When I first heard about a dual fuel system, I assumed the HVAC contractor was just hoping for a hefty profit.
- This type of system combines a forced air gas furnace and an electric heat pump.
The combined cost of purchase and installation is downright huge. However, I already had the furnace in place when I bought my new house. I was looking to add some type of centralized cooling system. The HVAC contractor recommended I choose an electric heat pump. I looked into heat pumps and discovered that they are more expensive than a conventional air conditioner. However, this innovative style of system offers a long list of benefits that make the investment worthwhile. For one thing, a heat pump provides both heating and cooling capacity. It can operate just like an air conditioner in the summer but reverse operation to provide heat when the weather turns colder. A heat pump is especially effective at combating excess humidity, making it an efficient and rewarding choice for summer comfort. For heating, the system pulls ambient heat from the outdoor air and pumps it indoors. There’s no combustion process, fumes, greenhouse gases or threat of carbon monoxide. By avoiding the burning of fossil fuels, the heat pump is environmentally responsible and especially safe. It’s also extremely energy efficient. It costs far less to operate than the furnace. Running the heat pump instead of the furnace saves a significant amount on heating bills. Once the outdoor temperature drops below freezing, there isn’t enough ambient heat available for the heat pump to be effective. The furnace automatically takes over at this point. The duel fuel system takes advantage of the most cost-effective source of temperature control at any given time.
Air conditioner service