HVAC vs. Furnace in Plano, TX
With over 40 years of experience, ABC Heating & Air Conditioning provides superior air conditioning and furnace installation for residents of Plano and McKinney, Dallas and Collin County and the surrounding Texas communities. When choosing how to heat your home and keep your family comfortable during the winter, two of the most common systems are heat pumps and gas furnaces. Let’s take a look at both to decide which system is right for your home:

Heat Pumps

Heat Pump Pros and Cons
- Pros
- No Fuel or Burning
- No combustion takes place inside the air handler, so there is no risk of carbon monoxide leakage.
- Heat Pumps do not require a gas line installation if your home doesn’t already have one.
- No Dry Skin
- Heat pumps produce less intense heat than furnaces and do not dry out the air as much, which means you’ll be cozy and comfortable inside.
- More Efficient at Moderate Temperatures
- Heat pump systems are much more efficient on moderately cold days than furnaces.
- No Fuel or Burning
- Cons
- Heat Strip Costs
- On days where the heat pump alone cannot warm your home, the heat strips in the air handler will have to pick up the slack and are expensive to run.
- Heat Quality
- Though heat pump systems warm your home, they generally blow colder air than furnaces do.
- Efficiency in Extreme Cold
- Heat pumps become less efficient as the outside temperature drops.
- Heat Strip Costs
Furnaces
Furnaces heat the air in your home by burning natural gas. They burn the same natural gas you use to cook and heat your water. The gas is burned in a heat exchanger and a fan is used to move the air in your home across the heat exchanger. The carbon monoxide generated from burning the gas is vented out of your home via a duct and separate fan.Furnace Pros and Cons
- Pros
- Efficiency in Extreme Cold
- Furnaces are very efficient and effective in heating the air in your home as the outside temperature drops.
- Heat Quality
- Furnaces produce and blow hot heat that some people prefer.
- Existing Infrastructure
- If your home already has a gas line hookup, installing a furnace may be cheaper than a heat pump system.
- Efficiency in Extreme Cold
- Cons
- Efficiency in Mild Months
- Furnaces loose efficiency as the outside temperatures rise. Heating a home that doesn’t see below-freezing temperatures often can be very expensive.
- Carbon Monoxide Leaks
- Old systems and systems that aren’t inspected regularly can leak dangerous carbon monoxide into your home. Furnaces should always be installed with CO detectors and inspected regularly.
- Dry Air
- Furnaces tend to dry out the air they heat. If you’re sensitive to dry air and have a furnace, you may have to install a humidifier to make the air inside your home comfortable, adding to the cost of choosing a furnace.
- Efficiency in Mild Months