Heat Pump vs. Gas Furnace

Moving to PA asks,

I'm considering having a heat pump installed in a house I'm closing on next week. The house is located in western Pennsylvania, and currently has a gas furnace but no cooling. The idea of taking most of the heavy lifting of the gas furnance and going cooling in the summer seems like a good idea to me. Do you agree?

Our Answer

My advice? Don't do it. It's never a good idea to install a heat pump when you have available gas service. The cost of heating with gas is always less expensive than heat pump heating costs, especially in cold climates like the one you experience in western Pennsylvania. Heat pumps are more valuable in warmer southern climates, where temperatures don't frequently dip below freezing.
That said, chances are that your existing duct system needs to be updated to properly install central air conditioning and cool your house. Considering you only have a furnace, those ducts are probably smaller than they would be if they were designed to carry AC – which would be the case regardless of whether the house currently uses a heat pump or a gas furnace. They also might need to be relocated, because with air conditioning, you want to have supply vents at both the ceiling and the floor. So adding central air conditioning to your home might require a hefty investment either way, but under no circumstances should you give up a gas furnace for heat pump.