Heat pump
Will a heat pump carry your house through a January night?
Book your heat pump job through us and $100 off your first job is credited once it is booked.
If a contractor says a heat pump will heat your house all winter, ask what happens at zero. Ask for the balance point, ask what backup heat takes over below it, and ask for the load worksheet behind the size. Send your details if you want the questions in writing and a local contractor to talk to.
Three questions
Three questions to ask before anyone prices your system
The load worksheet Decides this job
Will you do a load calculation and give me the worksheet?
Chimney and water heater
What happens to my chimney and my gas water heater?
The worksheet
What any quote should show
| Ask on every quote | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A load worksheet for your house | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 2How the new unit will vent | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 3What happens to the water heater | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 4Duct or pipe changes, listed one by one | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 5Who pulls the permit | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 6What is removed and hauled away | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 7A start date and a payment schedule | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
We tell you what to ask before anyone prices a new system, then introduce a local contractor who does the work.
Start your worksheet
Tell us about the house and the system. You get the three questions, and a local contractor only if you say yes.
Credit: $100 off your first job
The $100 comes off once your installation is booked through us.
- We fund the $100; the contractor's quote is unchanged.
- One credit per customer at each property.
- Book the job by December 31, 2026.
- Mention the credit when you book.
This fits when
When heat pump is the next decision
- You are adding cooling and want heat from the same unit A heat pump does both jobs. Ask for the heating plan for your coldest week, not only for the cooling size.
- You use oil or propane and want a second option A heat pump can sit beside the fuel system you have now. Ask whether yours can serve as the backup.
- Part of the house is hard to heat A ductless head can serve one room without new duct work. Ask where it would sit and what it would carry.
- You heat with electric baseboard A heat pump moves heat instead of making it from resistance. Ask what it will do on your coldest nights.
- A bid only describes the unit's rated capacity A rated capacity says little about a Syracuse night. Ask for the output at a low outdoor temperature.
Where it sits
Inside the house: heat pump
- Outdoor unitAsk how high it stands above the snow line, and where drifts will pile.
- Indoor head or air handlerAsk how it will reach each room, and what happens in the farthest one.
- Backup heatAsk what it is, what turns it on and what it does to the electric bill.
- ThermostatAsk how it chooses between the heat pump and the backup on a cold night.
Basis: Cold Climate Heat Pump Sizing and Selection, Building America Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pump Specification, Version 4.0,
Spec FAQ
Questions before you ask for quotes
| You ask | Short answer |
|---|---|
| F1 Will a heat pump heat my house when it is below zero? | Many cold climate models still give heat at low temperatures, but the output drops. Ask the contractor for the figure at your coldest design temperature and for the backup plan below it. |
| F2 What is a balance point? | It is the outdoor temperature where the heat pump's output equals what your house needs. Below it, backup heat has to cover the difference. |
| F3 Do I keep my furnace if I install a heat pump? | Sometimes. Some houses keep the furnace as backup. Others use electric strips. Ask which fits your house and what each one costs to run. |
| F4 Is the federal credit for heat pumps still available? | Not for equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025. Check the dates on any page that still advertises it. |
| F5 Can I get utility help with a heat pump? | Utilities under NYS Clean Heat run programs for one to four unit homes. The amounts and rules depend on your utility and your home, so ask the contractor to confirm them before you sign. |
| F6 Does my heat pump need a load calculation? | Yes. The state program manual expects heat pumps to be sized under Manual S from Manual J loads, and the residential code says the same of heating equipment in general. |
| F7 Can a heat pump use my existing ducts? | It can if the ducts can carry the airflow. Ask the contractor to measure them first and tell you what must change. |
What the job covers
What a heat pump job covers
- The outdoor unit It mounts on a pad or wall bracket above the snow line. Ask how high and where it will stand.
- Indoor heads or an air handler A ducted system uses an air handler and your ducts. A ductless one uses wall heads in each zone.
- Refrigerant lines and power Lines and a dedicated circuit link the pieces. The quote should say where each one runs.
- Backup heat Your existing furnace, electric strips or another source takes over when the unit cannot keep up.
- Controls and start-up The contractor sets the switchover point and shows you how the thermostat handles it.
