Articles

Longer pieces on the questions that come up after the calculator, cold-weather performance, what a fair quote looks like, and the mistakes that cost people money.

AllCold climatesBuyingSizingCostsEquipmentRebatesMaintenanceComfort

Cold climates·11 min read

Do heat pumps actually work when it's below freezing?

Short answer: yes, with field data from Maine and Minnesota to prove it. The real question is your balance point, and why backup heat is what ruins the bill.

Buying·8 min read

How to read a heat pump quote line by line

The four line items that should be on every heat pump quote, in writing, and the three red flags that mean you should get another bid before signing.

Sizing·7 min read

Why an oversized system feels worse, not better

Short cycling, clammy summers, and premature compressor failure all trace back to the same sizing mistake most contractors still make by rule of thumb.

Costs·7 min read

My bill went up after switching. What happened?

A higher bill after switching to a heat pump is usually one of five things, and four of them are fixable fast without touching the equipment itself.

Equipment·7 min read

Ducted or ductless: which one for your house?

A decision tree for ducted vs. ductless heat pumps, based on what your house already has, your budget, and your layout, not on which is newest.

Rebates·9 min read

Stacking the 25C credit with state and utility money

How to stack the Federal 25C tax credit with state and utility rebates: the order you apply in, and the program rules that quietly disqualify each other.

Maintenance·5 min read

Steam, frost, and noise: what's normal and what isn't

A field guide to the steam, frost, and clicking sounds a heat pump makes in winter: which are completely normal, and which mean call a technician.

Comfort·6 min read

Stop setting your thermostat back at night

Setting the thermostat back overnight saves money with a furnace, but with a heat pump it often backfires by triggering expensive backup heat instead.

Equipment·9 min read

Ground-source heat pumps: when geothermal pays off

The most efficient heat pump option, and the priciest to install: loop-field cost math, the uncapped tax credit most people miss, and who gets a payback.

Equipment·8 min read

Dual fuel vs. all-electric: when to keep the furnace

Keeping the furnace as backup isn't a compromise. How the switchover control actually works, and the gas-vs-electricity price bet underneath it.

Equipment·8 min read

Heat pump water heaters: are they worth it?

A heat pump water heater uses the same cycle as your space heater, sized for a tank. The real running-cost math, space/noise tradeoffs, and the rebates.

Sizing·9 min read

How to read a Manual J report

Most homeowners never see the actual Manual J document, just a tonnage number. Here's what should be on the real report, and three shortcuts to watch for.

Equipment·8 min read

From R-410A to R-454B: the refrigerant transition

New heat pumps and AC systems use a different refrigerant than yours likely has. Why the industry switched, what A2L means, and what it changes for you.

Equipment·7 min read

Single-stage vs. two-stage vs. variable-speed compressors

Compressor type drives much of the price gap between heat pump tiers. What single-stage, two-stage, and variable-speed actually mean for comfort and cost.

Buying·8 min read

What installation day actually looks like

Most homeowners never watch their own HVAC installation closely enough to know what good work looks like. The actual sequence, and what to watch for.

More reading, via HVAC in LA

A few relevant pieces from our sister site, a licensed HVAC contractor.