Michigan winters are frigid, as any resident can tell you. If you own a home here, it will need a reliable, efficient, and performant heating system. However, there’s more than one option for you to choose from. Here’s a guide to picking the best possible heating system for your Michigan home.
A variety of factors will influence your choice of heating systems. The one that tends to outweigh all the others is the installation cost. After all, you can only choose a heating system you can afford. Otherwise, every home would have a geothermal HVAC, which is hands-down the most efficient option. Generally, the least expensive heating system you can get is an electric furnace. You’ll find gas furnaces a bit higher on the price scale. Heat pumps are even more expensive than those, and hybrid systems are at the top of the price chart.
You will also need to consider the following factors when choosing a heating system:
You should also know that different heating systems have different strengths and weaknesses. Those can also play a major role in your choice. For example, if your biggest concern is quickly driving a chill out of your home, nothing beats a gas furnace. They output air that’s between 140°F and 170°F. That makes them capable of effecting fast indoor temperature changes. However, burning natural gas creates noxious exhaust that can worsen local air quality and contribute to climate change. If you want a cleaner and more efficient solution, you might choose a heat pump instead. They have a tiny carbon footprint, but operate at lower output temperatures.
You can choose from the following options to heat your home:
Gas furnaces offer an excellent heating option to combat the cold Michigan winters. They provide a fantastic mix of manageable upfront and operating costs. Gas furnaces range in efficiency from 81% to 98.5%. When you consider the low relative cost of natural gas, it translates into lower heating bills. For homes that lack a natural gas supply, electric furnaces offer a suitable alternative. They all operate at 100% efficiency, but are more expensive to operate than gas furnaces. Either option, though, is more than a match for anything the local weather can throw at them.
If your home has radiators or in-floor heating lines, a boiler is the right heating system choice for you. You can even opt for a combi boiler, which can heat your home and provide potable hot water simultaneously. It’s worth noting that boilers fall into the same efficiency ranges as gas furnaces. That’s because the two feature similar combustion systems. Another advantage of heating your home with a boiler is that they excel at delivering even heating.
Heat pumps are a unique heating system option that can do something other systems can’t: cool your home. Heat pumps are an all-in-one, all-electric HVAC solution. They collect heat from outdoor air to warm your home in winter. Cold-climate models like the ones used here in Michigan operate at 175% efficiency at temperatures as low as 5°F. In milder winter conditions, they can hum along at efficiencies as high as 400%. When it comes to electric heating systems, heat pumps have every other option beat.
One of the drawbacks of heat pumps is their declining heat output in extreme cold. That can give some homeowners pause as they choose a new heating system. To be clear, a cold-climate heat pump can typically supply ample heat, even in sub-zero temperatures. However, their output temperature declines as the outside temperature drops.
When it comes to comfort, low output temperatures can pose a problem. A heat pump blowing 85°F air will have no problem keeping your home warm. However, since that temperature is lower than your body temperature, it can cause a drafty feeling on cold days and nights. That’s where dual-fuel heat pumps come into play.
A hybrid, or dual-fuel system, combines a heat pump and a gas furnace. It provides the excellent efficiency and cooling capabilities of a heat pump. However, it has a gas furnace as a secondary heat option for the extreme cold. It’s a best-of-both-worlds solution that guarantees your comfort in any weather. They can also save you money by ensuring you use the cheapest heating option at all times.
No matter what type of heating system you’re interested in for your Ann Arbor, MI, home, Koch & White can provide it. We’ve served local homeowners for over 90 years. Our team of continuously trained HVAC technicians is among the best in the business. Plus, we’re a Carrier Factory Authorized dealer, so we only sell and install high-quality heating systems. We can even offer you financing options on approved credit to help you afford the system you want. So, when you’re ready for a heating replacement in your Ann Arbor home, contact Koch & White right away.
With nearly a century of service behind us, we know more about heating solutions than the competition. Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers.
