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They are the cheapest and most efficient way to handle heating and cooling for your home, no matter where you live.They are also better for the environment.In fact, most experts agree that this is one of the best ways for homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint and benefit from a greener future without sacrificing comfort.In other words, they are a win-win.
“We’re starting to see climate solutions like paper straws being worse than we’re used to. But there are places where everyone benefits, and I think heat pumps are a good example,” said Brown University political economist, 3H Hybrid Heat Homes: An Incentive Program to electrify space heating and reduce energy bills for American homes.”They’re quieter. They provide more control. At the same time, they’ll reduce our energy needs and greenhouse gas emissions. So it’s not just savings. It’s an improvement in quality of life.”
But choosing the heat pump that’s right for you, or even knowing where to start looking, can still be daunting.We can help.
“Heat pumps are probably the most important thing consumers can do to combat the climate crisis,” said Amy Boyd, policy director at the Arcadia Center, a regional research and advocacy focused on clean energy policy in the Northeast. organize.Heat pumps also happen to be one of the quietest and most comfortable options available for home heating and cooling.
A heat pump is essentially a two-way air conditioner.During the summer, they work like any other air conditioner, removing heat from the air inside and pushing the cooled air back into the room.During the cooler months, they do the opposite, drawing heat energy from the outside air and transferring it into your home for warmth.The process is particularly efficient, using on average half the energy of other household electric heating sources.Or, as David Yuill of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln told us, “You can put in 1 watt of electricity and get 4 watts of heat out of it. It’s like magic.”
Unlike magic, however, this result actually has a very simple explanation: the heat pump simply moves heat, rather than generating it by burning a fuel source.Even the most efficient gas furnace or boiler cannot convert 100% of its fuel into heat.It always loses something during the conversion.A good resistance heater will give you 100% efficiency, but it still has to burn watts to generate heat, and a heat pump just moves heat.According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a heat pump can save you, on average, nearly $1,000 (6,200 kWh) per year compared to oil heating and about $500 (3,000 kWh) compared to electric heating.
In states where energy grids are increasingly reliant on renewables, electric heat pumps also have less carbon footprint than other heating and cooling options, while providing on average two to five times as much heat as you put into them.Therefore, a heat pump is an environmentally friendly HVAC system that is also good for your wallet.Most heat pumps also use inverter technology, which lets the compressor run at more subtle and variable speeds, so you only use the exact amount of energy you need to stay comfortable.
Almost any homeowner could potentially benefit from a heat pump.Take Mike Ritter, who moved with his family into a 100-year-old two-family home near Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood in 2016.Ritter knew the boiler was smoking even before he bought the house, and he knew they’d have to replace it ASAP.After getting some quotes from contractors, he has two options: He can install a new fossil fuel tank in the basement for $6,000, or he can buy a heat pump.Although the total cost of a heat pump looks about five times higher on paper, thanks to Massachusetts statewide incentives, the heat pump also offers a $6,000 rebate and a seven-year zero-interest loan to cover the rest of the cost to encourage heat pump conversions. plan.
Once he did the math — comparing soaring gas costs to electricity costs and taking into account the environmental impact and monthly payments — the choice was clear.
“Honestly, we were shocked that we could do this,” says Ritter, a freelance photographer after owning the heat pump for four years.“We don’t make money from doctors or lawyers, and we don’t expect to be the kind of people who have central heating and cooling in their home. But there are a million ways you can split the cost and get rebates and get energy credits. It’s not as much as How much energy you’re already spending now.”
Despite these benefits, Americans buy almost twice as many unidirectional air conditioners or other inefficient systems as they buy heat pumps each year, according to research by Alexander Gard-Murray.After all, when your legacy system fails, it’s only logical to simply replace the previous system, as Ritters might have.We hope this guide helped you plan and budget for a real upgrade.Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with another inefficient, carbon-intensive HVAC for the next decade.This is not good for anyone.
I’ve been writing for Wirecutter since 2017, covering portable and window air conditioners, room fans, space heaters, and other topics (including some not related to heating or cooling).I’ve also done some climate-related reporting for outlets like Upworthy and The Weather Channel, and as part of a partnership with UN News, I covered the 2015 Paris Climate Conference.In 2019, I was commissioned by Cornell University to create a long play about community responses to climate change.
