For example you may have an electric furnace a gas furnace or a heat pump.
Add heat pump to forced air system.
The primary difference between the diverse kinds of forced air systems is the kind of equipment that gets the air heated.
The existing forced air furnace provides booster heat during extremely cold winter weather.
It is a heating system that carries heated air throughout your house.
Homeadvisor s complete heat pump or forced air furnace guide defines the differences between electric and gas heat pumps and gas electric propane and oil furnaces.
If you do not have ductwork installed in your home the added expense to install ductwork may make traditional heat pump systems cost prohibitive.
Compare costs efficiency installation operating costs and more for electric heat pumps vs gas heating to determine which hvac system is best for your home.
Forced air furnaces are one of the most common types of home heating systems in the united states.
The heat pump advantage.
Adding a heat pump to your electric furnace assures you hot air in the cold winters and refreshing cold air in the hot season.
The heat pump is capable of both heating and cooling and works like an ac unit.
For homes located in milder climates but where they might want some heat every so often the heat pump split system is a good choice.
The add on heat pump works automatically with the forced air furnace to provide continuous temperature control.
In moderate climate zones heat pumps represent a much more efficient means of cooling the home than a central air conditioner.
During milder winter weather the.
Forced air systems use a furnace or heat pump to heat the air and then disperse it through the house via ductwork and in room vents.
For heat the equipment simply reverses operation.
Once the temperature is set at the thermostat cold air from the home is pulled into the system where it passes through the air filter removing allergens like pollen and dust.
A heat pump condenses heat present in the outside air usually down to about 30 degrees fahrenheit depending on the region and the amount of moisture in the air and pumps it into the home.
All these types of systems could heat the air and when they are paired with a fan or a blower they can spread heated air all through your house.
Heat pump systems can heat and cool a home for as little as one.
More on heat pumps below.
When the temperature drops below freezing there s not enough heat in the air to sufficiently heat the home with the pump alone so the backup electric or gas furnace kicks in to provide warmth.
A heat pump is normally composed by 2 units one that acts as furnace on the inside and another unit on the outside that acts like a conditioner.
If you switch to an air source or geothermal heat pump from a conventional forced air heating and cooling system you will likely be able to reuse your home s existing ductwork if it is in good shape.