Heat Pump Installation in San Bernardino, CA
A new system here will heat from November through March and cool from May through October every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers San Bernardino County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
A heat pump here works almost year round
San Bernardino homes need heat or cooling 11 months of the year. Winter nights average 39°F from November through March, and summer afternoons average 99°F from May through October. That is six months of cooling and five of heat, with barely a break between them.
A new split-system heat pump has to meet federal minimums of 14.3 SEER2 for cooling and 7.5 HSPF2 for heating. Most homes here still heat with gas, so a heat pump that handles both sides of the year well is worth sizing for this climate, not just for the summer heat it is best known for handling.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 6 months
- May through October, it cools
- 39°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 99°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
California requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
That license comes from the Contractors State License Board, which tests contractors before granting one and keeps a record of who holds it. It covers the contractor as a business, not the specific job at your house, so the license that lets someone install your heat pump is the same one that covers whatever other HVAC work they take on.
For this job, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work. In most cities and counties, the installation will also need a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the work is done. That inspection checks what was actually installed at your house, separate from anything the state license covers.
Sources: California Legislative Counsel · Contractors State License Board
- Is a heat pump better than a furnace?
- It depends on what you're after. A heat pump handles both heating and cooling from one system, so it takes the place of a furnace and an air conditioner. A furnace only heats, and most in this area run on gas. Winter nights here average 39°F, which is well within what a heat pump can handle, so cold isn't a reason to rule one out. A contractor can walk through the trade-offs for your house.
- What's the difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner?
- An air conditioner only cools. A heat pump cools the same way but can also run in reverse to heat your home, pulling warmth from the outside air and moving it inside. That's why a heat pump can replace both your furnace and your air conditioner, while an air conditioner only replaces one of them. Homes here need cooling from May through October and heat from November through March, so a system that does both covers the full year.
- Does a heat pump work in cold weather?
- Yes. A heat pump moves heat from the outside air into your home even when it's cold outside, and it keeps working down to temperatures well below what this area sees. Winter nights here average 39°F from December through February, which is mild enough that a heat pump can carry the heating load on its own. Newer heat pumps are also held to federal efficiency minimums, 14.3 SEER2 for cooling and 7.5 HSPF2 for heating, so a system installed today is built to perform in both seasons.