Like Mike Ritter, I’m a Boston homeowner and I’m always looking for an affordable and sustainable way to keep my family warm in the winter.Although my home’s current electric radiator system is currently working fine, I’m wondering if there are better options, especially since the system is quite old.I’ve heard of heat pumps – I know the next door neighbor has one – but I don’t know how much they cost, how they work, or even how to buy one.So this guide started when I started reaching out to contractors, policy makers, homeowners, and engineers to find the most efficient HVAC system that could work in my home and that would benefit me in the long run ‘s wallet.
Generally speaking, a heat pump is an objectively good idea.However, when you try to narrow it down to the specific heat pump you should buy, the decision can get a little confusing.There’s a reason most people don’t just go to Home Depot and take home whatever random heat pump they find on the shelf.You can even ship for free on Amazon, but we don’t recommend that either.
Unless you’re already an experienced home remodeler, you’ll need to find a contractor to help you with your heat pump journey – what’s right for your situation will depend on many factors, including the type of home you live in and your local climate and incentive programs.That’s why instead of recommending the best heat pump for most people, we’ve come up with some basic criteria to help you understand the process of upgrading your home’s HVAC system.
For the purposes of this guide, we’re only focusing on air source heat pumps (sometimes called “air-to-air” heat pumps).As the name suggests, these models exchange heat between the air around you and the air outside.Air-to-air heat pumps are the most common choice for American homes and the easiest to adapt to a variety of living environments.However, you can also find other types of heat pumps that draw heat from different sources.Geothermal heat pumps, for example, draw heat from the ground, which requires you to dig a yard and drill a well.
The size you need depends on the size and layout of your home, your energy needs, your insulation, and more.
Air conditioning capacity is usually measured in British thermal units or Btu.When you buy a window air conditioner or portable unit, you usually need to choose one based on the size of the room in which you plan to use it.But choosing a heat pump system is a little more complicated than that.It’s still partly based on square footage—experts we interviewed agreed with a general calculation of about 1 ton of air conditioner (equivalent to 12,000 Btu) per 500 square feet in your home.In addition, there is a set of standards maintained by the American Air Conditioning Contractors Industry Association called Manual J (PDF), which calculates the effects of other factors such as insulation, air filtration, windows, and local climate to give you more home-specific Exact load size.A good contractor should be able to help you with this.
You also have some monetary reasons to size your system properly.The incentives for most statewide projects are based on the efficiency of the system—after all, a more efficient system uses less electricity, which helps reduce more fossil fuel consumption.For example, in Massachusetts, you can get up to $10,000 in rebates for installing a heat pump throughout your home, but only if the system meets specific performance standards (PDF) set by the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), HVAC and The trade association for refrigeration professionals.In other words, a home with an inefficient, undersized or oversized system could actually disqualify you from the rebate and increase your monthly energy bill.
Heat pumps can almost certainly be used at home because heat pumps are particularly modular.”They’re basically adaptable to every situation,” said Dan Zamagni, director of operations at Boston Standard Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling, the company that works for the Ritters’ home.”Whether it’s a really old house or we’re limited by what we can do in people’s homes without causing too much damage – there’s always a way to make it work.”
Zamagni goes on to explain that heat pump condensers—the part outside your home—can be mounted on walls, roofs, floors, or even on brackets or leveling pads.Ductless systems also give you a ton of versatility for interior installations (assuming you don’t already have the ductwork or space to add one).Things can get a little complicated if you live in a tight row house in a historic district, which limits what you can put on the facade, but even then, a savvy contractor might figure something out.
When you’re buying something as expensive and durable as a heat pump, you should make sure you’re getting it from a manufacturer that has a solid reputation and can provide you with quality customer support for years to come.For example, Daikin, LG HVAC, and Mitsubishi / Trane all offer up to 12 years of warranty, while Carrier and Rheem give you up to 10 years.
That being said, the heat pump you end up choosing may have more to do with finding a good contractor than your personal preference.Typically, your contractor or installer will be the one sourcing the parts.There may be models with better efficiency or distribution in certain geographic areas.And you should be sure that the contractor is familiar with this expensive piece of equipment they have permanently installed in your home.
