Heat Pump Installation in Payson, AZ
A new system here will heat from November through April and cool from June through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Gila County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of the year, your heat pump is working
Payson needs heat from November through April and cooling from June through September. That is ten months a year your heat pump is running, with only a couple months of rest. Winter nights average 32°F, mild enough that a heat pump can carry the heating load on its own without much help. Summer afternoons average 92°F, so the same system has to switch over and pull that heat back out of the house for four straight months.
Any split-system heat pump installed today has to meet 14.3 SEER2 for cooling and 7.5 HSPF2 for heating. In a place that leans on the same unit almost year round, those minimums matter more than they would somewhere that only heats or only cools.
- 6 months
- November through April, your system heats
- 4 months
- June through September, it cools
- 32°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 92°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Arizona requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Registrar of Contractors tests and licenses the contractor, not the job. That license stays tied to the business, so anyone doing this work in Gila County should hold one, but it doesn't mean an inspector signs off on your particular install.
That part comes from the local building office. Setting a heat pump means new refrigerant lines, electrical work, and a system tied into your home's ductwork, and most cities and counties require a permit for that along with an inspection once the work is done. The permit is what puts a second set of eyes on this specific job, separate from whatever license the contractor carries.
Sources: Arizona State Legislature · Arizona Registrar of Contractors
- Is a heat pump better than a furnace?
- A heat pump does both jobs a furnace can't, it heats in winter and cools in summer from one system. Payson needs heat from November through April and cooling from June through September, so ten months of the year that one system is working. A furnace only heats, so you'd still need a separate air conditioner for those summer afternoons that average 92°F. Whether a heat pump makes sense for your house depends on your ductwork and current setup, which a contractor can look at.
- What's the difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner?
- An air conditioner only moves heat out of your house. A heat pump does that too, but it can also run in reverse and pull heat from outside air into your house, so it heats as well as cools. Both use a compressor and refrigerant to move heat, and both look about the same as an outdoor unit. The difference is the heat pump has a reversing valve that lets it work both directions.
- Does a heat pump work in cold weather?
- Yes, a heat pump pulls heat from outside air even when it's cold, down to well below freezing. Payson winter nights average 32°F from December through February, which is well within the range a heat pump is built to handle. As outdoor air gets colder there's less heat in it to move, so the unit works harder and its output drops some. Federal minimums now require new heat pumps to meet 7.5 HSPF2 for heating, a rating that accounts for this range of outdoor temperatures.