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Message
Heat pump vs electric HVAC
Posted on 3/19/26 at 8:02 am
Posted on 3/19/26 at 8:02 am
Getting ready to pull the trigger on replacing my home's old AC. Moving on from the R22 Carrier unit that is petering out.
Getting lots of quotes for heat pumps. Home currently has electrical heating. Supposedly the heat pumps are a lot more efficient in winter for keeping costs down. More upfront costs than straight electric unit but I guess could recoup with energy savings.
Is there any down sides to heat pump systems for south Louisiana? I'm obviously more concerned about the summer cooling and dehumidification than heating performance but the wife also likes to run up the heat bill in winter too. Is it plus plus improvement for cooling and heating over straight electric? I'm leaning towards going with the heat pump options but want to make sure I'm not overlooking a drawback.
Getting lots of quotes for heat pumps. Home currently has electrical heating. Supposedly the heat pumps are a lot more efficient in winter for keeping costs down. More upfront costs than straight electric unit but I guess could recoup with energy savings.
Is there any down sides to heat pump systems for south Louisiana? I'm obviously more concerned about the summer cooling and dehumidification than heating performance but the wife also likes to run up the heat bill in winter too. Is it plus plus improvement for cooling and heating over straight electric? I'm leaning towards going with the heat pump options but want to make sure I'm not overlooking a drawback.
7
Posted on 3/19/26 at 8:15 am to ChewyDante
Where are you located? Where’s the cost difference?
Heat pump is basically just running your hvac normally, but somewhat in reverse. So if you hvac runs the same in January to keep warm as it does in say May to keep cool than your bill will be the same.
Heat pumps only work efficiently to a certain temp around 15-20 degrees. Colder than that and they can’t really keep up. So keep that in mind.
Electric heat are literally just an electric heat strips inside your unit. Unless you are in central or south Florida, if you are anywhere in Louisiana, Alabama, Miss, or the Florida gulf coast I would think you’d recoup your electricity bill in under 2-3 years with a heat pump especially if there’s one winter with sustained chilly temps.
Heat pump is basically just running your hvac normally, but somewhat in reverse. So if you hvac runs the same in January to keep warm as it does in say May to keep cool than your bill will be the same.
Heat pumps only work efficiently to a certain temp around 15-20 degrees. Colder than that and they can’t really keep up. So keep that in mind.
Electric heat are literally just an electric heat strips inside your unit. Unless you are in central or south Florida, if you are anywhere in Louisiana, Alabama, Miss, or the Florida gulf coast I would think you’d recoup your electricity bill in under 2-3 years with a heat pump especially if there’s one winter with sustained chilly temps.
Posted on 3/19/26 at 8:23 am to ChewyDante
Gas Furnace.
Posted on 3/19/26 at 8:40 am to ChewyDante
Heat pump with electric strip backup, for excessively cold temps where the heat pump can’t keep up or if the heat pumps breaks during a cold spell. Thinking of your wife, is a gas furnace HVAC an option for you? Temp exiting the supply vents with a gas furnace is about 30+F warmer than a heat pump which makes it feel warmer to the occupants when being near a supply vent, although the thermostat controls overall house temperature.
Heat pumps are slightly more expensive and complex than straight AC with gas furnace but not by much. If that is not an option, I’d go heat pump over AC with heat strips only for energy efficiency - you should recoup added cost in energy savings fairly quickly.
Heat pumps are slightly more expensive and complex than straight AC with gas furnace but not by much. If that is not an option, I’d go heat pump over AC with heat strips only for energy efficiency - you should recoup added cost in energy savings fairly quickly.
This post was edited on 3/19/26 at 8:48 am
Posted on 3/19/26 at 9:19 am to ChewyDante
Piling on to the above...
- gas heat is the most efficient, but since you didn't list as an option it's out.
- a heat pump just transfers heat from outside to inside (where an air conditioner moves heat from indoors to outdoors). Remember that traditional air conditioners are just one-way heat pumps. Since it's not generating heat this system does less work.
- resistive strip heaters directly convert electrical energy to heat. Simple but the most inefficient.
- gas heat is the most efficient, but since you didn't list as an option it's out.
- a heat pump just transfers heat from outside to inside (where an air conditioner moves heat from indoors to outdoors). Remember that traditional air conditioners are just one-way heat pumps. Since it's not generating heat this system does less work.
- resistive strip heaters directly convert electrical energy to heat. Simple but the most inefficient.
Posted on 3/19/26 at 9:32 am to TheBoo
quote:
Gas Furnace.
Definitely the best way to go if an option.
