Heat Pump Installation in Norfolk, VA
A new system here will heat from November through April and cool from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Norfolk will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
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Norfolk asks a heat pump to work almost all year
Homes here need heat or cooling 11 months out of the year. Winter nights average 35°F from December through February, mild enough that a heat pump can carry the heating load on its own most days. Summer afternoons average 86°F, and the same system carries the cooling load for five months straight, May through September.
A new split-system heat pump installed today has to meet federal minimums of 14.3 SEER2 for cooling and 7.5 HSPF2 for heating. Most homes here already heat with electricity, and Virginia sees its share of winter storms and damaging wind. When the power goes out, the heat pump you install is what brings the house back to temperature.
- 6 months
- November through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 35°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 86°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Board for Contractors tests and records the contractor, not the crew member who shows up or the specific job. That license stays with the business. Virginia only requires it for work over $1,000, and a heat pump installation runs well past that, so whoever does this job needs to hold it.
Most Virginia cities and counties also require a permit for a heat pump installation, with an inspection once the work is done. That permit and inspection come from the local building office, separate from the state license.
Sources: Virginia General Assembly · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
- Is a heat pump better than a furnace?
- A heat pump does both jobs a furnace cannot, it heats in winter and cools in summer from one system. A furnace only heats, so you still need a separate air conditioner for the 86°F afternoons here from May through September. Winters here average 35°F at night, which a heat pump handles fine, so most homes here do not need a furnace's higher heat output. Whether it's the right call for your house depends on your ductwork and how your home is set up, and a contractor can walk you through that.
- What's the difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner?
- An air conditioner only moves heat out of your home. A heat pump can run that same cycle in reverse, so it also moves heat into your home when it's cold outside. Inside the house, they look and sound almost the same, both have an outdoor unit and an indoor coil. The difference is that a heat pump replaces your furnace too, which matters here since homes need heat from November through April.
- Does a heat pump work in cold weather?
- Yes, a heat pump pulls heat from outdoor air even when it's cold, down to temperatures well below what this area sees. Winter nights here average 35°F from December through February, which is well within the range a heat pump is built to handle. Heat pumps do lose some capacity as the temperature drops, so colder climates than this one sometimes pair them with backup heat. A contractor can tell you whether your home would need that here.