cost. Up North where I live they are not performing as well as they could but the technology is improving but at the end of the day what is the cost over time.

[@blk123]

Where I am in Canada our hydro is very expensive. As a senior on a fixed income I would not be able to afford hydro with a heat pump. We will stick to our gas furnace.

[@HC-tc7gv]

Oh boy! Maybe down south heat pumps are good choice. Up north? Not so fast. Many, many issues. Electricity is expensive. I'm paying maybe 50% more for operating heat pumps than oil heat. 1. Heat loss calculation, 2. Expert energy evaluation, very hard to find, 3. Expert heat pump installers, very very hard to find. Buyer beware!

[@tonyliberatore8473]

Since Dominion Energy, my natural gas supplier, has a basic service charge of 43.63 cents, I feel I would be better off with eliminating my gas furnace and going with a new technology heat pump. During the summer months I am charged this amount even though I used near "zero" natural gas. This really frustrates me! I really have a desire to boot out Dominion Energy and pay what I feel is a reasonable charge for electricity. What are your thoughts?

[@bobshanery5152]

Both companies will do the same thing. Over where I am at they charge you a minimal for electricity even when you use nothing. Having solar panels and feeding back into the grid used to give you money but not anymore. This is becoming the norm.

[@tomkomadina7390]

You asked for another scenario where it makes sense to put in a heat pump. If you have a solar system and are generating your own power, it makes total sense to use that power and cut down on either oil, propane or natural gas by using that power to run the heat pump both winter and summer. To boot, you will also be helping cut down on carbon emissions.

[@Man-u-flex]

So your saying heating and ac thru electrical?

[@tomkomadina7390]

Yes! AC 100% of the time, heating 90+% of the time. I think the author makes good points. For us, we replaced our 22 year old gas furnaces two years ago with new Bryant 97% efficient gas furnaces. They work well. When it came time to replace our 20 year old AC units we went with heat pumps this year. Most of our heating now is with the heat pumps. The advantage to the dual fuel system is that there are times when it makes sense to heat with gas (very cold conditions). The new thermostats are clever (ours is a Connex). They want to know what your local gas and electric costs are and based on that it makes a decision based on weather conditions as to whether to heat with gas or electricity. This doesn't take into account that we have solar which after the initial purchase of the system has essentially no operating expense.90% of the time the thermostat selects the heat pump for heating. For the summer there probably is no reason to have a standard AC unit anymore since the heat pump can do that very well. The Department of Energy has a list of heat pumps which are effective in cold climates that you may want to look at. Finally, with the Inflation Reduction Act, there is a rebate on heat pumps until 2032. @@Man-u-flex

[@avlisk]

I have lived with both a heat pump and a propane heater for one full winter. I find the heat pump is good to about 20F. It still works to about zero F, but it's constantly going into defrost mode, when it puts out no heat just when it's really needed. And, it's useless in our many power outages here in central Maine, USA. My propane heater requires no electricity to provide heat, so it's a better option, except when it's trying to kill me, which it's tried to do twice now with propane leaks. When the propane detectors fail to alarm, you will find that propane poisoning will make you very, very, very sick for a couple of weeks if it doesn't kill you. I will be replacing the propane heater next winter with a wood stove.

[@efair6301]

What is the temperature break even point between natural gas and electric heat pump. My best estimate is 40 F. Above 40 a heat pump is less expensive than a natural gas furnace. Of course fuel and electric costs vary and greenhouse gas emissions are not included in the calculations.

[@dargall1]

My plans are install central air heat pump system and as a backup have a woodstove for when it gets really cold.

[@mgweir3252]

When you are like us and have solar, you can practically eliminate your entire utility by going with a heat pump.

[@user-im6mb1ve6f]

What if it goes to -45 c in Alberta Canada,how is it possible for the power to feed the demand ,we already have power outages never mind having to deal with trying to run a generator to power to heat the home, how many watts does a heat pump take?

[@alainmcin]

a 2 ton mini split heat pump uses around 1800 watts... but it won't do you any good at -45C

[@sammyjimsmith6100]

Is using electricity using fuel?

