Heat Pump Installation in Sacramento, CA
A new system here will heat from November through April and cool from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Sacramento County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
A Sacramento heat pump works most of the year
Your heat pump runs 11 months out of the year here, heating from November through April and cooling from May through September. Winter nights average 40°F, mild enough that the system isn't fighting real cold. Summer afternoons average 92°F for five straight months, and that's the harder stretch, with the compressor running long hours to keep the house cool.
Any split-system heat pump installed new has to meet the federal minimum of 14.3 SEER2 for cooling and 7.5 HSPF2 for heating. With the system working almost year round here, those ratings are what carry the load.
- 6 months
- November through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 40°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 92°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
California requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Contractors State License Board tests and licenses the contractor, not the job itself, so the same license covers this installation and whatever else that contractor takes on elsewhere in the state.
For this job, that license is what stands behind the work. Beyond it, most cities and counties in California require a permit from the local building office to install a heat pump, with an inspection once the work is done.
Sources: California Legislative Counsel · Contractors State License Board
- Is a heat pump better than a furnace?
- It depends on what you want it to do. A heat pump both heats and cools, so it replaces your furnace and your air conditioner with one system. A furnace only heats, and burns gas to do it, while a heat pump moves heat instead of burning fuel. With winter lows here averaging around 40°F, a modern heat pump can keep up on its own for most homes, but a contractor can look at your house and tell you if you would benefit from backup heat on the coldest nights.
- What's the difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner?
- An air conditioner only moves heat out of your house. A heat pump does that same job in summer, then reverses in winter and moves heat into your house instead. Inside, the two look almost identical, with a compressor and coils working the same way. The difference is a reversing valve that lets the heat pump switch directions, which is what lets it replace your furnace instead of just your air conditioner.
- Does a heat pump work in cold weather?
- Yes. A heat pump pulls heat from the outside air even when it feels cold outside, because there is still heat in 40°F air for it to move indoors. Winter nights here average around 40°F from December through February, which is well within the range a heat pump handles without trouble. On the rare night it drops further than that, some systems bring on backup heat to help, and a contractor can size the system so your home stays comfortable through the coldest stretch of the year.