Is a Hybrid Heat Pump the Solution to Enhanced Home Efficiency?

There’s no doubt that the Midwest has some cold and long winter seasons that can drive up your heating bills. Fortunately, with the right heating system, you can enhance your indoor comfort while lowering your utility costs during winter. A popular style of heating system hitting the region is the hybrid heat pump.

What Is a Hybrid Heat Pump?

A hybrid heat pump is a combination of a heat pump and a furnace. It can also be referred to as a dual-fuel heating system. This type of system maximizes your home’s efficiency by offering the best heating system efficiency depending on the temperature. Air-source heat pumps work by extracting heat from the air outside and transferring it into your house.

These work great at temperatures above freezing. However, as the air gets colder, it’s harder to extract adequate heat. This is where having a secondary or dual-fuel heating system comes into play. A hybrid heat pump switches over to using a furnace to produce heat when temperatures outside get below freezing. Furnaces offer better heating capacity and efficiency at freezing temperatures.

Hybrid heat pumps have an integrated smart control system that’s responsible for knowing when to switch between heating systems. Using smart technology, it maximizes your home’s heating efficiency around the clock. This provides seamless operation that minimizes costs for any savvy homeowner.

Lower Energy Bills

Probably one of the biggest reasons that homeowners invest in hybrid heat pumps is to save money on their annual heating bills. The climate here includes a long, cold winter season that requires a reliable heating system to safely get through. A hybrid heat pump provides the best of both worlds when it comes to operating efficiency. You can enjoy the major efficiency that a heat pump has over traditional furnaces during mild temperatures. Then, enjoy the reliable heating of a furnace at lower temperatures at which a heat pump’s efficiency will starkly decline.

Enhanced Indoor Comfort

Another major advantage of a dual-fuel heating system is better indoor comfort. If you rely solely on a heat pump, your home will be uncomfortable when temperatures outside dip low. When you get a hybrid heat pump, you can rely on the comfort that a furnace provides during the colder weather. This will keep your family comfortable and safe all winter long.

Longer System Lifespan

One key benefit of a hybrid heat pump is that you can maximize the lifespan of your heat pump and furnace alike. If you were to rely solely on a furnace or heat pump, they would run continuously to keep your home comfortable. A heat pump would continually struggle to heat, leading to excessive wear and tear on its components. With a hybrid system, you can ensure that neither system works too hard. This lets you get more for your money from both heating systems.

Environmental Benefits

Choosing a hybrid heating system can do wonders for reducing your home’s carbon footprint and energy consumption. Furnaces that burn heating oil, natural gas, or propane will toxic exhaust fumes during operation. Heat pumps rely solely on electricity. This means they don’t burn fuel or create toxic exhaust fumes. Since your heat pump will run the most often, you’ll be using your furnace less. This will lead to lower exhaust fume emissions throughout the year.

Cost Savings

When homeowners first hear about hybrid heat pumps, one of their biggest concerns is the higher up-front cost. Instead of purchasing a single heat pump or furnace, you’re buying both. However, you can typically enjoy more cost savings over their entire lifespan than when just purchasing one system or the other.

One of the biggest savings you’ll see is in the form of lower monthly bills. Hybrid heat pumps offer the most cost-effective solution for home heating on the market today. Homes with a hybrid heat pump have a higher resale value than homes with a single heating system. What’s more, federal tax credits, local rebates, and other government programs are available. When you install an energy-efficient hybrid heat pump system, you can qualify for many of these programs. This will lead to a significantly lower installation cost.

Expert Heat Pump Installation Services

Fire 'n' Ice Heating & Cooling Inc. offers expert heat pump installation services for the Downers Grove, IL area. We can also assist with all your heat pump repair, replacement, and tune-up needs.

Call our team at Fire 'n' Ice Heating & Cooling Inc. today to book your next service appointment with one of our experienced HVAC technicians.