[@jeanlanz2344]

When people switch to a heat pump, of course their propane, NG, or oil bill will go down. The question is, what is their electric bill? Some people spend more on their electrified heat pump than they did with their natural gas furnace. Please address electric bills post-heat-pump-installation.

[@HVACdirect]

Great point, the savings are really in the SEER ratings, and variable speed helps immensly

[@9546aw]

I had a 5 ton Lennox Heat Pump System installed for $12,000 in August of 2021. I also happen to have 65 Solar panels on the roof. My bottom line cost for Electric for the period 4/1/2022 to 4/1/2013 came to $165. I keep the thermostat at 74F for heat and 78F for cooling. I live in Long island NY where it does get cold in the winter but insanely cold, most of the winter is in the 20's and 30's with the occasional stretch at 0F to 5F

[@OptimumServices416]

Can we not just turn the breaker off for the heat pump if the cost of electricity spikes? The furnace should still run perfectly fine on NG unless there's something I'm missing.

[@alanwalker1769]

@@HVACdirect and HSPF factor

[@blueartist1000]

gas bill went down 86 and electric went up 46

[@donatospoony]

I’m in Canada 🇨🇦, the government is offering $7000 rebates, however the absolute costs of the units are NEVER displayed ? I guess I just have to just get a quote.

[@jimshorts7983]

Get a wood stove, Love to see a video of someone taking apart heat pump -10 outside. Parts you will have to order and in 5 years they will say we dont make that model anymore. Been there done that. OiL heat and wood stove basic parts on most all service vans.

[@araseliortiz8228]

Finally got it up and running. The only delays we had was because we realized we needed some extra parts (I’ll list that below) kzbin.infoUgkxihMYiJNXcHdbH-7ihymsLz61l7jVyb5O . So we have a loft where our current hvac just couldn’t seem to keep cool during the summer. We have been using a window unit since we bought this house over 6 years ago (all the houses in this neighborhood were built in the 80’s and majority of the houses built like ours use a window unit). I hate window units because they are just so noisy and the one we had really only cools one side of the loft. I had contemplated upgrading our current HVAC, but with all the rising prices these days, it would take years before saving up enough to do that. With the advice of my father-in-law (used to run an HVAC business), he recommended we get an inverter instead. We thought we bought everything we needed, but there were just a few other parts we didn’t anticipate needing (which is what caused most of our delay). My friend and father-in-law did all the work to get it installed and running and now we have nice cool air circulating nicely throughout the entire loft. It is very quiet and even the outside unit is much quieter than our main HVAC unit. Saved ourselves thousands getting this.

[@kiefrissanen]

Soo if you have nat gas probably best to stick with it till heat pumps get better/cheaper got it

[@karmendimas5274]

They already are what are you waiting for?

[@ebayerr]

How does a heat pump grab heat from the outdoors in the wintertime when it's freezing or below freezing? How does it heat the house to 72 degrees when it's 40 degrees outside?

[@Really10801]

It doesn't, it's another bullshit product being pushed by the globalists to "save the planet". Too bad if your house and family are cold.

[@FrostBlueFire]

heat transfer, takes heat from the outside brings it inside. How it heats in negative temps? That's a good question, maybe a mix of electric warmers on the pipe to help increase the heat output inside? Still trying to figure it out

[@JS-gf6uc]

OK No cost output for Gas...But how much did your electrical Bill Increase?

[@jeziahchevalier9012]

I'll stick to spending $1,300 a year for heating oil for now I can't afford to spend $38k for my 4br house to be on heat pumps, I got a quote and that was after state incentives they said it would be over $50k without state incentives wtf is up with the pricing in Vermont for heat pumps?

[@EgilWar]

It is still true as heat-pumps cost more to run as temperatures drop. The true cost of a gas heater is obfuscated with government regulations and taxes.

[@jimjones5419]

you have the best website

[@stevebrendap9600]

Which is more efficient when it is 100 degrees outside?

[@suniladhikari9565]

How much does it cost just for the installation of duel system if i buy the new unit my self in NC? Easy location accessible through garage.

