Heat Pump Installation & Service

How a heat pump works

A heat pump is an air conditioner that can run in reverse. In summer, it moves heat out of the house. In winter, it pulls heat from the outdoor air, even cold air, and moves it inside. Because it moves heat instead of making it, a heat pump can deliver more heat than the electricity it uses. It runs on electricity, so a house with a heat pump may not need gas for heating at all, or may use gas only on the coldest nights.

Can a heat pump handle our winters

Older heat pumps lost much of their output once temperatures dropped into the twenties, which is why they had a poor reputation on the Front Range. Cold-climate models are a different machine. They use variable-speed compressors and are built to keep heating well below freezing, and many are tested at 5°F. They still lose some output as it gets colder, so the system needs a backup for the coldest stretches. That backup can be electric heat in the air handler or your existing gas furnace.

Dual fuel or all-electric

A dual-fuel system pairs a heat pump with a gas furnace. The heat pump handles the cooling and most of the heating, and the furnace takes over below an outdoor temperature we set with you. It is a common choice when the furnace still has years left in it. An all-electric system uses a cold-climate heat pump with electric backup heat. It takes gas heating out of the house, but it needs enough electrical capacity, and some panels need an upgrade first. We look at your house, your panel and your utility rates and explain which setup fits.

Ductless mini-splits

Not every house has ducts, and not every room is reached by them. A ductless mini-split has an outdoor unit and one or more indoor heads on a wall or ceiling, connected by a small line set through the wall. They work well for older homes with no ductwork, additions, finished basements, converted garages and upstairs rooms that never stay comfortable. Each head has its own controls, so you heat and cool only the rooms you use.

Heat pump service and repairs

A heat pump runs in both seasons, so it works more hours each year than an air conditioner and benefits from a check before winter and before summer. Common repairs include capacitors, fan motors, sensors, defrost controls, reversing valves and refrigerant leaks. Frost on the outdoor coil in winter is normal, and the system melts it off with a defrost cycle. A coil that stays encased in ice, or a system that runs on backup heat all the time, needs a visit. Utility rebates are often available for qualifying heat pumps, and we point you to the programs that may apply when we quote.