Heat Pumps guides
Plain-language heat pumps guides for Greater Seattle homeowners — how the equipment works, what fails, and how the local decisions play out. No pitch, just answers from a shop that's been here since 1938.
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How does a heat pump heat a Seattle home?
A heat pump doesn't create heat — it moves it, using a refrigerant loop to pull warmth out of outdoor air (yes, even cold air holds usable heat) and release it inside through your ducts or ductless heads. Run the loop backwards and it cools your house in summer. Because it moves heat rather than making it, a heat pump delivers roughly 2–4 times the energy it consumes — which is why Seattle's mild-but-long winters are close to ideal for this technology.
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What's a heat pump's balance point — and do I need backup heat?
The balance point is the outdoor temperature at which your heat pump's heating output exactly equals your home's heat loss — above it the heat pump alone keeps up; below it, backup heat (electric strips or a gas furnace in dual-fuel setups) assists. In a well-sized Greater Seattle install with cold-climate equipment, that crossing point sits low enough that backup heat runs only a handful of hours per year, not all winter.
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Why is my heat pump steaming, whooshing, or icing up?
In cold, damp Puget Sound weather your heat pump's outdoor coil collects frost while it's absorbing heat from outdoor air; the unit periodically reverses into cooling mode for a few minutes to melt that frost — that's the defrost cycle. Steam rising off the outdoor unit, a whoosh at changeover, and briefly cooler supply air indoors are all normal. Ice that builds up and never clears is not — and in our climate, defrost behavior is something you'll notice more than homeowners in drier cold regions.
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What is a dual-fuel (hybrid) heat pump system?
A dual-fuel system pairs an electric heat pump with a gas furnace on the same ductwork: the heat pump carries the mild majority of Seattle's heating season efficiently, and the furnace takes over during cold snaps. One thermostat manages the handoff automatically. It is the pragmatic middle path when you want cooling and lower shoulder-season bills without retiring a still-healthy gas furnace — and PSE pays a hybrid rebate ($1,500 standard / $2,400 income-qualified) for exactly this configuration.
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Ready to decide?
Once you understand the how, these guides walk the actual decision — trade-offs, Seattle-area cost context, and the questions to ask any bidder.
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Heat pump or gas furnace: which is right for your Seattle home?
This is the decision framework — not the side-by-side table. In the Seattle area the choice usually comes down to three inputs: what you're replacing (conversion rebates only apply when you switch fuels or leave resistance heat), how long you'll stay in the home, and whether you want air conditioning — which a heat pump includes and a furnace never will. Use this page to walk those inputs; use the comparison table when you already know you want column-by-column specs.
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Should I convert my oil furnace to a heat pump?
This is the oil-conversion decision framework — not the fuel-cost comparison table. For most Seattle oil-heated homes, yes — and sooner beats later. Oil is the city's most expensive heating fuel (City of Seattle), conversion savings run 50%+ on annual heating costs per the city's own figures, and the Clean Heat rebate ($2,000 at any income, up to $6,000 income-qualified) has published deadlines. The honest work is in the details: tank decommissioning, panel capacity in pre-war wiring, ductless-vs-ducted fit for your housing stock, and how long you'll stay once the conversion is done.
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Should I repair my heat pump or replace it?
This is the heat-pump repair-or-replace framework — not the equipment comparison table. Heat pumps carry the house all twelve months, so the timeline compresses: under 8 years, repair; past 12, major repairs rarely pencil. Compressor and reversing-valve failures on out-of-warranty units are the classic replacement triggers — and replacement re-opens the utility rebate window that repair never touches. Add local inputs: SCL instant discounts step with HSPF2 tier; PSE conversion terms apply when the old system effectively heated with resistance; pre-war panel capacity may steer ductless vs ducted replacement; and stay horizon decides whether one more season of repair buys planning time.
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Will my electrical panel handle a heat pump?
This is the panel-readiness framework — not the electrification cost table. A heat pump needs a dedicated 240-volt circuit with real capacity headroom — and whether your panel has it is a fact, not a vibe: read the main breaker's amp rating and count what already claims capacity. Homes with 200-amp service are almost always fine; pre-war 60–100 amp services are where the retrofit conversation starts. Seattle City Light and PSE territories share the same housing stock patterns — Magnolia bungalows, Capitol Hill rowhouses, Eastside 1990s tracts — but rebate paths differ once the panel question is answered. Stay horizon matters too: a panel upgrade you need for a heat pump this year may be the same upgrade you'd need for an EV charger in three.
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Lennox, Daikin, or Mitsubishi: which line fits your home?
This is the brand-fit decision framework — not the Lennox-vs-Daikin-vs-Mitsubishi comparison table with spec rows. We sell and install all three, so the honest answer is a fit question, not a loyalty pitch: Lennox anchors premium ducted systems (furnaces to 99% AFUE, heat pumps to 10.30 HSPF2), Daikin's compact FIT excels on tight Seattle lots and townhome retrofits, and Mitsubishi's H2i hyper-heat line is our ductless backbone (100% capacity at 5°F). Your house — duct path, panel, lot lines, stay horizon — picks the brand before the badge does. Rebates follow model efficiency on SCL and PSE lists, not logos.
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Whether it's a furnace that quit on a cold morning or a whole new system, the Glendale team is ready. Honest pricing, expert work, and 87+ years behind every visit.
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