Heat pump vs central AC, side by side
Cooling is a tie — identical hardware. Pick straight AC when your furnace is young and budget rules. Pick the heat pump when the furnace is mid-life or older, your heat is electric or oil (big savings + biggest rebates), or you want one machine doing both jobs.
| Dimension | Heat pump | Central AC |
|---|---|---|
| Summer cooling | Identical | Identical |
| Winter role | Primary heat source | None |
| Typical Seattle install range | $8,000–$16,000 | $5,100–$9,800 |
| Utility rebates | SCL/PSE eligible on qualifying models | None |
| Uses existing furnace + ducts | Yes (dual-fuel keeps the furnace as backup) | Yes (furnace blower moves the air) |
| Gas-rate exposure | Reduced or eliminated | Unchanged |
Heat pump
Choose the heat pump when…
Your furnace is past mid-life (one outdoor unit instead of AC now plus a furnace later), your current heat is electric-resistance or oil, or hedging gas rates matters to you. The rebate line is real money: SCL instant discounts or PSE conversion/hybrid rebates, none of which straight AC sees. In Seattle's climate the heat pump also displaces gas or resistance heat for most of the year — so the cooling comparison understates the total value unless you account for winter savings too. If you're adding cooling to a home with no AC today, the heat pump path often costs less over ten years than AC-now-furnace-later. Furnaces in the 12–18-year range are the tipping zone where combined replacement math usually favors the heat pump column.
Central AC
Choose central AC when…
Your furnace is young and healthy, the budget is fixed, and you want the summer problem solved cleanly. AC on a good ducted furnace is the cheapest path to whole-home cooling — a perfectly sound decision made with open eyes about the rebates it forgoes. Pair it with a two-stage or variable-speed blower and you still get meaningful comfort improvement in summer without touching the heating side of the equation. Revisit the heat pump question at furnace replacement — that's when the combined math and rebate window reopen. A furnace under ten years with sound ducts is the textbook AC-add case.
The Seattle-area numbers
Ducted heat pump installation
$8,000 – $16,000
All-electric heating + cooling using your existing ductwork
Sources: HVAC Project Cost — Seattle, WA (citing Angi 2026) (2026) · WattFax — 113 WA homeowner quotes (2026)
Central AC installation
$5,100 – $9,800
New central air conditioner added to an existing furnace/ductwork
Sources: Angi — AC replacement cost, Seattle WA (2025–2026) · HVAC Project Cost — Seattle, WA (2026)
These are typical Seattle-area market ranges compiled from published cost guides (Angi, HomeGuide, and Seattle-area 2025–2026 cost studies) — market context, not a quote from Glendale Heating & Air Conditioning. Your home's size, equipment, ductwork, electrical, and permits change the number. National figures are marked; Seattle-area labor typically runs above national averages.
Questions homeowners ask about this choice
Is a heat pump's cooling weaker than a dedicated AC's?
No — same compressor, coil, and refrigerant circuit; in cooling mode a heat pump IS an air conditioner. SEER2 tier for SEER2 tier, comfort and dehumidification are identical.
How much more is the heat pump after rebates?
The sourced ranges overlap: AC $5,100–$9,800, ducted heat pump $8,000–$16,000, minus $300–$600 SCL instant or $1,500–$4,000 PSE conversion money where applicable. For furnaces nearing replacement anyway, the combined math usually favors the heat pump.
Can I keep my furnace and still get a heat pump?
Yes — that's dual-fuel: heat pump primary, furnace backup, PSE hybrid rebate ($1,500/$2,400). It's the configuration that makes the young-furnace case for heat pumps.
Does either option need new ductwork?
Neither, if your existing ducts test sound. Both mount an outdoor unit and indoor coil on the furnace or air handler. The difference is what happens in winter — AC sits idle while the furnace runs; the heat pump takes over heating duty. Leaky ducts hurt both equally, which is why sealing comes before equipment in honest bids.
What if I only need cooling for one room?
This comparison is about whole-home ducted systems. For a single problem room — bonus space, ADU, upstairs that never cools — a single-zone ductless head is a different decision entirely, often cheaper than either ducted option and independent of your furnace's age. The single-zone vs multi-zone and window AC comparisons cover that path; this page is for homes ready to solve cooling (and maybe heating) house-wide.
Go deeper
The full AC-vs-heat-pump decision guide
Related
Heat pump vs gas furnace
Related
Window AC vs ductless
Take action
Cooling installation
How we know this
Hardware equivalence per split-system design; ranges from published Seattle-area studies (2025–26); rebate terms verified July 2026.
Reviewed by the Glendale Heating & Air Conditioning team · Last updated 2026-07-15
Want this decision made for your actual house?
Free estimates on new systems · free second opinion on replacement quotes · straight answers since 1938.
Family-owned since 1938 · WA Lic. GLENDHA053Q2
Ready for comfort you can count on?
Whether it's a furnace that quit on a cold morning or a whole new system, the Glendale team is ready. Honest pricing, expert work, and 87+ years behind every visit.
Hours & Emergency
- Mon–Sat: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sun: Emergency On-Call Only
- Emergency line: (206) 243-7700