Whether you're building your own home or looking to update your current appliances, choosing between a furnace and a heat pump can be challenging. After all, it could make a big difference in how cozy you make your home in the winter. Before deciding, review the differences between these systems to ensure you're making the best choice.

Furnaces

Furnaces have been around for a long time, and they're very diverse. You can get a natural gas furnace, which can also be converted to propane, or you could go with an electric or oil one.

In recent years, these systems have become highly efficient, with oil, electric, and natural gas furnaces often being the greenest. If you have easy access to those resources—especially natural gas, which is cheap—a furnace could be a great choice.

Heat Pumps

Rather than generating heat, heat pumps transfer and distribute it through electricity. This means you can use one for air conditioning or heating, which may come in handy if you need to replace or add an entire HVAC system.

Since they use electricity, heat pumps are often highly efficient, though they don't perform as well when outdoor temperatures drop below freezing. Although electricity tends to be more expensive than natural gas, it's still less expensive than oil, and heat pumps use electricity more cost-effectively than electric furnaces.

Whether you think a furnace or heat pump is best for your home, you can get professional advice and installation from Tri-City Services in Wisconsin Rapids. With more than 70 years of experience, they’re experts in everything related to HVAC systems. Every technician is also trained and certified by the North American Technician Excellence, Inc., so you can feel confident that they’ll take good care of your home. Call for 24/7 emergency services at (715) 423-5840, or message them online.