Services
Heat pump installation and repair
Swap an old air conditioner for something that also heats, add a dual-fuel backup, or fix one that will not switch over.
The usual reason people end up with one
The air conditioner dies, and while pricing its replacement somebody points out that for a similar amount of money the same outdoor unit could also carry most of the heating season.
That is the honest case for a heat pump in this climate, and it is the one we see most: not a conversion project, a better choice at the moment the AC has to be replaced anyway.
Chicago winters
Cold-climate models, and dual fuel
A modern cold-climate unit still produces heat well below zero Fahrenheit, but its output falls as the temperature does, and the coldest week of a Chicago January is exactly when you cannot afford to find that out.
Dual fuel is the answer we fit most often: the heat pump carries the mild half of the season, the gas furnace you already own takes over when it gets genuinely cold, and one control decides which is running. We will not put numbers on your bill savings, because they depend on gas and electricity prices nobody here controls.
When one will not heat
Three faults cover most heat pump service calls. A defrost cycle that is not running, so the outdoor coil ices over and stays iced. A reversing valve that will not change over, so the system cools when it should heat. And low airflow indoors, which looks like a refrigerant problem and usually is not.
All three are diagnosable in one visit with gauges and a clamp meter.
Heat pump jobs we have documented
What customers wrote
Excellent work installing our Midea (Senville) 3-ton heat pump. Installation was done with exceptional precision, above and beyond expectations.
Alex from General Climate helped us upgrade our old air conditioner to a modern heat pump system. ... We're already noticing better comfort in the house.
Towns we cover
Northwest
- Wheeling 1 job
- Buffalo Grove 1 job
- Prospect Heights
- Lincolnshire
- Arlington Heights 1 job
- Long Grove
- Mount Prospect
- Palatine
- Barrington
North Shore
- Deerfield
- Northbrook 2 jobs
- Highland Park
- Highwood
- Lake Forest
- Glenview 1 job
- Winnetka
- Wilmette 1 job
Near north
- Park Ridge
- Skokie
- Chicago 2 jobs
Heat pump questions
Will it heat the house in January?
A cold-climate model will heat it, with less output as it gets colder. Whether that is enough depends on the house, which is why we look at the house and not only at the equipment.
Can I keep my gas furnace?
Yes, and in most of the houses here that is the arrangement we recommend. The furnace becomes the backup and the heat pump does the mild weather.
Is the outdoor unit noisy?
Quieter than the air conditioner it replaces, in our experience. It does run in winter, which takes some getting used to, and it will steam during a defrost cycle. That is normal and not a fault.
Do I need ductwork for one?
No. A ductless heat pump does the same job for rooms with no ducts at all.
Request an estimate
Tell us what you have now and what you would like it to do.