{"id":1233,"date":"2019-10-28T11:00:43","date_gmt":"2019-10-28T15:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/?p=1233"},"modified":"2025-09-12T13:53:28","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T17:53:28","slug":"should-replace-hvac-system-with-heat-pump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/heating-service\/should-replace-hvac-system-with-heat-pump\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Replace Your HVAC System With a Heat Pump?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/sun-and-snowflake-badge.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1235\" width=\"310\" height=\"310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/sun-and-snowflake-badge.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/sun-and-snowflake-badge-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/sun-and-snowflake-badge-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 310px) 100vw, 310px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re reading this because it\u2019s fall and you have plans to make a big change to your HVAC system before the winter weather arrives. You\u2019re debating about a new choice for comfort: a heat pump. Heat pumps are similar to air conditioners\u2014they move heat from one place to another using the circulation of refrigerant. The difference is heat pumps can switch the direction they operate so they function as both air conditioners and heaters. But if your furnace has been<a href=\"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/heating-service\/why-furnace-overheating-what-can-about-it\/\"> overheating frequently this year<\/a>, this might be the right time to consider a full system upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This sounds like a dream choice, doesn\u2019t it? Your year-round\ncomfort needs taken care of with a single system that can switch jobs with an adjustment\nof the thermostat. Of course, it can\u2019t be that simple. And it isn\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2>Ideal Situations for Replacing HVAC with a Heat Pump<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First, let\u2019s look at situations where a heat pump is one of\nthe best options available for an HVAC system:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>You are planning to replace the heater and the air conditioner at the same time. If you have the standard combination of furnace and AC, and both are around the same advanced age (more than 15 years), then installing a heat pump makes sense. A heat pump is more expensive than either a furnace or an AC, but less expensive than buying both.<\/li><li>You live in a home that doesn\u2019t have a gas line and you\u2019ve always used an electric furnace. A heat pump can save you a great deal of money compared to an electric furnace. A heat pump only uses electricity to <em>move<\/em> heat, where an electric furnace uses it to directly heat the air. The difference in electrical consumption between the two is significant. If you have to heat your home using electricity only, a heat pump is a excellent alternative to a furnace. You\u2019ll also avoid problems like<a href=\"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/heating-service\/boiler-wont-do-job-some-reasons-bad-boiler-behavior\/\"> bad furnace or boiler behavior<\/a> that can become more frequent as systems age.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>Cases Where a Heat Pump May Not Be Suitable<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We imagine you can already sense the objections to installing\na heat pump based on what we wrote above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>A heat pump <em>must<\/em> work as both a heater and air conditioner in order for it to be cost effective. Installing a heat pump that you only plan to work as a heating system or air conditioning system is a waste of money. If you don\u2019t plan to replace both the AC and furnace, a heat pump isn\u2019t the right way to go.<\/li><li>A heat pump can struggle with intense cold weather. As the temperature falls below freezing, the heat pump must expend more energy to draw heat from the outside air to bring inside. For some homes, this may not pose a serious issue. For others, a heat pump simply isn\u2019t up to the task. If your current system is still functioning but inconsistent,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/heating-service\/boiler-wont-do-job-some-reasons-bad-boiler-behavior\/\"> poor boiler or furnace performance<\/a> might already be signaling it&#8217;s time to explore other options.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>How HVAC Experts Help You Choose the Best System<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You need to consult with a <a href=\"\/service-areas\/milford-de-hvac-refrigeration-services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Milford, DE, HVAC contractor<\/a> when it comes to upgrades for your home comfort system. These are complex systems and long-term investments, and only a licensed professional can help you make the best choice, whether it\u2019s a heat pump, furnace, AC, etc. You\u2019ll need the professionals to install the system anyway, so have them on the job early. Our technicians are standing by to help you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Atlantic Refrigeration &amp; Air Conditioning, Inc. serves Delaware, and the Maryland Eastern Shore. <a href=\"\/contact\/service\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Call us 24\/7 for service!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s look at situations where a heat pump is one of the best options available for an HVAC system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[76],"tags":[21,189],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1233"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1233"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2142,"href":"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1233\/revisions\/2142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atlanticrefrigeration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}