Hello All!!

I'm a complete novice at this. But how do I tell if I have a heat pump or a standard unit.

Also my home is about 16 years old and I'm guessing these are the original units. How can I tell when these units should be replaced? And If I do replace it any advice on what unit I should get?

Thanks for your help in advance.

- Tony

labman

Heat pumps usually have legs under the outside unit to keep it up out of the snow. If the outside unit runs when it is cold, and heats the house, it certainly is a heat pump. It should say so on it somewhere and perhaps have a switch to convert from heat to cooling.

If the 16 year old unit still seems to work well, it might not be cost effective to replace it. More efficient units should be available, but the cost saving should not be too great. A heat pump could make sense in your area, with the fairly mild winters. With some resistance heat as a back up, and maybe a kerosene heater, you might get away without a real furnace. Get some estimates from local contractors.