Why a Heat Pump Makes Sense for Almost Every Seattle Home

Three of every four quotes we write end up as a heat pump. That ratio has flipped completely in the last five years and there are good reasons for it. This post walks through the three we hear most often from homeowners - cost, performance, rebates - and the one situation where a heat pump still doesn't pencil out.

Performance: yes, they work here

The cold-climate inverter-driven heat pumps we install (Mitsubishi Hyper-Heat, Bosch IDS, Carrier Greenspeed) deliver full rated capacity down to 5°F and continue producing usable heat to -13°F. In ten Puget Sound winters we have never seen one fail to heat on the coldest day of the year.

Cost: more efficient than a furnace, all year

A modern heat pump runs at 250-400% efficiency (COP 2.5-4.0) for most of the heating season, compared to a 95% AFUE gas furnace. In our region the all-in cost of heating with a heat pump beats natural gas at current PSE rates roughly nine months of the year. We model the math during the quote so you see real numbers, not marketing.

Rebates: PSE plus the federal credit

PSE rebates run $1,200-$1,600 for qualifying heat-pump installs, stacked with the federal Inflation Reduction Act 25C tax credit (30% up to $2,000). Total stacked incentives commonly land at $3,000-$3,600. We file the PSE paperwork on your behalf and provide the IRS Form 5695 documentation.

When it doesn't pencil out

If the existing furnace is under 5 years old and the AC is dead, a straight AC replacement is often the cheaper move. If panel capacity is a real problem and a heat-pump retrofit means a $4,000 electrical upgrade, the math gets tighter. We will tell you when that's the case - we'd rather give you the right answer than the bigger ticket.