A dual fuel heat pump awards you the best of both HVAC worlds: hot or cold air when you need it most. If you are a homeowner looking to save money and energy while still having reliable, efficient heating and cooling in your home, then a dual fuel heat pump may be an ideal choice. This hybrid heating and cooling system combines a traditional heat pump with a furnace to provide your home with an energy efficient HVAC device that you can use all year long.
The ability for a dual fuel heat pump to switch between a furnace and a heat pump is what saves you energy, time and money. Not only does a dual fuel heat pump save energy and help the environment, but it also saves you time and money on utility bills.
What is Hybrid Heating?
A Dual Fuel Heat Pump is an HVAC system that joins an electric heat pump with a gas furnace and switches between the two as needed to heat the house and achieve maximum comfort efficiently. The system alternates between using each of the two devices, depending on the season, temperature and the function needed, to maximize efficiency and effectively heat and cool your home all year long.
Essentially, hybrid heating pairs an electric heat pump with a gas furnace to efficiently control your home’s climate during every season. During hot summer weather, the heat pump works like a central air conditioner, transferring hot air out of your home. In moderately cold temperatures during the spring and fall, a heat pump provides adequate and cost-effective heating.
How Does It Work?
With a dual fuel heat pump, you get the best of both HVAC worlds: hot or cold air when you need it most. This hybrid heating and cooling system combines a traditional heat pump with a furnace to provide your home with an energy efficient HVAC device that you can use all year long.
The heat pump in the system works like a central air conditioner in the summer months by transferring hot air out of your home until your thermostat reads your desired temperature. The heat pump also does the majority of the work in the fall and spring months by providing cost-efficient heat during milder temperatures.
Energy-saving and efficient heating come from switching between electric and gas power, depending on the outside temperature. Electric heat pumps are very reliable and easy to use, but gas heat pumps are more efficient to heat your house when the outside temperature is low. These pumps will mostly switch to gas when the outside temperature drops below 35 degrees or so. Not only does a dual fuel heat pump save energy and help the environment, but it also saves you time and money on utility bills.
Dual Fuel Heat Pump Benefits
Here are some of the benefits you could enjoy if you choose a dual-fuel system.
- Energy Efficient
A dual-fuel system optimizes energy use by automatically switching to whichever fuel source delivers the most efficient heating for the current outdoor conditions. During moderate winter temperatures, the electric heat pump provides the most efficient and cost-effective method of heating.
- Cost-Effective
Though the initial cost of a dual-fuel system may be high, the efficiency of the system makes it a worthwhile long-term investment. The system is set up so that the electric heat pump is used most of the time. This helps to keep fuel costs down, since gas can be more expensive to use than electricity. A dual-fuel system also spares you from having to install two separate systems, which may help to reduce maintenance costs. A smart choice for your comfort, energy and budgetary needs, a dual-fuel system can also add to the value of your home.
- Versatility
A heat pump is almost exactly like the standard air conditioner with which you are likely very familiar. It uses a compressed refrigerant in a coil to cool. What that process is actually doing is removing heat from the inside of a building and then throwing it outside. That is what the outside portion of an air conditioner is for. It is dumping all that heat extracted from the interior into the atmosphere.
- Clean
When operating in warmer regions, dual fuel heating systems utilize mostly electric heat pumps to move warm or cold air from the outside atmosphere to inside space. In colder areas, the use of heat pumps drops. So, as the gas is not burning constantly, dual systems can heat and cool with a lighter carbon footprint than those systems that are installed as separate units. With the electric-powered heat pumps, you will have a clean and sustainable source of heat for your household.
Dual-Fuel Heat Pump Energy Savings
A hybrid heating system saves you energy, time and money because it can switch between a furnace and heat pump to efficiently warm your home. You no longer need a furnace, which produces heat, in hot temperatures, and a heat pump works overtime in extremely cold temperatures.
Stand-alone heat pumps are popular in mild-climate locations where temperatures rarely dip below freezing, and gas-fired furnaces are seldom needed. In fact, heat pumps can lower energy bills by up to 50% over traditional air conditioners in warmer climate areas under certain conditions.
Hybrid heat pump systems have the greatest every-saving effects in colder climate areas. During spring and autumn, the heat pump provides less-expensive heating by transferring what little heat is in the outdoor air to the indoors.
And, of course, a smart thermostat allows you to control your heating from anywhere as well as to set energy-saving heating schedules — ensuring cozy comfort no matter what the weather’s like outside.
Is a Dual-Fuel Heat Pump Right for You?
If you live in an area that sees temperatures at both ends of the spectrum, a dual-fuel heat pump system may be for you. A furnace only heats, so if you live through changing climates, you will need to invest in another HVAC system to meet your needs. And while heat pumps both heat and cool your home, they have to work overtime at extremely low temperatures, which isn’t always the most cost or energy-effective solution.
Dual fuel heat pumps take the best qualities of both systems to tackle whatever climate you may wake up to.
Give Us a Call
At Aire-Tech, we can help keep your home at the optimal temperature! We give you countless resources to help you explore and learn about HVAC options, including incentive programs. We work closely with agencies to pass on savings programs and information to our valued customers.
If your system needs repair or inspection, call Aire-Tech on 951-926-1002. You can also visit our Contact page and complete the contact form.