Heat pump vs central ac and gas furnace
 

My Patio Villa is 20 years old and the AC/gas furnace will need to be replaced soon. Need opinions on a heat pump vs AC/gas furnace.Right now I am leaning with replacing the AC/gas furnace but a heat pump is an option. Which option is less expensive to install? Both options should have a 15 to 20 year lifespan but which option will have lower monthly operating costs ?

Here in Florida you don't really need a gas furnace since the heat pump type system will work down to 32 degrees. If it gets colder and if necessary your electric auxiliary heat will come on for short periods. I'm not an installer but my guess a gas heat system will probably be more expensive. I'm from NY and i was surprised that my heat pump system worked very well during the last hard freeze we had. My auxilary heat never came on but i did test it just in case.

This may help......

https://www.senicaair.com/article/senica-air-conditioning-furnace-vs-heat-pump-which-is-better-for-your-florida-home

Gas heat keeps the house warmer/quicker....in my opinion.
If you have a choice just do your homework to make an informed decision. In FL I don't think you can be wrong either way.

As I understand it an AC only is slightly more efficient that a heat pump. Payback period for a gas heating system and a regular AC unit getting HONEST numbers will be very difficult. You pay a minimum gas charge for being connected to the service. Other items that use gas in your home.

We are exNortherners. We previously had gas heat and a window AC that we rarely used. A heat pump-the CLAIMED efficiency for HEAT goes down when you most need it-when it is cold outside. When it reaches a certain COLD temperature outside, it resorts to electric heat and that is expensive.

A 20 year life? Do I have a 20 year life and if so will I still be in the villages?

I had heat pump and natural gas in two houses I lived in in okieland. Natural gas prices go up and down like roller coasters ������. I sure it going to be up hill for quite awhile now. My whole house electric bill was same or slightly higher than the house I lived in with gas heat bill. But, in 90s gas was in the up rise. With NATURE gas you get hotter air temps coming out of vents. With heat pump it’s way cooler and runs much longer. Agree here in Florida don’t need heat that much so not problem. IMO house always felt cold in winter in okie land with heat pump. Something some don’t like and takes getting use too.

Energy Conservation Rebates from TECO Gas:

Rebates

:ho:

If what you have now works well and has lasted for 20 years I’d go with that. Why try to fix what isn’t broken.

My experience with a heat pump was it came in stages to heat ,in the 40 degree outside temp not enough of the heat came on and the house felt cold. Lower outside temps then the full heating activated and was warm.

A Heat Pump Unit cost more to install, cost more to operate, and cost more to repair!!!
A Gas Furnace will last many years without repairs. A Heat Pump Unit is nothing more than a reverse cycle A/C Unit with a compressor. Poor Heating in the winter below 40 degree's. It cost more to run a compressor then to light up a gas burner.
NO DOUBT INSTALL A GAS FURNACE, Good Luck I hope you make the right choice.

Heat Pump vs HVAC
 

Typical A/C works by cooling the air in your home. Heat Pump works by removing the heat from your inside your home. Heat Pump is more efficient at cooling your home for less operating cost and more even cooling. It works the opposite in heating mode. In heating mode it removes heat from outside air and transfers that heat into your home. With Heat Pump you will also notice that you will not have any hot or cold spots in your home. It is very efficient and less costly to operate until temperature drops below freezing.

When it is 32 degrees or below outside the heat pump looses efficiency, and if you have it supplemental heat will then kick on. This is because as expected the colder it is outside the less heat there is in the air, and right at freezing the heat pump looses efficiency.

So to answer original question: A Heat Pump will be more costly to install and cheaper to run until outside temperature hits 32 degrees then it would cost more to run than HVAC. As for repairs it’s about all the same cost either way. I figure that with the grand scheme of things temperatures are very seldom below 32 in TV. When my Ac goes out I will replace with Heat Pump. I’m sure others will disagree but as a past owner of Heat Pump I miss the nice even cooling/ heating effect.

I had my system replaced last year. I have gas heat. The cost to convert from gas to a heat pump was not worth the change.

Stay with AC/gas furnace. I have a heat pump in our new house and hate it.

We have a heat pump. Works fine. Electric bills are not outrageous, keeps the house comfortable except during the really cold weather. So, you put on a sweater.

Edit. At our log cabin in NE TN, the heat pump cooled the place nicely, but would not heat it much at all.

Heat pumps have become more efficient. It used to be that they would only work down to 32F. Now, they can do their job below 32F to around 25F before you need an auxiliary heat source. They do become less efficient the lower the temperature goes. As is true with many things, you have to spend more money on a better unit in order to achieve better efficiency below the 32F.

The heated air coming out of a heat pump will not feel as warm to the skin as the air coming out of a gas furnace. It's because the air temperature is not as high. The heat pump will run more often in order to maintain a constant temperature, thus the lower temperature output. The gas furnace will blast hotter air less often.

You really notice the temperature difference if you stand over the vent and feel the airflow up your dress or nightgown. Gas furnace wins that competition every time.

The general rule of thumb is not to change the types of units that are already installed. Expense drives that part of the decision.