Pros and cons of Dual Fuel Heat Pumps?
Is Dual Fuel Heat Pump worth it?
As more and more homeowners are looking for more efficient and cost-effective heating systems for their homes, interest in dual fuel heating system or dual fuel HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system is on the rise. In this post, I am going to explain what is a dual fuel heat pump, how dual fuel heat pumps work, and the pros and cons of dual fuel heat pumps to make out – is a dual fuel heat pump worth it?
If you do not know for certain what is a dual fuel heat pump and how a dual fuel system could benefit your home then you have come to the right place. Let’s first see what is a dual fuel heat pump.
What is a dual fuel heat pump?
A dual fuel heat pump system or dual fuel HVAC system essentially combines a typical electric heat pump with a high-efficiency gas furnace that burns propane or natural gas. This heat pump with gas furnace system takes advantage of the efficiency of both the electric heat pump and gas furnace, providing optimal comfort and huge energy savings. When the weather is mild the system uses the electric heat pump for both heating and cooling. But in case the temperature drops too low, the dual fuel system switches over to using the gas-fired furnace/boiler for heating purposes.
How does a dual fuel heat pump work?
During summer, a dual fuel HVAC system works like a central air conditioner when the refrigerant-filled indoor coils of the heat pump pick up heat from inside your home and remove it by carrying it outside where it is transferred into the air through the outdoor coils and fan.
In the winter season, when your home needs moderate heat for heating your home, the flow of refrigerant is reversed. The heat pump absorbs heat from the outside hot air through the outdoor coils and transfers it to inside your home. A typical electric heat pump unit works well during milder winter weather when the outside temperature remains above 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
During severe winter weather when the temperature outside drops below 35 degrees, the heating demand exceeds the heating capacity of the electric heat pump to properly heat your home. At this time of high heating demand, when there is little to no heat in the outside air for the heat pump to take advantage of, the dual fuel heating system automatically switches over to the gas furnace, which is the secondary heating source. This switchover takes place at a preset outside temperature (usually between 35F and 40F). The gas furnace provides energy-efficient, reliable, and consistent heat by burning gas as fuel to adequately heat your home regardless of the outside temperature. The dual fuel system switches back to electric heating when the outdoor temperature rises above the set point.
Pros and Cons of Dual Fuel Heat Pumps
Though dual fuel heat pump offers many benefits, it has a few drawbacks as well. It is, therefore, a good idea to examine the pros and cons of dual fuel heat pumps before deciding if the dual fuel heat pump is the right choice for your home.
Following are some of the main pros of this hybrid heat pump system.
High efficiency
High efficiency is one of the biggest advantages of dual fuel heat pumps. This heat pump with gas furnace system combines the best of both electric and gas-fueled heating systems. It provides the benefits of outstanding efficiency that comes with heating and cooling your home with an electric heat pump and the reliable heat of a gas furnace. Since the system automatically chooses the more efficient source of heat between electricity and gas, based on the outside air temperature, the homeowner gets the benefit of considerable energy cost savings.
Cost-effective
The dual fuel heat pump is a cost-effective system. The dual fuel heating system uses the electric heating system for a greater duration. More than 70% of your heating needs can be satisfied by the heat pump driven by electricity whose efficiency is extremely high. This high energy efficiency of the heat pump considerably saves you on energy costs over the long run, which more than makes up for the initial investment. In fact, a dual fuel HVAC system is estimated to save the average homeowner anywhere between 30 and 50 percent annually in energy costs. This hybrid heat pump system can pay for itself within three to five years.
Moreover, although the up-front cost of a dual fuel system is a bit high, it spares you from having to install and maintain two systems separately at a much higher cost.
Environmentally friendly
Dual fuel heat pumps are an environmentally friendly clean system for home heating and cooling. It is a great way to minimize your carbon footprint. Since this hybrid heat pump system uses electric heating around 85% of the time, there is no need for gas to constantly fuel your furnace. This helps reduce a homeowner’s carbon footprint. Moreover, since the dual fuel heat pump uses electricity as its source of power for a greater duration, you have a clean, pollution-free, sustainable source of heat for your home for most of the time.
Flexible
A dual fuel heating system can not only change the settings and activate the electric heat pump or the furnace automatically depending on the outside temperature it also has the option to activate either system manually which gives the homeowners more control over the room temperature. Such flexibility of using electric heating and a gas furnace may maximize energy cost savings and comfort for the homeowner.