All of the manufacturers we mentioned above also have some sort of preferred reseller program – contractors who are specially trained on their products and can provide manufacturer-approved services.Many preferred dealers also have priority access to parts and equipment.Dan Zamagni of Boston Standard, recognized as the preferred installer for Mitsubishi and Trane, said: “We try to stick to a few brands so that the installer and they understand the equipment. The same goes for the sales desk, so they can all communicate about it, and All are well trained on the product side.”
In general, it’s best to find a good preferred contractor first and then leverage the expertise of a brand they are familiar with.The service also usually has better guarantees.It doesn’t do much good to fall in love with a particular heat pump only to find that no one in your area knows how to repair or install it.
It might be helpful to look at the heat pump’s rating, but don’t just focus on that.Almost all heat pumps have such important advantages over conventional equipment that it is often not necessary to look for the absolute highest metric in the heat pump category.
Most heat pumps have two different efficiency classes.The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, or SEER, measures the cooling capacity of a system as it is compared to the energy required to run the system.In contrast, the Heating Season Energy Factor, or HSPF, measures the relationship between a system’s heating capacity and its energy consumption.The U.S. Department of Energy recommends seeking higher HSPF in cooler climates and higher SEER in warmer climates.
Heat pumps to qualify for Energy Star status are required to have a SEER rating of at least 15 and an HSPF of at least 8.5.It’s not uncommon to find a high-end heat pump with a SEER of 21 or an HSPF of 10 or 11.
As with heat pump size, the ultimate energy efficiency of your entire home will depend on many factors other than the heat pump itself, such as climate change and air filtration, the climate you live in, and how often you plan to use your system.
Yes, if you already have a central air system in your home, you can use your existing ductwork to get the air out of the heat pump.And you don’t actually need ducts: Air source heat pumps can also come in the form of ductless mini-splits.Most manufacturers offer both options, and a good contractor can advise you to set up different areas in your home to maximize comfort and make the most of what’s already installed in your home.
Heat pumps have a variety of uses when retrofitting existing ducts, and they can also work in mixed systems with ducted and ductless units, fed by a single compressor located outside the house.For example, when the Ritter family upgraded their Boston home with a heat pump, they used an existing air handler to create a new ducted air system on the second floor, then they added two ductless mini-splits to cover the office and The master bedroom upstairs, all tied to the same source.”It’s a somewhat unique system,” Mike Ritter told us, “but in our case it ended up working best.”
In general, try to get some different ideas from contractors on how to adjust your existing HVAC system.Doing so may save you some money, or it may not be worth the effort or expense.One encouraging factor we found in our research is that your existing system, no matter what type it is, should not prevent you from using a heat pump to supplement, offset or replace an already existing system.As long as you (actually your contractor) know what you’re doing, you can adapt a heat pump to just about any home layout.
Yes, but we do not recommend such models.Of course, if you live somewhere with a warm climate year-round, adding a new heating system to your home might sound redundant.But such a system is “essentially the same device, but with a few extra parts that you can replace with very little extra work,” home performance consultant Nate Adams told The New York Times.Those extra parts only cost a few hundred dollars, and that markup will likely be covered by rebates anyway.There’s also the fact that as home temperatures approach the comfort zone of the mid-60s, the efficiency of heat pumps increases exponentially.So on those rare days when it does drop into the 50s, the system hardly needs to use any energy to warm your home.That’s when you basically get calories for free.
If you already have an oil or gas heat source that you don’t want to replace, you have several ways to build a hybrid or dual heat system that uses these fossil fuels as backup or supplemental heat pumps.This kind of system could save you some money during particularly cold winters — and believe it or not, it’s actually a better option for reducing carbon emissions.We have a separate section with more details below.
The contractor you hire to install the heat pump may be more important to your overall experience (and cost) than the heat pump itself.”When everyone’s trying to shop around, you find yourself working with a really low-level contractor,” says Boston Standard’s Dan Zamagni.”The third-biggest purchase people make in their home is probably heating and cooling systems, and you don’t treat a car or a home purchase the same way. People try to get five cents, but you do get what you pay for.” , if you spend tens of thousands of dollars asking someone to make your home more comfortable, more affordable, and better for the planet, you should make sure they do it right.
Unfortunately, not everyone can easily find the help they need.So, we’ve put together some guidance to keep you going.
The fact that you are reading this guide already gives you a good start.For this guide, we interviewed several contractors and they all told us the same thing: Only about half of heat pump customers know in advance that they specifically want a heat pump installed.