[@rickyrichy5496]

Can the heat pump… cool my house? Or is it just heat?

[@1pcmedic]

Heat Pump- #1 plus, no worry about carbon monoxide poisoning at all.

[@arthurgay5746]

It depends on how big your house is and how cold it gets in the winter where you live

[@jonathansmoots2183]

And how well insulated you are!

[@arthurgay5746]

@@jonathansmoots2183 you can have R40 insulation but without a heat source, you have a cold storage room. My mobile home is 15 feet wide and 60 feet long. One heat pump ain't going to do much for me. Not at both ends.

[@rezkidgamingyt4725]

I’ve got both a small heat pump and oil furnace I run both at the same time burns less oil but everyone going just heat pump will regret it I live in northern Ontario and we get a shit ton of snow and -25 often well not this years

[@lgroves336]

Never spoke to people with total electric homes. Video is gear toward people living in the North.

[@jordapen]

A cousin of mine got totally off oil when he went to a heat pump in southern Ontario.

[@danrook5757]

How much is he saving or spending

[@jordapen]

@@danrook5757 Although I don't know all the details, he was running around 1,000 kWh/month in the winter, which under the tiered rate in Ontario (two stage flat rate) gave him an average monthly bill of $161. He has an electric hot water heater, stove and dryer as well. Another cousin in eastern Ontario pays around $700/month for furnace oil in the winter. He is consdering a heat pump.

[@mattwaters6987]

Winter here in Alberta can reach as low as -45 to -50c. Have to stick with my natural gas furnace. No choice.

[@rogercote5151]

What will it cost for power to run 3 or 4 motors , you do not talk about ?

[@fritzsmith3296]

Question. Since heat pumps are expensive to install and must use electricity, what are the actual operating costs and efficiency of electric heaters vs heat pumps? Seems to me the installation costs of electric heaters are very cheap compared to heat pumps. And AC units just outside the house are reasonable in costs, so that the combination of individual heating/air conditioning can be a better deal assuming electricity costs are reasonable. Because of the huge installation costs of heat pumps, I don't see any advantage of heat pumps unless the installation costs can be brought down. And those on small lots may not be able to install a heat pump that is big enough to extract enough heat for their needs. Also, base board electric heat units and room thermostat have almost zero maintenance. So, the only annual maintenance cost will be a service call annually for the outside AC unit. PS: I wonder how heat pumps could work in swampy areas? Good video, thumbs up. Many thanks. PPS: around 40 years ago I thought heat pumps were the thing that would replace (fossil fuel) furnaces. Everything about them looked like the answer to heating, cooling, and friendly to the environment. Apparently, those news articles back then didn't tell the complete truth.

[@tomdonahoe3539]

@fritzsmith3296 You might have been recalling info on ground-source heat pumps which are *crazy* efficient relative to air-to-air heat pumps. Those can use very little electricity to heat or cool, & most of the moving parts are inside, but they are significantly more costly up front. And sadly 😥, they're more difficult to retrofit into existing houses. I wish that a ground source would have been feasible for us but our back yard's on a hill & they couldn't drive the drilling rig back there on the incline. So our fall back was an air source unit.

[@EdwardGarrenMFT]

Electric heaters use prolific amounts of electricity, at least five times what a heat pump uses.

[@bobshanery5152]

@@EdwardGarrenMFT But that's just looking at one side of the coin. You have a higher cost up front.. You have a shorter life expectancy because a heat pump runs year round. So say a typical Ac/Furnace last 20 years.. A heat pump may only last 10years. Then you have to consider where you live and how cold it gets. A typical heat pump starts using more energy when temperatures drop around 25-40f. Today we have better heat pumps but to get apples to apples comparisons is oddly not easy to find. Heat pumps have to use Aux heat in those cold months and that will kill your savings. To just say.. Heat pumps save money is very misleading and its oddly on every article I read but not surprising because this is now a government pushed product. Who knows what the real numbers are anymore now with gov involvement.

