What is a heat pump?
A clear overview of how heat pumps work, the benefits, and the different types.
Learn the basics
Heat pumps
Find the right heat pump for your home.
Choosing a heat pump or fixing one you already own? Compare system types and installation costs, or find help with heating problems and maintenance.
Explore heat pump guides
Practical answers for real homes.
Do heat pumps work in cold climates?
What to expect in winter, including performance, backup heat, and real-world results.
Cold climate performance
Heat pump installation: what to know
Key steps, costs, and how to choose the right installer for your home.
Installation guideChoose a system
Compare heat-pump systems
Compare how each system heats your home, the space it needs, and the installation work involved.
Most common
Air-source heat pumps
A whole-home or ducted starting point for many retrofit projects.
- Source
- Outdoor air
- Typical fit
- Whole home
Room or zone
Ductless / mini-split
Independent room or zone conditioning without central ducts.
- Distribution
- Ductless
- Typical fit
- Zones
Ground source
Geothermal
Uses a ground or water loop as the heat source and sink.
- Source
- Ground / water
- Project
- Loop field
Hybrid
Dual-fuel systems
A heat pump and furnace share the heating job under one strategy.
- Primary
- Heat pump
- Backup
- Furnace
Project planning
Plan your project and budget
A useful quote starts with the home, the current system, the work included, and the result you want. Compare installers against the same project description.
Living with a heat pump
Keep it working. Know when to get help.
Routine care, fewer surprises
Maintenance, symptoms, and repair are different jobs.
Heat-pump maintenanceBrowse all heat-pump guides
The full index is here when you already know the topic you need.
Basics & systems
Climate & comparison
Still have a question?
Search for a question, or browse the full list of heat-pump guides.
Photography credits
System, equipment and indoor heat-pump photographs: alpha innotec; wall-mounted indoor unit: NEOSiAM 18+; planning: Mikael Blomkvist; maintenance: José Andrés Pacheco Cortes; budgeting: Hanna Pad. Photographs supplied through Pexels. Furnace: Muggle99102, CC BY-SA 3.0; shown with a layout crop. Images illustrate equipment and tasks, not a recommended model.