A heat pump would be much more efficient than a resistive electrical heat system. You'll still need a heat kit for auxiliary heat during times the heat pump can't effectively provide heat or is in a defrost cycle. Newer systems can work down to temps well below freezing but you really need to keep them well shielded from rain or freezing rain because they will ice up in a hurry.
Posted on 3/19/26 at 10:03 am to Unobtanium
quote:
resistive strip heaters directly convert electrical energy to heat. Simple but the most inefficient.
Electric heat is 100% efficient. 100% of the electricity that goes into an electric heat strip is converted to heat.
Posted on 3/19/26 at 10:24 am to td1
They are least efficient from a cost perspective for the amount of heat provided.
Posted on 3/19/26 at 10:38 am to CrawDude
Gas not an option where I am located unfortunately. So between heat pump and straight electric, it sounds like heat pump is the way to go. Just wasn't sure if there were any tradeoffs I wasn't aware of other than upfront cost.
Posted on 3/19/26 at 11:00 am to ChewyDante
quote:
Gas not an option where I am located unfortunately. So between heat pump and straight electric, it sounds like heat pump is the way to go. Just wasn't sure if there were any tradeoffs I wasn't aware of other than upfront cost.
They do make some that run on propane, if you're willing to put a tank outside and have it filled each winter. My aunt did this where she lives and they don't have residential gas lines. She converted her fireplace to gas logs, electric to gas water heater, and gas furnace. Just stuck the tank back behind the house.
Posted on 3/19/26 at 11:11 am to ChewyDante
it sounds like heat pump is the way to go. Just wasn't sure if there were any tradeoffs I wasn't aware of other than upfront cost.
---
IRS was offering rebates for heat pump upgrades, not sure if they're still available.
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IRS was offering rebates for heat pump upgrades, not sure if they're still available.
Posted on 3/19/26 at 11:12 am to ChewyDante
quote:
Just wasn't sure if there were any tradeoffs I wasn't aware of other than upfront cost
you will be putting more wear and tear on your compressor as it will be running year round, take it for what it is worth
Posted on 3/19/26 at 11:38 am to ChewyDante
We have had heat pumps here in NW FL for 26 years - current one is 2 speed.
Haven't had any issues. Power cost hasn't been excessive IMO.
Haven't had any issues. Power cost hasn't been excessive IMO.
Posted on 3/19/26 at 12:23 pm to ChewyDante
heat pumps are great with the humidity of the South and we had them every place we lived when I was still in the South.
Moved to Colorado and heat pumps are nearly non-existent with the low humidity; nearly all heat is gas furnace and a/c often isn't even needed which was a bit of culture shock to me. Gas furnace dries out the air even more than the already low humidity and I generally wasn't a big fan for that and other reasons.
Our newest house has electric baseboard heat + mini-splits for a/c with heat pump and it's been awesome.
TL/DR: no downside to heatpumps for you in the South
Moved to Colorado and heat pumps are nearly non-existent with the low humidity; nearly all heat is gas furnace and a/c often isn't even needed which was a bit of culture shock to me. Gas furnace dries out the air even more than the already low humidity and I generally wasn't a big fan for that and other reasons.
Our newest house has electric baseboard heat + mini-splits for a/c with heat pump and it's been awesome.
TL/DR: no downside to heatpumps for you in the South
Posted on 3/19/26 at 9:24 pm to ChewyDante
I just bought 2 Trane Heat Pump equipped units. Heat Pump until 35. Lower than that its Emergency Heat setting with electric strips.
This post was edited on 3/19/26 at 9:25 pm
Posted on 3/20/26 at 6:05 am to Don Quixote
quote:
TL/DR: no downside to heatpumps for you in the South
Except when the power goes out, my gas furnaces can both run on my small generator with power to spare.
Posted on 3/20/26 at 6:09 am to ItzMe1972
quote:
IRS was offering rebates for heat pump upgrades, not sure if they're still available.
Ill look into that today. In the middle of ripping out a very old R22 AC/gas furnace for a 17 seer heat pimp.
Posted on 3/20/26 at 7:37 am to Clames
And the tech has to order a part, which a jive old regular electric furnace can usually be up and running by what’s available on the service truck. It’s going to break, act accordingly.
Posted on 3/21/26 at 11:42 am to Tigerpaw123
quote:
you will be putting more wear and tear on your compressor as it will be running year round,
This is probably the biggest con of a heat pump. Compressor runs whether heating or cooling. So get a good well made compressor with a 5 year warranty.
This post was edited on 3/21/26 at 11:43 am
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