[@GROWNGAS]

I live in central california were we barley break less then 35° f and it takes my new heat pump 20 minutes to even start pushing out warm air. Then when it finally does push out warm air it takes all darn day to make setpoint of 70°. I want my natural gas furnace back, these heat pumps are for the birds. Our old funace used to cook us right off the back. 🤦

[@akhtarkh]

It absolutely makes no economic sense to use heat pump for space heating where natural gas is available due to the cost difference of each unit of electricity vs natural gas. One unit of natural gas is one meter cube and has a heating value of 37 mega joules for 17 cents (in Ontario Canada). One unit of electricity is 1 kilowatt-hour and is equal to 3.7 mega joules for 12 cents. Considering a 3.5 CoP; 3.7 MJ x 3.5 = 13 mega joules of heat energy per unit (12 cents) of electricity. Now for gas; 37 x .9 efficiency = 33.3 mega joules of heat per unit (17 cents) of natural gas. Clearly natural gas heating is a winner. For 1 dollar of electricity with 3.5 CoP (more realistic) you get 108 mega joules of heat and 1 dollar of natural gas with 90% efficiency gives 195 mega joules of energy, almost twice. Hope that makes sense.

[@rgladstone]

What about the cost of electricity to run a heat pump? Pretty high upfront investment to buy dual fuel system. How long does it take to pay out the upfront investment with the savings?

[@Garth2011]

You forgot to mention a heat pump runs on electricity as a fuel to move the refrigerant just like any A/C system does only in reverse. Lots of negative reviews about heat pumps trying to do the work of a natural gas furnace because electricity rates are not as consistent as natural gas is. Some folks live in high rate areas which makes a heat pump more expensive to operate vs. a gas furnace or LPG. Also, its takes about 3 times more electricity to heat in BTU's than it does for natural gas so kWh of power compared to CuFt of gas needs to be compared and computed if using a lot of electricty to run the condenser in winter vs. gas. The most efficient heating and A/C system would be a natural gas heat pump regardless of the location. Power for those people in CA is currently priced around 40 cents per kWh then it goes up to 50 cents once you have used around 2,500 kWh's within a billing month.

[@Rico-oy3dc]

Fossil fuel is not an option long-term. Only heat pumps in future.

[@StanfordMack-le6cg]

This was an exact replacement for the old one that lasted about 10 years. kzbin.infoUgkx7yWIKcrbA9KMHkGSfcgxW2lsjHT6B8Sh The top of my mitigation tube by my roofline was just a 90 elbow which allowed too much debris to fall down into the fan, eventually ruining it. Without this issue, I bet it would have kept running another 10 years. When I replaced this fan, I added an extra elbow joint so the top tube now it does a 180, which should solve that problem. The radon guys around here wanted to charge me a $300 diagnostic fee, then parts/labor (probably close to $600 total). I installed this all by myself in about an hour for the cost of the fan; it would probably be even easier/faster with two people. FYI the manufacturer's warranty greatly differs depending on whether you install it yourself (1 yr warranty) or have a licensed installer do it (10 yrs).

[@davidwood2387]

Sounds like a nightmare , the electricity I would use will by lot higher than natural gas . The heat pump will be running all the time in Massachusetts.

[@Really10801]

Shhhh... we're not supposed to talk about that, we are saving the planet dude, to hell with the people who live on it.

[@drumswest5035]

How come no one mentions the noise heatpumps make, it is annoying when your neighbour places one next to your house! And electricity is not cheap these days, natural gas is cheaper in BC

[@tommckee5671]

What are the specs for the electric feed needed by the heat pump?

[@creamtopperwazoo1867]

I live in an area where the temperatures can vary from -20degrees Celsius to +30 degrees celsius. I live in Canada, ok? Not much different than Wisconsin. MY AC and gas furnace are over 13 years old. The AC is on shaky grounds right now. I don't expect her to last much longer. The question is this: do I go furnace and AC separately or do I go heat pump? Heat pump is more expensive than the other way, but electricity is way cheaper than gas in my area. I have a Tesla and it is saying me way over $200 per month in fuel costs. So the question is: do I spend the money up front and save money in the long run, like I did with the Tesla or do I go cheap? Thoughts?

