Heat Pump Installation in Decatur, 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 Morgan County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
A heat pump in Decatur works nearly every month of the year
Winter nights here average 33°F, and homes need heat October through April. Summer afternoons average 89°F, and cooling runs May through September. That's 12 months a year your heat pump is either heating or cooling the house, with barely a break between seasons.
Most homes in Decatur heat with electricity, so the heat pump carries that load directly rather than backing up a furnace. A new split-system unit has to meet federal minimums of 14.3 SEER2 for cooling and 7.5 HSPF2 for heating, and sizing it right for both jobs matters more here than in a place where one season does most of the work.
- 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 license is issued to the contractor, not to this particular job. It means the state has tested the person or business taking on your work and keeps a record of them through the Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors, so if something goes wrong there is a name on file and a board that can act on it.
For a heat pump installation, that license is what stands behind the work itself. Most cities and counties also require a permit for a job like this, with an inspection once it's done, and that inspection is what checks the installation, separate from what the license already tells you about the contractor.
Source: Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors
- Is a heat pump better than a furnace?
- It depends on what you're heating with now. A heat pump moves heat instead of burning fuel to make it, so it can also cool your home in summer, which a furnace can't do. Winter nights here average 33°F, mild enough that a heat pump can carry the heating load without much strain. Most homes in Decatur already heat with electricity, so a heat pump often replaces both a furnace and a separate air conditioner with one system.
- 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, but it can also run in reverse and pull heat from outside air to warm your home in winter. The outdoor unit looks similar on both, but a heat pump has a reversing valve that lets it switch directions. Homes here need cooling from May through September and heat from October through April, so a heat pump can cover the full year while a straight AC only handles the cooling months.
- Does a heat pump work in cold weather?
- Yes, a heat pump keeps working as outdoor temperatures drop, though it pulls less heat from the air the colder it gets outside. Winter nights around Decatur average 33°F, which is well within the range a heat pump handles without trouble. New heat pumps sold today have to meet a federal minimum of 7.5 HSPF2 for heating efficiency, so they're built for exactly this kind of winter.