What is a heat pump?
A heat pump warms and cools a home by moving heat instead of creating it, making it far more efficient than furnaces or baseboard heaters. Modern cold-climate…
A heat pump warms and cools a home by moving heat instead of creating it, making it far more efficient than furnaces or baseboard heaters. Modern cold-climate models work well below freezing.
Why moving heat beats making heat
A furnace creates heat by burning fuel or using electric resistance. A heat pump works differently: it moves heat from the outside air into your home in winter, and reverses to move heat out again in summer. Moving heat usually takes far less energy than creating it, which is the efficiency advantage this page highlights. Modern cold-climate models also keep working well below freezing, which widens the places where they make practical sense.
What to do, step by step
- Work out what you need: heating, cooling, or both, and the size of space the system must serve.
- Ask an installer to size the system for your home rather than simply matching the old unit's size.
- Check how a model performs in your climate, especially if winters regularly drop below freezing there.
- Compare total installed cost, likely running cost, and any duct changes, not just the unit price alone.
- Keep filters clean and outdoor units clear of leaves and snow so airflow stays unobstructed all year.
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