14 Heat Pump Pros and Cons to Help You Make the Best Choice

May 09, 2025

Now is the best time to start saving money on your energy bill. Residential gas prices hit an all-time high recently.  Gas furnaces are falling out of favor due to being less cost-effective to maintain than today’s alternatives. They’re also less environmentally sustainable due to higher CO2 emissions. 

Fortunately, purchasing a heat pump provides a solution.

You can also reach out to your local HVAC experts to determine if a heat pump is right for your home. Or, keep reading to learn what a heat pump is, the different types, and the heat pump pros and cons you can expect. 

What Is a Heat Pump?

A heat pump is part of your home HVAC system, using surrounding energy to transfer heat and move air around. The energy used to make the pump function can come from electricity, the surrounding air, water sources, or geothermal energy in the ground.  

A heat pump differs from a traditional gas furnace or air conditioner in that it uses movement to change the temperature; it doesn’t create heat but transfers it. 

Different Types of Heat Pumps

• Air-To-Air: This heat pump is the most common type for residential homes. It’s a flexible heat source that shifts air around—either from outside to inside or vice-versa. 
• Geothermal: This heat pump works by pulling heat from below ground. Your energy comes from pipes buried near your home or residential complex, transferring hot or cold water, depending on the temperature in the house.

How Does a Heat Pump Work?

Let’s take a look at how heat pumps work. For our example, let’s assume you want to cool your home.

Air-To-Air

1. The heat pump uses what’s known as a compressor, a tool that moves refrigerant. A refrigerant is a liquid that determines whether you’ll receive hot or cool air. 

2. The refrigerant transforms into a vapor that passes through a reversing valve, a tool that directs the hot air to either an indoor or outdoor unit. For the sake of this example, let’s say the air is moving from indoors to outdoors. 

3. The hot air blows through the indoor unit’s heat exchanger, a tool that transfers heat between the refrigerant and the source of the temperature. In this example, the source is your indoor air.

4. The refrigerant loses its heat, transforming it back into a liquid from its previous vapor state.

5. The refrigerant passes through a series of filters and a valve to return to a mixture of vapor and liquid. 

6. After the refrigerant changes form, it moves through the outdoor heat exchanger with the aid of a fan. Its leftover thermal energy returns to the reversing valve, giving you cool air and restarting the whole process.

Geothermal

1. During the summer, the area beneath the earth’s surface is cooler than the air above. This source provides geothermal heat pumps with the temperature needed to transfer cold air into your home. 

2. A series of pipes function as a heat exchanger just below the surface near your home, filled with either water or antifreeze to trap temperature.

3. Either the water or antifreeze circulates below the earth’s surface, transferred to a heat pump that then generates cold. 

4. Ducts further circulate cool air to different rooms. 

5. During the winter, this entire process works in reverse. Since the surface air will be much colder than the warmer ground below, your geothermal pump transfers warm air into your home.

Curious about which heat pump suits you best? Contact us today with your questions!

14 Heat Pump Pros and Cons

Heat pumps have a lot of advantages—but there are possible downsides to consider as well. Use this list to guide you toward the best decision.

Heat Pump Advantages

1. They’re Cost-Efficient: Many households across the nation save several hundred dollars yearly after switching to heat pumps.

2. They Provide Both Heating and Cooling: Despite the name, heat pumps are flexible enough to provide heating and cooling to your home. You’ll have complete control over the climate in your home year-round with this sustainable and cost-effective solution.

3. They’re Environmentally Friendly: Heat pumps use refrigerants with a lower GWP (global warming potential), reducing the amount of harmful chemicals released into the air.

4. They’re Energy Efficient: Heat pumps don’t require as much energy to keep your home at your preferred temperature as other heating and cooling solutions.  

5. They Have a Longer Lifespan than AC Units: Traditional AC units need to be replaced or repaired regularly. The lifespan of heat pumps adds to their affordability and eco-friendly nature.

6. They’re Connected to Tax Incentives: Federal tax credits were introduced in 2022 to save homeowners and building owners thousands of dollars a year for energy-efficient installations (including heat pumps). 

7. They’re Quiet: Heat pumps make less noise during normal operation, and they’re often installed outside, keeping your home quieter.

8. They Improve the Air Quality: Due to consistently circulating air, a heat pump filters and cleans the air within your home, getting rid of dust and other particles. 

9. They’re Relatively Safe: Heat pumps don’t use fossil fuels, which means they don’t have any open flames or hot surfaces that can harm you or anyone else in your home. 

Heat pumps have a lot of benefits, but we know it’s not enough to deliver a quality product—our customers deserve a quality experience. Check out our customer reviews to learn more about our fast installation and courteous service.

Heat Pump Disadvantages

1. Heat Pumps Are Difficult to Install:  Heat pumps are not something a DIYer can do over the weekend—they must be installed by professionals.

2. Upfront Installation Costs Are A Little Higher: Heat pump installations are more complex, so the installation costs are higher than a traditional AC unit. We regularly provide limited-time deals and coupons so you can save without sacrificing quality. 

3. Their Reliance On Electricity Can Make Them Obsolete In A Power Outage. Heat pumps depend on electricity to transfer hot or cool air. If you live in an area prone to outages, this could be an issue. 

4. Heat Pumps Can Struggle in Freezing Temperatures: Since a heat pump sits outdoors, freezing temperatures can affect its effectiveness and efficiency. Using geothermal energy is difficult when everything’s frozen, though most heat pumps have a backup electrical generator to keep you warm. 

5. Rises in Electricity Bills: When a heat pump can’t use other energy sources, it will turn to electricity to work, leading to higher bills.

Heat Pumps are a Sustainable and Cost-Effective Investment

With flexible heating and cooling matched by lower energy costs, heat pumps are one of the best investments you can make for your home. For over 40 years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to providing homeowners and landlords with technology they can depend on.

However, you don’t have to wait forever to figure out the costs. We offer free estimates with no hidden fees, so you know exactly what you’re getting upfront.

Ready to start saving money on your energy costs? Call us today at 402-401-4960 for a free estimate on your new heat pump installation.