Tony explains why sometimes the “less efficient” option is actually the smarter, safer, and more reliable choice.

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❄️ Introduction: Heat Pumps Aren’t Magic — And Some Homes Just Don’t Play Nice With Them

The industry loves to preach:

“Heat pumps work everywhere now!”

Tony agrees — heat pumps have come a long way.
But he also knows something manufacturers don’t want to admit:

“Some homes are just too cold, too drafty, too tight, or too old-school for a heat pump to keep up.”

He’s been in homes where:

• a high-end cold-climate heat pump could barely reach 69°F

• the heat pump ran 24/7 below 25°F

• steam from breath froze inside window frames

• crawlspaces were sucking cold air into returns

• the home was airtight and trapped humidity in winter

• backup heat ran nonstop

• electric bills hit $600–$900 per month

In all these scenarios, an electric furnace—often dismissed as “inefficient”—ended up being the right design choice.

Goodman 68,240 BTU 20 kW Electric Furnace with 2,000 CFM Airflow

This article explains why Tony sometimes chooses electric furnaces as the primary heat source, even in the era of heat pump hype.

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🧊 1. Heat Pumps Lose Capacity as Outdoor Temperature Drops — Electric Furnaces Don’t

Heat pumps use outdoor air as their heat source.

So when temperatures drop:

• capacity drops

• supply air temperature drops

• run times skyrocket

• defrost cycles increase

• energy consumption jumps

• supplemental heat comes on

• comfort decreases

DOE documentation confirms this performance curve:
👉 https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/heat-pump-systems

Tony has seen heat pumps that deliver:

• 100% capacity at 47°F

• 65–80% at 30°F

• 50% at 17°F

• 25–40% at 5°F

Electric furnaces?

• 100% output at all outdoor temperatures

• Same supply temperature every time

• No defrost cycle

• No performance drop

• No capacity curve

For homes in extreme climates or older homes with poor insulation, Tony says:

“Predictability beats fancy tech.”

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🔥 2. Electric Furnaces Produce Higher, More Consistent Supply Air Temperature

Nothing affects perception of comfort more than supply air temp.

Typical Supply Temps

Electric furnaces feel like “real heat.”

Tony explains it like this:

“Some people need 115°F air or they feel cold.
Heat pumps don’t give you that when it’s 20°F outside.”

This is especially true in homes where:

✔ high ceilings
✔ open floor plans
✔ cold basements
✔ drafty walls
✔ old windows

…make heat pumps feel lukewarm.

A 115°F electric furnace fixes that every time.

The DOE notes that electric resistance heating produces immediate, predictable heat:
👉 https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/electric-resistance-heating

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🏚️ 3. In Old, Drafty, Poorly Insulated Homes — A Heat Pump Can’t Win

Tony has serviced hundreds of older homes built with:

• plaster walls

• no insulation

• crawlspaces with 40°F winter floors

• leaky windows

• unsealed attics

• air gaps around outlets

• open wall chases

These homes have enormous heat loss.

A heat pump’s low-temperature supply air simply cannot overcome:

• leaky walls

• cold surfaces

• poor insulation

• high air infiltration

The heat pump ends up:

• running nonstop

• using backup heat constantly

• costing more than expected

• struggling to maintain temperature

An electric furnace is brute force — but reliable force.

Tony says:

“If the house leaks like a barn, give it a heater that doesn’t care.”

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🛑 4. In Super-Tight Homes, Heat Pumps Cause Humidity Problems in Winter

Modern homes with tight envelopes (spray foam, ZIP systems, and triple-pane windows) have a different issue:

They trap humidity in winter.

Heat pumps produce:

• warm but not hot air

• long run cycles

• lower air temperature

• limited drying effect

Electric furnaces produce:

• hotter air

• higher delta-T

• faster moisture reduction

Tony sees this all the time:

• condensation on windows

• high inside humidity even in winter

• musty or “stuffy” smell

• crawlspaces sweating

• MERV filters getting damp

• HRV/ERV systems undersized

Electric furnaces naturally reduce moisture load.
Heat pumps often exaggerate it.

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⚙️ 5. Electric Furnaces Are Simpler — And Sometimes Simplicity Wins

Heat pumps have:

• reversing valves

• defrost boards

• sensors

• pressure switches

• outdoor coils

• crankcase heaters

• refrigerant circuits

• expansion valves

• dual fuel controls

Electric furnaces have:

• heat strips

• sequencers

• blower

• safeties

• breakers

That’s it.

