Heating Installation

Heating Installation

Every Way to Heat Your Home (And Which One Fits You)

Heating isn't one-size-fits-all. A gas furnace makes sense in Minnesota. A heat pump makes sense in Georgia. Neither might be right for your situation.

Before you pick a contractor, you need to pick a heating strategy. This page explains every residential heating option, where each one excels, where each one struggles, and how to choose based on your climate, home, and utility costs—not based on what a salesperson wants to sell you.

The Major Heating Technologies

Gas Furnaces

How they work: Natural gas burns in a combustion chamber. Flames heat a metal heat exchanger. A blower pushes house air across that hot metal, warming it. The warm air distributes through ducts.

Efficiency range: 80-98% AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency). An 80% furnace turns 80 cents of every gas dollar into heat. A 96% furnace turns 96 cents into heat.

Heat output: Fast heat—furnaces produce high BTU output. Supply air comes out hot (110-140°F from registers) with rapid temperature recovery.

Where gas furnaces excel: Cold climates with significant heating loads, areas with affordable natural gas, older homes with existing ductwork and gas infrastructure, homeowners who prioritize fast heat response.

Where gas furnaces struggle: Areas without natural gas (propane costs more), new construction seeking all-electric, climate zones where heat pumps handle most days, regions phasing out natural gas.

Air-Source Heat Pumps

How they work: Heat pumps don't create heat—they move it. Even cold outdoor air contains heat energy. A heat pump extracts that energy and moves it indoors. It's your air conditioner running in reverse.

Efficiency: A COP (Coefficient of Performance) of 3.0 means the heat pump delivers 3 units of heat for every 1 unit of electricity consumed. That's 300% efficiency—something combustion can never achieve.

The cold weather question: Traditional heat pumps lose effectiveness below 30-35°F. Modern "cold climate heat pumps" use variable-speed inverter compressors and enhanced vapor injection for effective heating down to -13°F or even -22°F on some models.

Where heat pumps excel: Moderate climates, all-electric homes, homes seeking combined heating and cooling, regions with expensive gas or propane, new construction without gas infrastructure.

Where heat pumps struggle: Extreme cold without backup heat, homes with very high heating loads, areas with very cheap gas and expensive electricity, rapid recovery expectations.

Dual-Fuel Systems

How they work: A heat pump and a gas furnace combined. The heat pump handles heating whenever it can (most days in most climates). The gas furnace takes over during extreme cold when the heat pump can't keep up efficiently.

The handoff: A dual-fuel thermostat monitors outdoor temperature. Above the "balance point" (typically 30-40°F), the heat pump runs. Below that point, the furnace takes over.

Where dual-fuel excels: Cold climates with significant extreme-cold days, homes with existing gas infrastructure, homeowners wanting efficiency without sacrificing cold-weather comfort.

Where dual-fuel is overkill: Mild climates that rarely drop below 35°F, all-electric construction, tight budgets (you're buying two systems).

Geothermal (Ground-Source) Heat Pumps

How they work: Same principle as air-source heat pumps, but the heat source is underground. Ground temperature below the frost line stays 50-60°F year-round. Extracting heat from 55°F ground is far easier than from 15°F air.

Efficiency: COP of 4.0-5.0 is common. That's 400-500% efficiency—the highest of any heating system.

Ground loop types: Horizontal (trenches 4-6 feet deep, requiring significant land), Vertical (boreholes 150-400 feet deep, smaller footprint), or Pond/lake (coiled pipe submerged in water body).

Where geothermal excels: Any climate, homes with sufficient land for loop installation, new construction, long-term ownership (payback period is 8-15 years), homeowners prioritizing lifetime operating costs.

Where geothermal struggles: Urban lots without loop space, rocky soil, budget-constrained projects (highest upfront cost), short-term ownership, retrofit projects where yard disruption is problematic.

Boilers and Radiant Heat

How boilers work: A boiler heats water using natural gas, propane, oil, or electricity. Hot water circulates through pipes to radiators, baseboard units, or radiant floor tubing.

Distribution methods: Radiators (common in older Northeast homes), baseboard convectors (quieter, lower-profile), or radiant floor heating (the most comfortable heating method available—the entire floor becomes a heat emitter).

Where boilers/radiant excel: Homes already built for hot water heat, allergy sufferers (no blowing dust), multi-zone heating needs, basementless homes where ductwork is difficult, comfort purists.

Where boilers/radiant struggle: No cooling capability (need separate AC), higher installation cost, slower response time, complex installation for radiant floor in existing homes.

Mini-Split Heat Pumps: The Ductless Option

How they work: An outdoor compressor connects to one or more indoor "heads" mounted on walls or ceilings. Each head heats/cools its zone independently. No ductwork required—just refrigerant lines, power, and condensate drainage.

Where mini-splits excel: No existing ductwork, zone control needs (heat the bedroom at night, living areas during the day), additions or conversions, supplemental heating/cooling for problem rooms.

Limitations: Indoor heads are visible on walls, same cold-climate considerations as ducted heat pumps (cold-climate models available), each head needs filter cleaning.

Choosing the Right System

Step 1: What's Your Climate?

• Mild (mostly above 40°F winters): Standard heat pump
• Moderate (occasional below-freezing): Heat pump with auxiliary heat
• Cold (regular below 20°F periods): Cold-climate heat pump, dual-fuel, or gas furnace
• Severe (extended below 0°F): Gas furnace or dual-fuel

Step 2: What Fuels Are Available?

• Natural gas available: Full options; compare gas vs electric operating costs
• Propane only: Heat pump often wins on operating cost
• Electric only: Heat pump is the clear choice

Step 3: What Are Your Priorities?

• Lowest operating cost: Heat pump or geothermal
• Fast heat response: Gas furnace
• Lowest carbon footprint: Heat pump with renewable electricity
• Longest equipment life: Boiler (30+ years) or geothermal (25+ years)
• Maximum comfort: Radiant floor heating

Installation: What Should Happen

Regardless of heating type, quality installation requires:

Proper Sizing

Manual J calculation: Required for any system. Software calculates your home's actual heating load based on insulation, windows, orientation, and local climate.

What you should hear: "Based on the Manual J, your home needs X BTU/h of heating capacity." Red flag: "For a house this size, you need an 80,000 BTU furnace."

Quality Installation Standards

• Furnaces: Proper venting, gas line sizing, combustion analysis, all safety controls tested
• Heat pumps: Refrigerant charge verified, airflow verified, defrost cycle tested, auxiliary heat staging confirmed
• All systems: Ductwork sealed, thermostat calibrated, full system cycling test, customer education

Our Heating Installation Process

Step 1: In-Home Consultation (Free)

We assess your home, discuss your priorities, and perform preliminary measurements. No pressure, no same-day-signing discounts (those are sales tactics, not savings).

Step 2: Detailed Proposal

You receive Manual J load calculation results, recommended equipment with specifications, complete installed pricing (no surprises), and alternative options if applicable.

Step 3: Questions and Decisions (Your Timeline)

We answer questions, adjust proposals if needed, and wait until you're ready. Legitimate savings don't expire—if someone pressures you to decide today, they're using pressure, not price.

Step 4: Installation

Once you decide, we order equipment (typically 3-7 days) and schedule installation. Most heating installations complete in one day.

Step 5: Final Walkthrough and Documentation

System operation demonstrated, thermostat programming explained, maintenance requirements reviewed, all documentation provided, warranty registered.

If you're considering heating installation or replacement, schedule a free consultation. We'll assess your home, discuss options, and help you make the right decision for your situation.