Heat Pump Installation in Auburn, AL
A new system here will heat from November through March and cool from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Lee County will get in touch.
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Ten months of work, most winters and summers alike
In Auburn, a heat pump runs from November through March to keep the house warm, then May through September to keep it cool. That is ten months of the year the system is working. Only a couple of months in spring and fall give it a rest.
Winter nights here average 37°F, which is mild as far as heating goes, but summer afternoons average 90°F, and that is the harder side of the job. A new system has to hold up to both ends. Any split-system heat pump installed new has to meet 14.3 SEER2 for cooling and 7.5 HSPF2 for heating, the federal minimum since 2023.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 37°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 90°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Alabama requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The state license is held by the contractor, not the job, so it covers the company doing the work rather than being reissued for each installation. Alabama's Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors is what tested and records that contractor.
For a heat pump installation in Lee County, that license is what stands behind the work, and there's also a local permit and inspection to know about. Most cities and counties require a permit before a heat pump goes in, and an inspection once it's done, which is where the wiring and refrigerant lines get checked separately from the state license itself.
Source: Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors
- Is a heat pump better than a furnace?
- It depends on what you're comparing it to. A heat pump moves heat instead of burning fuel to create it, so it can heat and cool your home with one system instead of two. Here, with about 5 months of heating and 5 months of cooling each year, that dual use matters more than it would somewhere with a short cooling season. A gas furnace can still push out hotter air on the coldest nights, so the right choice depends on your home, your ductwork, and what you're running now.
- What's the difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner?
- An air conditioner only cools. A heat pump does the same job in summer, moving heat out of your house, but it can also run in reverse in winter to move heat into your house. Mechanically the outdoor units look similar, but the heat pump has a reversing valve that lets it switch directions. That's what lets one system cover both your summer afternoons and your winter nights instead of pairing an AC with a separate furnace.
- Does a heat pump work in cold weather?
- Yes, a heat pump keeps pulling heat from outdoor air even when it's cold, though it works harder as the temperature drops. With winter nights here averaging 37°F, most heat pumps installed today handle that range without trouble. Newer heat pumps built to current federal standards are rated for both heating and cooling efficiency, so a properly sized system should keep up through a typical winter here. For the coldest nights, some homes pair a heat pump with a backup heat source, and a contractor can tell you whether that makes sense for your house.