A furnace is certainly less dusty and a heat pump is probably cheaper. I would prefer a furnace like we had in the North, but in the South it is a heat pump.
Furnace is definitely warmer... as for your other questions, you may have to ask a HVAC company about the pricing.
I think heat pumps are a lot cheaper to operate in the mild climate we have here. They are not at all efficient in more severe cold weather. I think the dust problem is really a function of the heat delivery system - forced hot air, versus circulating hot water. If you had an oil-fired furnace with forced hot air, it would be just as dusty, I'm sure.
I'm asking for my mom. She lives in a 1250 sq. ft. modular home and has a furnace. Her last light bill was over $400. I live in a 1500 sq. ft. house and my last bill was $184. There are 3 of us and we keep the thermostat on 75. There are only she and my dad and they keep the thermostat on 73. She has an electric furnace, not oil.
An electric furnace? Wouldn't that be like running your emergency heat all the time on your heat pump?
Heat pumps are generally the way to go around here, I do believe there are some newer models that are extremely efficient and don't blow "cold" air like the older ones. I can't wait to replace mine. :hurray:
For a Heat pump, You get better return for your money. For every dollar you spend on the heat pump , you get 10 dollars worth of heat in return. A heat pump is the better chioce , for money and heat. I now this because i worked with a Dealer in Florida, They sold Both. and never pushed any brand or type on anyone. They let the customer decide. No Bully tactic's at that place. Or you got canned. LOL No I did not get canned.
I work part-time for an HVAC company here. I know which brand we recommend, but he works on all of them............hence the one we recommend. :jester:
We have a gas-pack heat pump system. Heats with gas so its warmer than the reg heat pump, uses elec for a/c. So our bills in the winter are pretty low - but in the summer they get pretty high, or so it seems to me (compared to winter)! LP Gas prices have not been that bad either, I'm on the equal pay because it was bad to get an unexpected $300-400 gas bill when they came and filled the tank.
We get a discount from the electric company for having a heat pump, insulated windows and doors. We use to have electric heat and air in our old home and the bill was usually around $300-$400. Now at our new house we have not had a bill over $175. I'd never go back to anything , but a heat pump!
