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More than ever before, people are excited about replacing natural gas furnaces and air conditioners with heat pump systems. It’s easy to see why! In addition to the increasingly high performance and efficiency of today’s heat pumps, Georgia homeowners can qualify for massive federal rebates when they install one.
Thanks to the Georgia’s Home Efficiency Rebates (HER) and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) programs, Atlanta-area homeowners are saving thousands of dollars when they replace their old HVAC systems with heat pumps. These systems aren’t just an upgrade over your existing one–thanks to the rebate programs, they’re often the most affordable option!
But depending on what you’ve heard about heat pumps, you might be hesitant to install one. Rebates aside, is a heat pump really the best choice for your home? Are there downsides?
Let’s take a look at five of the most common myths about heat pumps. We’ll also consider some of these myths within the context of Georgia homeowners’ heating and cooling needs.
Myth #1: A heat pump won’t heat your home as well as a gas furnace.
One of the biggest misconceptions about heat pumps is that they can’t heat your home the way a furnace does. This is false.
On a typical winter night in Georgia–let’s say the temperature is 34 degrees–if you set your thermostat to 70 degrees, a heat pump will heat your home to 70 degrees. Same as a furnace. Regardless of the fuel source for your system, the house will be as warm as you want it to be.
So, what do people mean when they say gas furnaces heat your home better?
Usually, they’re referring to the way the heat feels coming out of the vents. Most people are used to feeling really warm air come out of their air vents. With a heat pump, the air is also warm; in most cases, it just doesn’t feel as warm.
Unfortunately, many homes in Georgia have oversized furnaces that blast extremely hot air into the home. The furnace might heat for three minutes and then turn off, which is not how any heating system should work! A properly sized and installed heat pump, by contrast, will run for longer and blow warm air (but not as warm as the air from an oversized furnace) for a longer time cycle.
Note: The air from variable speed heat pumps tends to feel warmer coming out of the vents than the air from conventional heat pumps.
The end result is that you have more consistent temperatures throughout the home. Plus, a heat pump is less likely to dry your skin out the way a typical furnace does!
Myth #2: Heat pumps don’t work when it’s really cold outside.
Fact: Heat pumps work exactly the way they were designed to work on the coldest days and nights.
We’ll add that today’s variable speed and cold climate heat pumps are designed to heat your home to any comfortable temperature, even when outdoor temperatures reach the negative double digits!
The last time Atlanta area temperatures dropped that low was in 2022. At that time, PV had installed around 100 of the new cold climate heat pumps at customers’ homes. We received zero service calls for those systems! Every single one of them was able to heat without any issue.
However, conventional or “classic” heat pumps are a bit different. If you have a conventional heat pump that’s properly sized, it is capable of bringing indoor temperatures to the 70s on a 24-degree day.
When outdoor temperatures dip below 24 degrees, it might struggle to maintain your thermostat setting. Some people find that conventional heat pumps will heat their homes to the mid or high 60s on the coldest days and nights. . This is what it was designed to do, so it’s not broken! It just doesn’t perform to quite the same level as the more modern units.
So, yes, heat pumps can heat your home when it’s really cold outside. And the latest generation of heat pumps does it even better.
Myth #3: Heat pumps don’t cool your home.
Correction: Heat pumps absolutely do cool your home!
A heat pump is actually an air conditioner. During the summer, it removes heat from the indoor environment and pumps it to the outdoors. Hence, the name “heat pump.”
When winter rolls around, the heat pump works in reverse. It pumps heat from the outdoors into your house. It’s hard at work year round!
We’re not actually sure where this myth originated. Maybe it’s because the word “heat” is in the name of the equipment? In any case, a heat pump will cool your home in summer the same way an air conditioner does.
Myth #4: Heat pumps don’t last as long as AC and furnace systems.
You know how we just said that heat pumps are hard at work throughout the year? Well, that’s the thinking behind this misconception about heat pumps.
Some folks contend that heat pumps won’t last as long as AC/furnace setups because they’re being used almost constantly. An AC, by contrast, is only used during the summer, and a furnace is only used during the winter.
Not so fast!
The reality is that an air conditioner in Atlanta is like a car you only drive eight months out of the year. And a furnace? It’s like a car you only drive three or four months per year.
Basically, the parts can deteriorate from lack of use. That’s why you have to have your AC and furnace serviced before the cooling and heating seasons, respectively.
In our experience, most heating and cooling systems fail for one or more of the following reasons:
- Oversizing by installation contractors results in premature wear and tear.
- Poor duct design overworks the system, leading to parts failure.
- Lack of regular maintenance reduces system longevity.
This is true regardless of whether you have a heat pump system or an AC/furnace arrangement. In our experience, well-maintained heat pumps last just as long as any other type of system.
Myth #5: When the power goes out, you won’t have heat.
Actually, this isn’t a myth. It’s true.
But it’s a moot point because the same is true for a gas furnace.
Your existing gas furnace probably relies on electronic ignition. In other words, it won’t ignite without electricity. Ditto for the blower motor, which moves hot air through the duct system. It needs electricity, too.
If the power goes out on a really cold day, you’ll need to use a backup generator of some kind to power your home’s heating system. This is true regardless of whether you’re using a furnace or a heat pump.
Honorable mention: Heat pumps are noisy.
This is kind of a myth that isn’t a myth. Weird, we know, but we’ll explain.
Sometimes, a thick layer of frost will form on the heat pump’s outdoor coil. This happens during the winter when outdoor temperature and humidity are at the right levels for frost to accumulate. When this happens, the heat pump will run a defrost cycle to melt the frost.
With a conventional heat pump, the defrost cycle is pretty noisy. So this one isn’t a myth; it’s true.
But with a variable speed or cold climate heat pump, you get a quiet mode for the defrost cycle. It’s whisper quiet for these models, so the noise is a total non-issue.
Claim your rebate savings today
Our Customer Advocate Center is ready to help you determine your HER and HEAR program eligibility, find the best upgrades for your home, and maximize your rebates.
Please note: We currently serve homeowners in the Metro Atlanta area only.
Complete the form below or call us at (404) 798-9672 to see if this program is a good fit for you!
Why choose PV for your heat pump installation?
With those heat pump myths debunked, you might be wondering how to replace the heating and cooling system in your Georgia home with a heat pump.
At PV, we’re not just heat pump experts–we’re approved contractors for the HER and HEAR rebate programs in Georgia! When you work with us, you’re getting a rigorous installation from highly trained professionals who are held to the highest conceivable standard for quality.
Wondering how much you might be able to save with Georgia’s rebate programs? Plug your info into this calculator! While the results are just a ballpark estimate, they can give you an idea of what’s possible with HEAR and HER.
To help you maximize your rebate savings, we’ve created a Customer Advocate Center for prospective customers. Our team can help you identify the best savings opportunities for your new heat pump!
To learn more or determine your eligibility for the HEAR and HER rebate programs, contact a PV customer advocate today!