Longer Lasting System
The dual fuel HVAC system remains in better condition for a longer period since both the electric heat pump and the boiler/furnace are combined into one system which makes their maintenance simpler. Moreover, the average life expectancy of a gas furnace, when heating your home by itself, is 10-15 years whereas, the furnace will last longer in a dual fuel system as it won’t need to work as much.
Though dual fuel HVAC system offers many benefits over the long run, there are a few drawbacks as well.
Here are some of the cons of dual fuel heat pumps:
Higher up-front cost
One of the most notable drawbacks of the dual fuel heat pump system over just an electric heat pump or a furnace is – a higher up-front cost. The reason is, that you’re essentially getting two efficient heating systems in one. Although this initial cost may not be much as compared to the energy cost savings from efficient heating and cooling over a period, the cost may not be realistic for some homeowners.
Requirement of Additional Costs
Upgrading to a dual fuel system and replacing a single system may require additional costs. This is because, to accommodate the electric heat pump and the furnace of the dual system, you might need to upgrade the existing electrical service, wiring, and gas lines.
Takes up more space
The dual fuel HVAC system is going to take up more space than a single system. In the dual fuel system when you put together the heat pump and the gas furnace, which are not small appliances, you’re going to need some additional space to accommodate them.
Judging from the pros and cons of dual fuel heat pumps now let’s see – is dual fuel heat pump worth it?
Is dual fuel heat pump worth it?
The dual fuel heat pumps, which provide the benefits of an energy-efficient electric heat pump and the reliable heat of a gas furnace, are an excellent choice and worth the investment. This hybrid heat pump system is more effective in areas where the winters are freezing cold and where a single heat pump is unable to properly heat your home.
The system delivers excellent cooling in summer and a high level of comfort in winter. During the freezing temperature in winter when the heating demand exceeds the heating capacity of the heat pump, the gas furnace takes over the heating load to warm up your home and raise the comfort level considerably.
If the comfort of your family members is your top consideration, then the dual fuel heating system is an excellent choice in colder regions. Pairing together a high-efficiency heat pump and a gas-fired furnace gives you the best of both worlds and guarantees comfort all year round, no matter what the weather outside is.
However, as the up-front cost of a dual fuel system is a bit high, this higher cost may make the system not worth the money if you live in a more temperate region unless, of course, comfort is at the very top of your wish list.
Where can you buy a dual fuel heating system?
Although several manufacturers make heat pumps, not all of them can be used in a dual fuel system. Following are three popular brands each of which makes several heat pumps that are compatible for use with a gas-fired furnace/boiler:
- CARRIER;
- RHEEM;
- Heil;
Frequently asked questions
Now that I have explained what is a dual fuel heat pump and the pros and cons of dual fuel heat pumps, let me also address some of the related questions often asked by people.
How much is a dual fuel heat pump?
A dual fuel heat pump costs around $3,000 without installation. The cost including installation of the dual fuel heating system ranges from $15,000 to $20,000 depending on the efficiency level of the system, the layout of the house, and the climate of the area.
What are the disadvantages of a heat pump?
Since a heat pump is designed to absorb heat from the hot air outside and carry it inside to warm up your home, it is less efficient in severe cold climates. Once the temperature outside drops below 35 degrees Fahrenheit, the heating demand exceeds the heating capacity of the heat pump to properly heat your home. Therefore, at this low temperature, you require heat pumps with gas backup to heat your home.
What temperature should I set for my heat pump in the winter?
The ideal temperature setting of a heat pump in winter is 68°F. This temperature setting balances energy efficiency and comfort for the homeowners by keeping the living areas reasonably warm.
You may also like to read this post: Geothermal cooling – how does geothermal cooling work
Conclusion
Judging from the pros and cons of dual fuel heat pumps explained in the post there should not be any confusion to make out – is dual fuel heat pump worth it for proper heating of homes?
As already explained in the post, if you live in an area where you experience a wide variation in temperatures and the winters are freezing cold, the single heat pump system is ineffective for proper heating of your home. A dual fuel HVAC system is worth the investment in such an area. With the pairing of a super-efficient heat pump with gas furnace, you will have the best of both worlds to maximize energy savings and comfort for the homeowner.
A dual fuel heat pump is, therefore, an excellent choice for homeowners in colder regions who pay high heating bills in the winter season. However, to optimize efficiency, this hybrid heat pump system needs to be set up to maximize energy savings so that the investment can pay for itself over the long run. The best practice to achieve this is to hire a local HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) company that has experience in installing dual fuel HVAC systems.