[@EdwardGarrenMFT]

Scrap both gas and central heat, replace with ductless mini split heat pumps. They are super efficient, abuot 40% less to operate. My brother lives in the. mountains of western North Carolina. He often has temps down to 10F, and has used his heat pumps for heat exclusively. Not only is he saving a ton of money. When it gets below 0F, he makes a fire in his wood stove/heater. His heat pumps are average SEER, and didn't cost that much $$$ to install. Also they are virtually silent when operating.

[@kimtherrien2088]

We are in the Toronto GTA. Replaced our gas furnace and ac unit with a heat pump/ air exchanger. Got a $7000 grant from the government and a 10yr 0% loan to pay off the rest. Look into what's available in your area for incentives.

[@mfb6310]

@@EdwardGarrenMFT not the same temps as Canada, my friend. That said, heat pumps might still be ok, heard success w/freezing temps with a Mitsubishi unit. I'd still have a wood stove as 'main' source though. I live in Iowa, we can get -13 to -20, but just worst case, 1 month of year.

[@ashwayn]

If heat pumps work why dont we have huge heat pump power stations I was told put one kilowatt in get two kilowatt of heat out ????????????? sorry thats perpetual motion

[@blueartist1000]

did a 12,000 BTU myself for less than a thousand dollars the HVAC installer companies are raking it in!

[@JCourts2k23]

The house i grew up in had a heat pump system, the house we moved into last year, has central air/c and NG gas furnace..i dont know why. Im in SE Texas. Had it all replaced last summer when our a/c blew up. Our house is about 1500 sq ft. The only thing gas is the furnace and water heater, not sure why they didnt go all electric .

[@oz7245]

Could have been that that area had power outages often at the time it was installed. That's why I had it done that way when I built my home. I hate cold showers & it's easy to power a gas furnace in the winter with a generator.

[@JCourts2k23]

@@oz7245 true, we had a Generac 22KW installed last summer, it's so nice

[@frankmontez6853]

Hey could a refrigerant leak cause a heat pump to not warm the house during winter?

[@markwriter2698]

Yes. I use a wood stove .

[@kirankishore9934]

What about electric furnace?

[@joeyscleaninglady2877]

heat pump with a air handler is more expensive than dual fuel why?

[@alanwalker1769]

because of electric heat strip

[@tomdonahoe3539]

​@@alanwalker1769 The resistive heat strips should only kick in when the outside air temperature 🌡 goes below about -5F, depending on what heat pump you buy. That only happens a few days per season even in the upper Midwest. The "fuel" for a resistive strip heater is ~2.6x more expensive per BTU than NG, currently. But a strip heater is also significantly less complicated compared to a gas furnace - it's basically like a hair dryer on steroids.

[@ddw3968]

I am switching to a mini split heat pump with an air handler from propane in the next week or two.

[@samarch2189]

I have a gas boiler connected to baseboard and a separate A/C system. The old A/C system blew out and we replaced it with a heat pump. So now I'm wondering how will the new heat pump system stack up against the gas boiler this coming Winter season?

[@briangc1972]

That depends on your weather. In Maine, you will suffer, in Georgia, you will be fine.

[@samarch2189]

@@briangc1972 I just found a leak in the boiler heat exchanger. It's 30 years old, so I guess its dead. I'll find out how powerful the heat pump is very soon. (mid Atlantic region)

[@bobshanery5152]

@@samarch2189 How is the bills?

[@samarch2189]

@@bobshanery5152 Just got the bill in the mail. The fee for late Nov through late Dec is $665.00!!! DAMNNN!!!!!!! With our old 1990s gas boiler, even in Jan it would top out at $550ish, and its not even that cold outside yet. I know this is an older house with not alot of insulation, but that is crazy. This is a new mid-level efficiency system! I'm going to have to look into getting a new hi efficiency gas boiler for next season.

[@jeremystone56]

Is the fact that you're not mentioning the constantly increasing electric price due to the fact that if you did it would be more expensive monthly than propane? In the end it's about saving money. If your electric heaters are better please do a price comparison and there will be no argument.

