Heat Pump Installation in Athens, AL
A new system here will heat from October through April and cool from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Limestone County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Athens asks a heat pump to work almost year round
Winter nights here average 33°F from December through February, and summer afternoons run near 89°F. That means a heat pump in Limestone County isn't idle much. Homes need heat October through April, seven months, then cooling picks up right behind it from May through September. Between the two, there's barely a month off.
Most homes here heat with electricity, so the heat pump is doing the job on its own, not backing up a furnace. A new split-system unit has to meet the federal minimum of 14.3 SEER2 for cooling and 7.5 HSPF2 for heating if it was built on or after January 1, 2023. With this area seeing wind events and winter storms most years, and a good share of Alabama households losing power for a day or more at some point, it's worth asking how the new system handles a power interruption before it's installed, not after.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 33°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 89°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Alabama requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors issues that license, and it covers the contractor, not each job. It tells you the person taking on your installation is on record with the state. What it does not do is sign off on the work at your house once it is done.
That part comes from your local building office. A heat pump installation needs a permit in most cities and counties, and an inspection once the work is finished. That inspection is what checks the actual job, the wiring, the refrigerant lines, the unit itself, separate from whatever license the contractor holds.
Source: Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors
- Is a heat pump better than a furnace?
- A heat pump does something a furnace can't do. It cools your home in summer and heats it in winter, all from one system. A furnace only makes heat, so you still need a separate AC unit alongside it. Winter lows here average 33°F, which a heat pump is built to handle on its own. Whether it's the right call for your house depends on your ductwork and how your home is set up now, which is something a contractor can walk through with you.
- What's the difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner?
- An air conditioner only moves heat out of your home. A heat pump does that same job in summer, but it can also run in reverse and move heat into your home during winter. Mechanically they're close cousins. Both use a compressor and refrigerant, but the heat pump has a reversing valve that lets it switch directions. That's why a heat pump can replace both your furnace and your AC, while an air conditioner only ever handles cooling.
- Does a heat pump work in cold weather?
- Yes, a heat pump keeps pulling heat from outside air even when it's cold. It works harder as the temperature drops, but winter nights here average 33°F, which is well within the range a modern heat pump is built for. New units sold now have to meet a federal minimum of 7.5 HSPF2, a heating efficiency standard that reflects real gains in cold-weather performance over older models. A contractor can size the system to your home so it keeps up through the coldest nights you get.