Priority Mechanical Heating Cooling & Plumbing

Heat Pumps vs. Air Conditioners: Which One Should You Choose?

  • September 13th, 2024

If you’re looking to keep your home cool, you’ve probably come across two main options: heat pumps and air conditioners. While both systems do a great job of cooling your home, they work differently, and each has its pros and cons.

Here’s a quick breakdown to help you figure out which one is right for your home.

What’s the Difference Between a Heat Pump and an Air Conditioner?

Both heat pumps and air conditioners remove warm air from your home to cool it down. The big difference is that heat pumps can also work in reverse, providing heat during the colder months. So, with a heat pump, you get a system that can handle both heating and cooling.

Air conditioners, on the other hand, only cool your home. With both choices, you will still need a separate heating system—like a furnace—for the winter months.

The difference is that with an air conditioner and furnace combo, the furnace will need to be used 100% of the time for heating. However, with a heat pump and furnace combo, the heat pump will do the majority of the heating work. It only needs to rely on the furnace for help once the outdoor temperatures get very cold.

Which One is More Energy-Efficient?

In terms of energy efficiency, heat pumps are generally the better choice for our area, southwestern Ontario, with our milder winters compared to more northern regions of Canada. Since they work for both cooling and heating, this can save you energy and money in the long run.

How Do the Costs Compare?

While heat pumps tend to cost more upfront than air conditioners, their energy efficiency can lead to long-term savings. This is because they take much of the work away from the furnace.

If you already have a furnace and just need to cool your home, an air conditioner will likely be the cheaper option at first but will not generally provide the long-term savings that heat pumps do.

Which System is Best for Your Home?

Choosing between a heat pump and an air conditioner depends on your needs, where you live, and your budget. If you want a system that is less reliant on fossil fuels in the heating season, a heat pump might be the way to go. However, an air conditioner could be better if you don’t plan on living in your house long enough to see the long-term savings a heat pump can offer.

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