[@jerryoakes3364]

So it works real well in warm climates. Trying to sell ice cubes to Eskimos buddy

[@davidwilliams4498]

That's easy. If you live near north pole north you need a furnace if you live in south heat pump is good.

[@Garth2011]

More like...no matter where you live, it all depends on the electric rates and the gas rates. Heat pumps use electricity instead of gas so power rates must be considered first.

[@stevebrendap9600]

At 100 degrees which is more efficient? Heat pump or normal a/c?

[@CuriousEvenmore]

Saving money on a cheap ass heat pump will surely bite you in the ass. Quality is important. Gas furnace surpasses heat pump for better temperature recovery and for better home comfort.

[@dougduddles8464]

Curious how heat pump advocates never talk about cost! At least not in any specific terms.

[@MatthewVikdal]

So my natural gas furnace and A/C unit is about 18 years old. If my A/C goes out I've been told to replace both of the at the same time. Now I live in central Colorado so when that time comes to replace it would it be a good Idea to install a Heat Pump at that time?

[@EdwardGarrenMFT]

YES !! The price of electricity is relatively stable, the price of gas is NOT. Replace it now, look at ductless mini splits, they are a LOT more efficient than any ducted system.

[@trustmebronocap]

Fear monger ^ I live in similar climate and gas is still cheaper overall than straight electric and if you get a black out, ull still have heat. I know a homeowner with gas tank 19years and still runs as well. Anybody’s opinions here shouldn’t matter. You can talk to specialist and see your options.

[@tomdonahoe3539]

​@trustmebronocap Yes, electric resistance heating will almost always be more costly than NG. But, a heat pump is not the same as resistance heating. Think of a heat pump as a thermal "lever" that runs on electricity. Some heat pumps do use resistance heaters for extremely low outdoor 🌡~< -10F. Oh, and during that power blackout you mentioned . . . . how exactly were you going to run the blower or the glow igniter on your gas furnace again?

[@sociallyunaceptable981]

Funny that they never menton the cost of electricity to run a heat pump

[@juanitahebert5258]

All I won't to install the heat pump cost no more no less

[@marcellachine5718]

News flash, 50 degrees is not winter.

[@manny6233]

Can you use heat pump system to heat up your water ( shower) ? Located in NYC

[@HVACdirect]

Hey Manny! A great option for heating your water would be a tankless water heater, they're very efficient and keep consistent water temperature. hvacdirect.com/water-plumbing/water-heaters/tankless-water-heaters.html

[@manny6233]

@@HVACdirect thank you for your response. Does tankless water heater works with heat pumps ? I thought TWH only works with gas boilers. Correct me if I’m wrong thanks 👍🏻

[@HVACdirect]

@@manny6233 No, these do not work with a heat pump. We have models that are all electric, natural gas, or propane!

[@michaelalberts661]

I'm not sure why @Hvacdirect completely ignored the fact that heat pump hot water heaters are a great alternative to gas burning water heaters of all types. Perhaps he doesn't sell them. You asked a simple question to which the simple answer is "Yes".

[@HVACdirect]

@@michaelalberts661 Thank you for your insight! This is not a product we are familiar with and don't want to recommend something without thorough product knowledge.

[@flapoverspeed]

Propane furnace works better in California where electricity is exorbitant

[@sbissessar]

Electricity is fuel according to your statement.. what powers it

[@danrook5757]

Gremlins probably

[@mrr2041Rags]

I REPLACE my heat pump with a gas furnace we love it the heat comes out hoter .my gas furnace is cheaper thin a heat pump I would not put a nother heat pump in

[@edwardgibson19]

This clip is paid by Libs There’s no green grass anywhere

[@indianajones1900]

Hey natural gas isn’t that cheap, it cost me 22k to just get my gas line in.

[@bishopbrathwaitee1734]

Nope. Still not there. Does not make sense, still. Too expensive, cooling and heating is not at the level of a conventional furnace and AC system. Repairs, when needed are through the roof. I align it to buying an electric vehicle, good for some but still has a long way to go.

[@douglasthompson2740]

Isn't worth listening to. Comparing costs of fuel and skipping the electrical costs on heat pumps is very misleading. Tuning out.

