Learn what your home can get.

A heat pump uses a refrigerant loop to carry heat in from outside air (or the ground). Moving heat takes far less energy than making it.

Cold-climate models are tested and rated for low temperatures. Always check the rated output at your coldest design temperature.

It is a performance rating, not a sales region. Many rebate programs ask for a cold-climate model on a qualified list.

Because it moves heat instead of making it, a heat pump is often 200 to 400 percent efficient. Electric baseboards top out at 100 percent.

It needs no ductwork. Each indoor unit heats and cools the room it sits in, which suits homes without ducts.

A reversing valve switches the direction of heat flow, so one system heats in winter and cools in summer.

Square footage misses insulation, windows and air leaks. A proper heat-loss calculation avoids a unit that is too big or too small.

Frost builds on the outdoor coil in cold, damp air. The unit briefly reverses to melt it, then goes back to heating.

Fifteen years is a common figure, longer with regular filter cleaning and yearly checks.

Right-sized cold-climate units handle most winter days. A small backup is a choice for the coldest extremes, not a sign the heat pump fails.