How to Choose the Right Heating System for Your Home

At some point in your home ownership, you’re going to be faced with having to replace the home’s central heating system. You’ll be in a lot better shape if you’re prepared for making this decision. The following factors should be considered when assessing your heating system options.

First, you should decide whether to stick with the type of heating system you already have (usually either an electric heat pump or gas furnace). Generally, if you already have the infrastructure in place for one option or the other (for example, gas lines and vents for a gas furnace), you’re better off sticking with that system. However, here in South Texas, you might consider switching to an air-source heat pump if you haven’t already. They provide energy-efficient heating and cooling, without the need for supplemental heating.

Often, this decision – furnace or heat pump – relates to climate. Living in our mild-winter climate, the cost of heating isn’t nearly as important a factor as the cost of cooling, and a two-way heat pump system can save money in the long run.

Energy efficiency is another factor when weighing your heating system options. While a high-efficiency furnace or heat pump will cost more at the outset, over time it will reap monthly savings on energy bills. Here again, climate may influence your decision. When it comes to a heating system, the longer and colder the heating season, the more sense it makes to pay for the highest-efficiency equipment that you can afford. On the other hand, here in South Texas, cooling efficiency is much more important than heating efficiency.

Sizing is also a crucial factor in selecting a new heating system. It’s best to leave this decision to your trusted HVAC contractor. They should perform a heating load calculation on your home, which will be used to recommend the right size heating system. Over-sizing a heat pump or furnace can be just as bad as under-sizing it.

To discuss your heating system options with someone you can trust, please contact us at CCAC, Inc., providing quality HVAC services to the Corpus Christi area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about your HVAC system, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 361-678-2495.  

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