Are you building a home in an area without natural gas and need to find a way to heat the home effectively? It may be worth looking into a dual heating system that utilizes electric and propane heat to maximize your energy efficiency.

Use A Heat Pump As The Primary Heating Method

A dual heating system means that you will have a primary method to heat your home, which will likely be with a heat pump that is run off of electricity. A heat pump can be a very effective way to heat a home, but it doesn't work in regions where the temperature can become extremely cold. Heat pumps don't work well in those conditions, and they struggle with transferring heat to the inside of your home.

Use A Gas Powered Furnace As A Secondary Method

With your primary heating method in place, a second system needs to run for those times when the heat pump cannot do its job. This is typically done with a gas-powered furnace that uses propane as its main fuel source. While propane is more expensive than natural gas, you will only be using the forced air system during those days where the weather outside is low enough that the heat pump is not an option. 

Have Both Heat Sources Work In Tandem

When you have a dual heating system in place that is installed the proper way, it is something that you do not even have to think about. The heat pump will run off of electricity when the outdoor temperature is above freezing as the primary heating method. When the temperature outside drops below freezing, a thermostat communicates with the furnace and the heat pump to tell the system to switch to the opposite heat source. When temperatures outside start to get warm again, the thermostat then triggers the furnace to stop running off of propane and tells the heat pump to start working off of electricity. 

Remember To Have Enough Propane Ready

It's easy to not think about your heating fuel when you run an electric heat pump the majority of the time. However, it's important that you keep an eye on your propane levels so that you are ready to use the forced air furnace when the time comes. The last thing you want to happen is for temperatures to drop and not have enough propane to run the furnace for a long period of time.