Why Not an Electric Heat Pump?
• It blows cool air – An electric heat pump delivers air that is between 90 and 95 degrees, which is below your body temperature, so it feels cool. • Doesn’t work well with a programmable thermostat – With an electric heat pump, you can’t take advantage of the energy savings available with a programmable thermostat because a heat pump takes hours to bring the home’s temperature back to the desired level. • Works poorly when it’s below freezing – An electric heat pump will not heat your home effectively when the outdoor temperature drops below 30 to 35 degrees. At that point it requires a backup heating system – usually an electric resistance furnace – and that gets expensive. • Units have short life – Because a heat pump tries to do both heating and cooling, it operates more hours during the year – and won’t last nearly as long as a gas furnace. In fact, gas furnace warranties are typically 20 years, compared to 5 years for most heat pumps. • Makes your home drafty – Heat pumps require
