Gas vs. Electric??

[msmargie]

I am building a new home in Myrtle Beach, SC and would like to know what you recommend for an HVAC system. My brother thinks an electric system would be less expensive to operate but I have heard heat pumps do not heat all that well. It's a 1800 sq. ft., all brick home. Anyone want to make some suggestions?

[amickracing]

Well, I can't say for sure what your winters are like. But if heat pumps are so popular in my area (SD), and all of the surrounding states, I'd bet they'd work just fine in your area too.

The air that's blown out of the registers may not be as warm as a gas furnace, but it's warm enough to keep the house comfortable. Not to mention if you get a variable speed blower with a 2 stage heat pump, much of the time you'll never know it's even on.

If you are concerned you can also do both. Install a heat pump with a gas furnace back up.

[wyounger]

Nice heat pumps, when properly configured, do a great job. They got a bad reputation because they don't work so well when you combine cheap equipment with inferior thermostats. Provided you stay out of the bargain basement equipment and find a good contractor, it will do fine.

I'm not sure of your exact electric and gas rates, but in Georgia, the operating cost of an all-electric heat pump is lower than any other heating system. I'd expect that to also be true in SC.

[Edited by wyounger on 09-06-2005 at 09:53 AM]

[junkhound]

HP is the way to go in SC.

The other typical option is nat gas.

Posted the following in another post but will repeat it here:
Just finished reading an article about GTL (gas to liquid technology). LNG cost at the terminal now is 1/2 that of domestic gas, so there is a big profit for that, but even a 50% markup on LNG does not compete with sulfur free diesel vial GTL. Article stted that the patented Shell GTL process takes $10 worth of NG, combines it with CO2, and turns it at high temp and pressure into a barrel of diesel. At even $2 gal for diesel wholesale, thats a BIG profit margin. Article expects Nat gas to just keep going up. Down side for HP is if your local utility is mostly NG, you can expect to see elec. go up too. LNG is expected to possibly be a short term phenomenon as the 'stranded reserves" of nat gas are converted to diesel vs. LNG. There is even extra profit to be made is Kyoto credits in parts of Europe get applied to the CO2 used in the process.

[robertusa123]

yep heat pumps have that bad rep "cold heat". but they heat just fine in certral va its the way to go cheeper than oil or gas. but that depends on the price of electricey vr oil or gas.

as for temps out of vent only 100 avrage compared to 120 from gas. but it will still heat a home
so in you not in the happit of sitting on the vents you will not notice

[Mr HVAC41]

nice warm seat in the winter!