Can A Heat Pump Heat a Whole House?

woman on couch with a blanket using her heat pump

January 19, 2023

Heat pumps have many applications and even multiple names—but how can you use one in your East Bay area home? In this blog, we’ll walk through how to heat your house with a heat pump in the Northern California climate, and some of the benefits of upgrading your home heating (and cooling) to heat pumps.

How Heat Pumps Work in Cold Weather

The term “heat pump” can be confusing without the context of how these heating and cooling systems work. Heat pumps collect and move heat, rather than spending excessive amounts of energy creating heat. When it’s cold outside and you are looking to keep your home cozy, a heat pump actually absorbs the ambient heat in the outside air and sends it into your living space. This process only requires electricity and is more efficient than a furnace or a boiler.

The Many Configurations of Heat Pumps

There are heat pumps that can be connected to existing ductwork, making them a replacement for a furnace and central air conditioner. However, you may have heard of heat pumps by another name: ductless mini splits.

Ductless mini splits are a type of heat pump that does not require central ductwork. They’re comprised of a compressor unit and an indoor air handler, connected by an airtight conduit to carry refrigerant between the two. Some mini split compressor units can handle the heating loads of up to five indoor air handlers, which allows for zoned comfort throughout a home. Both of these are heat pumps, and both can be used to heat a whole house!

Yes, Heat Pumps Can Heat A Whole House!

Even on the coldest days here in Contra Costa, Marin, and Alameda counties, there is a heat pump solution that can heat your entire home. If your furnace or air conditioner is on its last leg, you can replace both at once with a ducted heat pump, and do away with the need for any natural gas, propane, or oil for your home heating. Or, you can do away with leaky and problematic ductwork altogether and install a zoned mini split system, allowing for multiple comfort settings and maximum efficiency.

When compared to other home heating methods, heat pumps provide the following benefits:

Improved indoor air quality
Efficient all-electric operation
Heating and cooling in one
Quiet operation

Talk to a Heat Pump Expert

Heat pumps come in all shapes and sizes, just like homes all across the East Bay. And when it comes to heat pump installation, local expertise matters. At Hassler, we provide turnkey heat pump services tailored to the unique comfort and energy needs of each individual home. The Hassler heat pump team is trained and experienced in installing, repairing, and maintaining all makes and models of heat pumps, and we take pride in finding innovative and effective heat pump solutions to meet your specific needs. If you have heat pump questions, call Hassler!