Conventional heating systems, like gas and oil furnaces and boilers, work by burning fuel to generate heat. This is called combustion heating. It’s an effective way to heat your home, but it comes with a risk. Combustion heating can create harmful byproducts, including carbon monoxide. If your system is not vented and maintained properly, these byproducts can pose a serious threat to your family’s health and safety.
Heat pumps, on the other hand, do not produce carbon monoxide. Since they run on electricity, heat pumps don’t store or burn fuel inside your home, making them one of the safest and healthiest options for home heating.
What Is Carbon Monoxide & Why Is It Dangerous?
Carbon monoxide is a gas that’s created when fuel like natural gas, oil, or propane does not burn completely. It’s colorless, odorless, and tasteless, making it impossible to notice without a carbon monoxide detector. In a home, it’s commonly produced by combustion appliances like fossil fuel heating systems. If the heating system is vented correctly, it does not pose a risk. But faulty equipment, improper installation and venting, and poor maintenance can all cause leaks that allow carbon monoxide to enter your home. Exposure can cause serious health effects and high concentrations can be fatal, so it’s important to know the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning and to take safety precautions like installing carbon monoxide detectors in your home.
Common Sources of Carbon Monoxide in a Home
Any combustion appliance can produce carbon monoxide. Some of the most common combustion appliances you may have in your home include:
- Furnaces
- Boilers
- Water heaters
- Gas stoves
Heat Pumps Work Without Burning Fuel
Since heating systems are a common source of carbon monoxide in a home, replacing your combustion heating system with a heat pump is a great way to improve your home’s health and safety. A heat pump is a type of all-electric heating and cooling system that does not burn fuel to create heat. Instead, heat pumps use electricity to move heat into and out of your house. This is a safe process that keeps carbon monoxide and other harmful byproducts of combustion heating out of your home.
In addition to improving your home’s health and safety, heat pumps also improve its energy efficiency. Moving heat is a more efficient process than generating heat, which reduces energy consumption. Replacing your combustion heating system with a heat pump will improve your home’s safety and indoor air quality while helping to protect the planet.
Save on Heat Pump Installation with Rebates & Tax Incentives
Heat pumps are good for your health, good for the planet, and even good for your wallet. They qualify for rebates and tax credits that can significantly reduce your installation costs and make a heat pump the most affordable option for your heating system replacement.
- Mass Save® Heat Pump Rebates – You can save up to $10,000 on heat pump installation with Mass Save rebates, or up to $16,000 if you meet income requirements. Check your eligibility for income-based rebates!
- HEAT Loan 0% Interest Financing – You may qualify for up to $50,000 in 0% interest financing for heat pump installation with the Mass Save HEAT Loan.
- Heat Pump Tax Credit – Heat pumps are eligible for a federal tax credit worth 30% of your installation costs, up to $2,000.
Is a Heat Pump Right for Your Home?
If you’re interested in installing a heat pump, Neeeco can help you decide whether it’s the right fit for your home. Schedule a no-cost Mass Save Home Energy Assessment to get started. During your no-cost assessment, we’ll evaluate your home’s overall health, safety, and energy efficiency and make customized recommendations for improvements. We’ll also help you navigate the Mass Save rebate and incentive process so you can take advantage of these savings.
*Some restrictions apply. Offers are subject to change or cancellation. Visit MassSave.com/HEA for full details.