[@EdwardGarrenMFT]

Update: NATURAL GAS IS NOT CHEAP ANYMORE, AND NEVER WILL BE AGAIN !!

[@HVACdirect]

I understand those costs have gone up! It really depends on what area of the country you are in.

[@Monkeyseemonkey79]

Natural gas prices have actually plummeted over the last 6 months (look it up!) but the utilities aren't passing the savings on to consumers.

[@danam579]

In areas where they’re fracking, gas is going to stay cheap for a while.

[@EdwardGarrenMFT]

​@@danam579 If you think fueling the Climate Crisis with methane, or the carbon dioxide that happens when it is burned is "cheap," why don't you ask the people on ;Maui, the folks in Phoenix, the folks in Europe, Asia and Vermont how cheap heating up our climate has been for them. Or maybe you only watch Fox News. ALL fossil fuels are kiliing the planet and the effects of it are happening NOW. Oh yeah, I forgot the 100F water all around Florida, the Caribbean, south Atlantic, all of which are vulnerable to major hurricanes from all that hot water. We are no longer dealing with global warming. WE ARE DEALING WITH GLOBAL BOILING.

[@johnjohn-kd7fl]

Depends where you are and what the political environment is

[@alexciocca4451]

We use coal

[@AH-mj1rd]

Its all a game, seems like the electrical companies are competing with the oil and gas companies. Once everyone switches to heatpump, electrical companies will increase rates. at end of the day you wont save anything

[@frankcoffey]

Why does my system turn on the AC when my home gets too warm inside in the winter? There is plenty of very cold air outside to use but no system I’ve seen takes advantage of that.

[@Garth2011]

Your thermostate is set for heating and cooling the same temperature. Turn off the heat and cool and use heat only or move the cooling temp setting to 5 degress higher than heating.

[@frankcoffey]

@@Garth2011 I understand how to prevent the AC from activating. My question is. Is there a reason systems don't use outside air for cooling when available and much lower than the temp inside the home.

[@Garth2011]

@@frankcoffey My guess is Windows are made for that because the HVAC is a reciculating system to work best under to hot or coolest conditions. Then there's the filtering of the air and trying to keep it clean insdie the ducts and coils. Probably more cost to the filtering methods and more problems when filters are not changed enough.

[@nostradamus7648]

Turn it off. Open your windows. Problem solved. Insert DUHHHHHHHH here.

[@Garth2011]

@@nostradamus7648 Some won't open windows due to noisy neighborhoods and dust reasons.

[@briancarmichael1668]

This is a total BS sales pitch. I’m in the trades. Trying finding someone to install a system, if you supply the equipment, is completely impossible. If you do, they will absolutely have to charge you extra, for the lost revenue of the markup they are loosing. And they will not be interested in servicing it. You are 100% better off dealing with an established, reputable company, they will stand behind the equipment, and service it. Also, heat pumps may work down to 0° but they sure as hell aren’t efficient. If you regularly get temps below 0°, you need a dual fuel system.

[@animalcorvair]

stay with gas i have a heat pump ,,,,burning wood now as a heat pump is not that great,,,

[@davebondanza8489]

In the discussion surrounding costs of oil, gas, and propane compared to a heat pump, you give the impression that operating a heat pump is free. What about the huge cost of electricity today? Where I am in the NE, many times a heat pump by itself needs an electric strip and that operational cost is more than using both. Everyone doing videos seems to forget about the cost of electricity and that even with solar offsets, the times when heat pumps are used for heat (nighttime), the source of energy is still oil, fossil, or gas fuels turning a big turbine somewhere and the infrastructure we're told won't handle all these electrical loads. More, you have to heat water for domestic use anyway so there has to be a balance. I'm seeing too many videos advocating using only heat pumps. It just isn't realistic. I do appreciate the part where you suggest that both be installed. Thanks for the video.

[@HVACdirect]

Hey Dave! Of course the cost and need in your area will vary, however, with the cost of gas and propane going up and up, electric heat pumps save most people money because they are so efficient they use far less electricity than a standard a/c.

