The two systems sharing the workload reduces wear and tear and increases reliability and longevity
Because of the severe cold in my area and brutal heat and humidity in the summer, it’s necessary to invest in both heating and cooling. The winters bring temperatures down to twenty below zero and multiple feet of snow. Although the summers don’t last long, the temperature can soar into the high eighties. For my house, we chose a dual fuel system. While the combination of a gas furnace and an electric heat pump was more expensive than a more conventional system, it saves enough money on utility bills to recover the cost. The heat pump provides cooling, using refrigerant to pull heat out of the house and transfer it outside. It is effective at combating humidity and handles the highest summer temperatures. Once the weather cools off, we switch the heat pump to heating mode. It reverses the flow of refrigerant, absorbing ambient heat from the outdoor air and pumping it indoors. Because it uses existing heat rather than burning fossil fuels, the heat pump is far more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than fuel-burning heating systems. However, as the temperature falls below freezing the heat pump becomes less effective and efficient. At that point, the furnace starts up, takes over and handles comfort for as long as necessary. The two systems sharing the workload reduces wear and tear and increases reliability and longevity. We have been totally happy with the performance of the dual fuel system and our running costs. No matter what the weather brings, we know the house will be perfectly comfortable.