What a Syracuse winter asks of the unit
On the 1991 to 2020 normals, Syracuse sees the temperature fall to zero or below on about seven nights a year, and to 20 or below on dozens more. That is the weather your heat pump has to be chosen for.
Ask the contractor what output the unit gives at your coldest outdoor temperature, and ask to see it in the product literature. If the answer is the rated capacity on the box, ask again for the low temperature figure.
Basis: Cold Climate Heat Pump Sizing and Selection, Building America Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pump Specification, Version 4.0,
The balance point and what covers the gap
A federal sizing guide describes four ways to choose a heat pump. At one end the unit is sized for cooling and needs backup for much of the winter. At the other it covers nearly all of the heating load.
Neither is wrong. The right one depends on your house, your other heat and how much you want the backup to run. Ask which approach the contractor used, and have the choice written down with the balance point.
Ducted or ductless, and what each asks of your house
A ducted heat pump uses an air handler and your existing ducts, or new ones. A ductless system puts a head on the wall in each zone and needs no duct work at all.
Ducted systems ask whether your ducts can carry the airflow. Ductless systems ask how many heads you need and what happens in the rooms between them. Neither answer is the same in every house.
Ready to compare quotes?
Ask the contractor which fits your house and why. Ask also what each option does on your coldest night. A quote for a ducted system and a quote for a ductless one are comparable only if they share a load worksheet and a backup plan.
A bigger heat pump can do worse, not better
NYSERDA says effects on comfort and energy use start at 120 percent of the building load and can become severe past 150 percent. It adds that oversizing hurts heat pumps more than it hurts a furnace or boiler.
Inverter units run best in a middle band of their output, so a unit larger than your load spends more hours below its sweet spot. Ask the contractor for the load calculation behind the size.
What money exists, and what has ended
The federal home improvement credit under Section 25C does not apply to equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025. If a web page still advertises it, check the date on that page.
Utility programs under NYS Clean Heat have run through the electric utilities since 2026, including National Grid and NYSEG. They publish flat amounts per project, and the amounts depend on your utility and your home. That is the position as of October 2026, and programs change, so ask the contractor which of them applies to you before you sign anything.
Pipe run
How a heat pump job runs
- 01
Describe your heat and your coldest room
Fuel, ducts or radiators, and which room is hardest to keep warm.
- 02
Ask for the balance point in writing
It is the outdoor temperature below which the heat pump needs help.
- 03
Ask what the backup is and when it starts
The plan for your coldest week matters more than the sticker on the unit.
- 04
Compare quotes on that basis
Choose among bids that all show a worksheet, a balance point and a backup plan.
On paper
What to hold before you sign
The load worksheet
It shows the heating load for your house at the design temperature and sets the size.
The balance point and backup note
A line giving the outdoor temperature where backup heat takes over and what the backup is.
The equipment list
Outdoor unit, indoor units and controls by model, so you can look up their cold weather ratings.
The incentive paperwork
If a utility program applies, ask who files it and which dates and rules were checked.
Bring the nameplate and the coldest-day question.
What moves the price
What changes a heat pump quote
- The number of indoor heads or the size of the air handler.
- The backup heat plan, including any electric strips or a connection to an existing furnace.
- Work on ducts or piping, if the heat pump uses them.
- The electrical service, since the panel or the circuit may need work before a heat pump goes in.
- Where the outdoor unit sits and how high it has to stand for snow.
- Whether you pick a standard unit or one rated for cold climates.
- Utility program paperwork, which is handled on the project and not on the unit.
The Heating and Cooling Syracuse pledge
- Asking us is free, and so is the introduction.
- You get the three questions before anyone quotes.
- You decide whether a contractor visits.
- Your $100 comes off the way our Terms set out.
The contractor you choose answers for the installation itself.
Heating and Cooling Syracuse, (315) 640-3590 Full start-up terms
Credit: $100 off your first job
The $100 comes off once your installation is booked through us.
- We fund the $100; the contractor's quote is unchanged.
- One credit per customer at each property.
- Book the job by December 31, 2026.
- Mention the credit when you book.
Where
Heat pump in your town
Median home built before 1940
Median home built 1940 to 1969
Median home built 1970 or later
Start with the three questions.