“Just knowing that a heat pump is an option helps,” Alexander Gard-Murray, co-author of 3H Hybrid Heat Homes, told us.”I think the most important thing consumers can do is actively try to get contractors to use heat pumps so they can have a good idea of ​​what’s available in current models and what climate zones are currently in.”
That being said, we don’t recommend making all your decisions until you find a contractor.You may be obsessed with a particular heat pump model only to find it difficult to get its parts and service in your area (especially in a world already facing other supply chain issues).A good contractor will know what’s available, how its performance compares to more traditional HVAC options, and what’s best for the climate you live in.
One of the best ways to find contractors is to find other people who work with contractors they like.If you see a friend or neighbor with a heat pump in their home, ask about their experience.Also check out your local community social media forums on Facebook or Neighbors.People might even suggest you try a different contractor, or they might offer some advice on unexpected issues that surprise them, all of which are helpful too.
“Find someone you know who has a heat pump installed and ask them,” Gard-Murray said.“Basically, anyone who installs a heat pump is going to get really excited about it, and you start to hear more and more. It’s like an avalanche of excitement about heat pumps. I think the consumer experience is the most important selling point. ”
Many heat pump manufacturers, including Carrier, Daikin, LG HVAC, and Mitsubishi / Trane, have some preferred partner programs for independent contractors.To qualify, these contractors must meet a certain level of standards when using equipment that meets the manufacturer’s ideal expectations.It is a good sign if the contractor has obtained one or more of the manufacturer’s stamps of approval.
A contractor’s membership in such a program is not only a testament to their knowledge and skills, as these contractors also tend to have better guarantees on parts and labor (and have relationships that ensure they can get the parts they need).Although most standard Trane ductless heat pumps come with a 10-year warranty (PDF), for example, heat pumps installed by a certified Trane Comfort Specialist typically have a 12-year warranty on the unit, plus a direct warranty on parts and labor through your contractor.
A good sign of a reliable contractor is their willingness to prepare you a paperwork detailing the potential project and costs without you committing or paying.A rep might come to your home to do a site visit and give you a visual estimate of the cost of the project, but if they don’t get it on paper — before you start negotiating — that’s a huge red flag.
Before Mike Ritter agreed with Boston Standard on his heat pump retrofit, the two parties went through six rounds of project proposals over a three-month period before finding one that worked.The Boston Standard presents a few different ideas — ducted versus unducted, different zoning options, and more — and the costs associated with each.The documents even include warranty information, as well as potential rebates that Ritter might expect after the project is complete.Despite the high upfront cost, it was this attention to detail that persuaded him to take this step.”We knew very little about heat pumps in advance,” Ritter told us.”We had originally planned to just replace the boilers, but when we talked to Boston Standard, we started to realize that installing a heat pump and taking the air conditioner out of the equation might actually work.”
Heat pump systems are impressively modular, and there should be a way to make them work in almost any home environment.But it’s also your home we’re talking about, and you’re going to have to live with whatever changes the contractor makes to it.A good contractor should be on the lookout for any potential problems or problems on the first site visit.That means you should get answers to a lot of questions.For example, do they pay attention to the amperage of the circuit breaker?Did they give you an initial idea of ​​how and where they might install these devices?Are their project proposal quotes accurate and detailed?
“A lot of contractors may find themselves hammering these systems into it without really taking the right measurements and things that should be considered,” Boston Standard’s Zamagni told us.He specifically mentioned things like the software contractors use to resize the system and whether they take into account elements like windows and weathering.There are also acoustic considerations: While heat pumps are generally quieter than other HVAC systems, outdoor units still have fans and compressors and other mechanical parts that can cause problems in an alley or next to a bedroom window.These are the questions you should be asking — but you should also be looking for a contractor who looks for things you didn’t expect.
Choose a contractor that provides more than just labor.”Consumers should ask contractors — and calculate for themselves — to understand long-term savings, not just up-front costs,” says Alexander Gard-Murray.
A good contractor will understand the importance of this long-term investment and should be able to walk you through it.Ideally, they should also be able to help you figure out how to pay, either by offering financing options or helping you get one of the many heat pump rebates available.In Massachusetts, for example, the Mass Save program offers seven-year, zero-interest loans of up to $25,000 for any renovations that reach a certain level of efficiency.Here’s what your contractor should tell you.