Has anyone replaced their gas furnace with a heat pump? (Houston: appliances, house)

[detachable arm]

I have two 25 yr old AC + gas furnace systems that are on their last legs, only running thanks to YouTube, eBay & courage (or stupidity). I was wondering if anyone has converted from gas to a heat pump. Are they cheaper to run than gas furnaces? Do they heat your house up enough on the coldest nights? Can your pro simply install it?

My issue is gas furnaces give the house an odor. It is faint but distinct and you notice it after coming home if you've been out for awhile. The older your carpet and wall paint, the more noticeable. This faint odor is all around older Houston, Corpus, College Station homes with gas, but not in other parts of the country. (You also get this smell on your clothes after they come out of a gas dryer.)

I've smelled this most of my life, and I believe the gas down here has impurities that are burned off in the furnace and cause this odor. I'm in my mid-40s, very good health, etc but in 2023 we have cleaner options and quite frankly I'd rather not be breathing this.

[gwarnecke]

I grew up out in the country. We had heat pumps because there was no gas available and we didn't want to mess with propane. Have always had gas furnaces since moving to Houston.

I don't believe running costs are dramatically different in relatively mild-winter climates like Houston. Of course, heat pump furnaces guzzle electricity anytime the heat strips are running, but this should be rare for a properly-designed system.

The biggest challenge with switching from gas to heat pump will probably be getting 220v to your furnace location, to run the heat strips. If the 220v run is relatively straightforward (and if your main panel has enough spare capacity to run the heat strips), then the install shouldn't be a big deal.

Are you 100% sure that you don't have a very slow gas leak somewhere in your house, or a venting issue with one or more of your appliances? My wife is extremely sensitive to smells and she's never complained about a gas smell in our older all-gas house. I like gas appliances because they're generally faster than the electric equivalent (ie gas vs electric dryer, gas pool heater vs heat pump), but I acknowledge that heat pump furnaces are plenty powerful for Houston winters.

Another advantage of gas appliance is that you can easily run them with a small portable generator during the power outages that seem to be increasingly common in Texas, which usually isn't the case with high-draw electric appliances.

[detachable arm]

Originally Posted by gwarnecke

The biggest challenge with switching from gas to heat pump will probably be getting 220v to your furnace location, to run the heat strips. If the 220v run is relatively straightforward (and if your main panel has enough spare capacity to run the heat strips), then the install shouldn't be a big deal.

Ok, this is a problem. I only have 110 running to these air handlers and there is no room on the breaker. I didn't realize there were heat strips in these; I have a mini split in the garage that is also a heat pump and it simply has a reversing valve. I assumed this was the case for a home split system.

Are you 100% sure that you don't have a very slow gas leak somewhere in your house, or a venting issue with one or more of your appliances?

Guaranteed no gas leaks here. The smell is not a "gas smell" at all; it is kind of a sweet odor and it's been in every gas house I've lived in around here. I grew up in an all-electric 1980 house by Alief-- moving out to college in '96 with gas dryers below the dorms, I noticed this smell immediately in my clothes. I remember my dad telling me that smell was normal. However living in the northeast (burning a lot more gas) we didn't have this odor.

Another advantage of gas appliance is that you can easily run them with a small portable generator during the power outages that seem to be increasingly common in Texas, which usually isn't the case with high-draw electric appliances.

Good point, I do have a transfer switch and a portable generator. The heat strips would rob me of 2 circuits and would probably just overload it.

[gwarnecke]

Most ducted heat pumps have heat strips that kick in at very low exterior temperatures or when the thermostat calls for a temperature increase of several degrees or more over the current temperature. The strips can draw 20kw+ when they kick on.

I suppose another option would be to forgo the heat strips and install a new gas furnace as a backup to a ducted heat pump. This is more complex than just swapping for a new gas furnace and skipping the heat pump, but may be simpler than running 220v to your furnace, especially if your main panel is maxed out.

[catalonians]

if you have gas in your house, I think purchasing newer version of gas furnaces is still a better option. so far, my research indicates modulating gas furnaces are the best and most efficient. paired with gas generators, and you wont have to worry about those arctic blast blackout anymore. I dont think modern new gas furnaces will have any odor.