A dual fuel heating system is a great tool to ensure your home stays comfortable no matter how low the outside temperature drops. Well, we know they are, but many of our visitors don't!
What is a dual fuel heat pump anyway?
In a lot of ways, a dual fuel heat pump is the best of both worlds. A dual fuel combines the energy efficiency of a heat pump with the raw heating potential of a gas furnace. It's a great tool for homeowners who need power to get through severe winter cold, but still want to take advantage of heat pump energy savings during the rest of the year. They get those savings by operating the energy efficient heat pump in mild weather. When winter gets really severe, they switch over to gas to maintain interior comfort and performance.On a dual fuel unit, is SEER or AFUE rating more important?
Dual fuel heat pump performance is measured by SEER, seasonal energy efficiency ratio, for the heat pump and AFUE, annual fuel utilization efficiency, for the gas furnace. Which is the most important? They're both really important and you should get a dual fuel system with as high a SEER and AFUE as you can find. If you have to make a choice, we'd recommend a higher SEER rating. The higher SEER rating means your system will be just as efficient during a hot summer as it is in a cold winter.