[@rodhoutx]

There are cold climate heat pumps (I'm seeing more videos about those). They would not need to use electric heat strips even below zero. The technology is continuing to evolve for those colder climates it seems. Also consider there are many homes that are electric only, especially apartments. They never had gas anyway, so a heat pump would be much more efficient that their current heaters that are 100% resistive heat strips, which would offset the electric demand if those are replaced with heat pumps over time. I think another problem is home insulation. Some older homes are so poorly insulated! Insulating homes has to be part of the picture somehow with low cost to the homeowner. What you say is true about the power plants still using fossil fuels, and a region would still need to be able to handle the capacity. The next big challenge is going to be finding a way to store excess generation by power plants for later use. There is some progress there (such as pumping water up to a higher reservoir somewhere during excess power generation or/and using solar so it can be used later).

[@HVACdirect]

@@rodhoutx Insulation is a huge factor, thank you for mentioning that!

[@HVACdirect]

@@rodhoutx That is true, some of our inverter heat pumps heat efficiently down to -22 degrees Fahrenheit

[@Garth2011]

Lots of marketing will lead the dumb dumbs to an electric heat pump when electric rates are not saving them anything compared to gas. Folks are so blind to how wrong it is to buy new HVAC that is 100% electric and never consider the cost or the rates they pay to their power company. Many times, the heat pump idea doesn't make any sense when looking at the cost to run them all year long (electric).

[@jeziahchevalier9012]

Heat pump quotes don't count for electrician to install the breakers in the panel HVAC workers don't do electrical work in your home

[@peterfiedler9085]

Why you always talk only about money in your comparison gas/oil furnace vs heat pump, and no single word about the pollution of this outdatet gas guzzlers?

[@Feedback4Utoday]

lots of chit chat - no facts? uhen do u get to the comparison?

[@petercallaway5732]

Why do you talk about having to recover the cost of a heat pump? Are you looking for a return on investment? This question NEVER comes up when you go out and buy that $45,000 oversized SUV. It loses value as soon as it leaves the showroom and is worthless after 10-15 years. You buy it because you want it. Heat pumps help reduce the fossil fuel emissions that are causing climate change and the catastrophic, forest fires, droughts and flood that go with it. AND people are looking for houses that are all electric, they are at a premium. Heat pumps increase the value of your home permanently because its the future and more and more people are realizing that. Now with the IRA and state and utility credits and rebates, the cost of heat pump systems are a half of what they were a year ago!!

[@billyrayboo7315]

Heat pumps are crap always will be crap thats why the they come with eletric heat

[@clipsonplextorfield3230]

great sound like heat pumps are freeeee but in reality ty consume huge amounts of electricity

[@tomdonahoe3539]

Our gas furnace also uses a fair bit of electricity.

[@jaimetarango7423]

i dont want that in my house no thanks i can afford natural gas

[@9546aw]

I had a 5 ton Lennox Heat Pump System installed for $12,000 in August of 2021. I also happen to have 65 Solar panels on the roof. My bottom line cost for Electric for the period 4/1/2022 to 4/1/2013 came to $165. I keep the thermostat at 74F for heat and 78F for cooling. I live in Long island NY where it does get cold in the winter but insanely cold, most of the winter is in the 20's and 30's with the occasional stretch at 0F to 5F

[@karmendimas5274]

Sorry you got seriously ripped off $12,000 LOL

[@tomdonahoe3539]

​@@karmendimas5274seriously?

[@boblee1078]

another salesman no thanks .

[@robertkaras6315]

ground source heat pump are # 1, the rest is a garbage

[@tomdonahoe3539]

robertkaras6315 True, ground source heat 🔥 pumps are considerably more efficient & last quite a bit longer than air source. They're also significantly more expensive up front. Ground source is also not technically or financially feasible for every application. And, as we found out, ground source is not always the best solution for retrofits. They're great 👍, usually, for new construction 🚧. Our backyard is on a hill and unfortunately, we could not get either an angled boring rig or a vertical drilling rig safely into that area.

[@Ray-gf4vf]

it's not a heat pump it's a warn running 24 hr running pump = no