Tony likes heat pumps — but he acknowledges:

“Complex equipment fails more often than simple equipment.
Some homes need simple.”

For off-grid backup, remote cabins, rental properties, or homes with long repair wait times, electric furnaces are predictable and easy to maintain.

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⚡ 6. When Panel Amperage Supports Heat Strips — Electric Heat Shines

One misconception is that electric heat = overloaded panel.

Tony says:

“Electric furnaces only fail when idiots oversize strip heat.”

Most homes can safely support:

• 8 kW = ~33 amps

• 10 kW = ~42 amps

• 15 kW = ~63 amps

Tony sizes strip heat to panel capacity BEFORE designing the system.
(The article we wrote earlier on panel-first design connects directly to this.)

Some homes have 200A services and can easily run 10–15 kW.

In these homes, electric furnaces become:

• safe

• predictable

• effective

For ultra-cold areas where a heat pump’s backup heat would need to run constantly anyway, Tony often removes the heat pump entirely and uses:

Electric furnace + tight duct design = rock-solid performance.

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🧪 7. Tony’s Rule: The Colder It Gets, the More the Heat Pump Behaves Like Expensive Space Heating

Tony tests heat pumps in real homes, not lab conditions.

What he sees:

At 47°F outdoors:

• Runs efficiently

• High capacity

• Great performance

At 32°F outdoors:

• Capacity drops

• Run time increases

• Defrost starts cycling

At 25°F outdoors:

• Indoor supply drops

• Aux heat kicks in

• Bills rise

Below 20°F outdoors:

• System struggles

• 60–80% of heat comes from strips, NOT the heat pump

At that point, the heat pump becomes a complicated way to run expensive electric heat.

Tony’s words:

“If 80% of your heat is coming from strips, just use a furnace and call it a day.”

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🏚️ 8. Homes With Poor Ductwork Are Better Off With Electric Heat

Heat pumps need PERFECT airflow.

If the home has:

• high static pressure

• undersized return air

• flex duct everywhere

• long trunks

• kinks

• low CFM

• leaks

A heat pump will:

• freeze up

• struggle in defrost

• fail to heat

• pull in cold attic or crawlspace air

• run backup heat too often

Electric furnaces are more forgiving.

Even with imperfect ducts, they still deliver:

• higher supply temps

• faster recovery

• more stable heating

EPA documentation highlights how poor ducts severely impact heat pump performance:
👉 https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq

Tony’s verdict:

“If the duct system is garbage, heat pumps magnify the garbage.”

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🔥 9. Electric Furnaces Are Exceptional for Short Run Cycles & Quick Recovery

Heat pumps aim for long run cycles.

But some homes need short, hot bursts of heat:

• older homes

• basements

• bonus rooms

• garages

• shops

• drafty spaces

• homes with poor airflow

• rooms with high infiltration

Electric furnaces do this perfectly.

Heat pumps?
Not so much.

Heat pumps are designed for slow, steady heating — not for clawing a home back from cold temperatures quickly.

Tony says:

“If a house cools off fast, heat pumps lose.
Electric heat wins those fights.”

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🧊 10. Homes with Poor Dehumidification in Summer Often Need High-Temp Winter Heat

This is a subtle one Tony sees often:

• If a home does poorly with humidity in summer…

• The same home usually needs higher supply temps in winter.

Why?

Because humidity control and heat delivery are both airflow-dependent.

Heat pumps need perfect ductwork.
Garbage ducts kill humidity control AND winter performance.

Electric furnaces:

• overcome poor ducts

• stabilize airflow

• produce high temps

• do not rely on refrigerant cycles

DOE simplifies this:

Electric resistance heat = “instant, predictable heat.”
👉 https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/electric-resistance-heating

Tony simplifies it even more:

“Old houses need hot air.”

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🏁 Conclusion: When an Electric Furnace Wins, It REALLY Wins

Tony isn’t anti–heat pump.
He installs them every week.

But he also knows:

“Comfort beats efficiency.
Reliability beats theory.
Performance beats advertising.”

There are real, legitimate reasons an electric furnace is the right design:

• extreme cold

• high infiltration homes

• poor duct systems

• older construction

• tight homes with humidity issues

• poor supply temps from heat pumps

• rapid heating needs

• panels that support strip heat

• homeowners who value simplicity

• remote locations needing reliability

When the home’s design, ductwork, climate, or electrical realities demand it…

An electric furnace is not just acceptable — it’s superior.

Buy this on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4nvQIts

In the next topic we will know mmore about: The CFM Equation Nobody Talks About — How to Match Airflow to Your Actual Floorplan