Heat Pump Installation in Concord, CA
A new system here will heat from November through April and cool from June through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Contra Costa County will get in touch.
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Concord asks a heat pump to work most of the year
A heat pump here runs ten months out of the year, heating from November through April and cooling from June through September. Winter nights average 41°F, mild enough that a heat pump does not have to fight hard for warmth. Summer afternoons average 85°F, and that heat holds on for four straight months.
Any split-system heat pump installed new has to meet federal minimums of 14.3 SEER2 for cooling and 7.5 HSPF2 for heating. Winters here are mild enough that a heat pump can carry the heating load on its own, even though most homes in this area still heat with gas.
- 6 months
- November through April, your system heats
- 4 months
- June through September, it cools
- 41°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 85°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
California requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license is held by the contractor, not issued job by job, so it is the business itself that the state has tested and keeps a record of, not this particular installation.
Because California licenses the contractor, that license is what stands behind the person doing this work. A heat pump install also needs a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the work is done, in most cities and counties.
Sources: California Legislative Counsel · Contractors State License Board
- Is a heat pump better than a furnace?
- A heat pump does more than a furnace, because the same unit heats your home in winter and cools it in summer. A furnace only heats, so you still need a separate air conditioner to get through the summer here. Winter lows around Concord average 41°F, mild enough that a heat pump can carry the heating load without much strain. If your home already heats with gas, a contractor can tell you whether switching makes sense for your setup or whether a heat pump alongside your existing furnace is the better fit.
- What's the difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner?
- An air conditioner only moves heat out of your home. A heat pump does that too, but it can also run in reverse and move heat into your home, which is what heats it in winter. Mechanically they share most of the same parts, the compressor, the coils, the refrigerant lines. The difference is the reversing valve that lets a heat pump switch direction, something a standard air conditioner does not have.
- Does a heat pump work in cold weather?
- Yes, a heat pump keeps working in cold weather, it just moves less heat as the outdoor temperature drops. Concord's winter nights average 41°F from December through February, which is well within the range where a heat pump runs efficiently. Heat pumps lose capacity in harder freezes, but that kind of extreme cold is not typical here. A contractor sizing the system for your house will account for the coldest nights it actually needs to handle.