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How heat pumps work

It doesn't make heat. It moves it.

That one difference is why a heat pump delivers up to 30 BTU of heat for every watt it draws — even below freezing.

The idea in one sentence

A heat pump is a refrigerator run in reverse: it uses refrigerant and a compressor to gather heat that already exists in the outdoor air and release it inside. Because it relocates heat rather than creating it by burning fuel, it delivers several times more heat energy than the electricity it uses.

Step by step

Outdoor air gives up its heat

Even at 5°F, air holds usable heat. Cold refrigerant in the outdoor unit is colder still, so heat flows into it.

The compressor concentrates it

Compressing the refrigerant raises its temperature sharply — turning a little warmth into plenty.

Your indoor unit releases the heat

Hot refrigerant passes through the indoor head, a fan blows across it, and warm air fills the room.

The cycle reverses in summer

Flip it and the same system pulls heat out of your home — air conditioning from one unit.

Reading the efficiency labels

HSPF2

Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (version 2) is the current, stricter standard for seasonal heating efficiency. Higher is better; cold-climate units hold up in Maine winters.

BTU per watt

Heat delivered per unit of electricity. Top cold-climate units reach up to 30 BTU/watt — several times what any fuel furnace can do.

COP

Coefficient of performance. A COP of 3 means three units of heat per unit of electricity — the everyday way of saying "300% efficient."

Efficiency Maine rebates require a cold-climate heat pump on its qualified product list, sized for at least 80% of your home's peak heating load. The Seville and Keen units offered by our recommended installers are chosen to meet those requirements.
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