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Heat Pumps in Minnesota: Understanding Their Effectiveness in Extreme Cold Climates |
Heat pumps are becoming a popular option for heating and cooling in Minnesota. But are they effective as a year-round heating and cooling source? More importantly, can they stand up to our sub-zero winters? Let’s take a look at these questions so you can make sure your home stays toasty warm all winter.
Before we discuss whether a heat pump can be used in Minnesota, we should define which type of heat pump we are talking about. There are two main types of heat pumps.
An air source heat pump is a heating and cooling system that moves warm air out of your home when the weather is hot and moves warm air into your home when the weather is cold.
An air source heat pump works like a heat shuttle, moving warmth from the outdoors into your home instead of creating heat from scratch. It uses a refrigerant that absorbs heat from outside air, then gets compressed to become hotter before releasing that warmth inside your house. This approach lets heat pumps deliver more heating power than the electricity they use.
When summer rolls around, the heat pump simply works in reverse, pulling heat from inside your home and dumping it outside to keep you cool. It’s like having your heating and air conditioning in one system that works year-round. The catch is that when outside temperatures get super cold, like in Minnesota, heat pumps have to work harder to find that outdoor warmth to bring inside.
When most people are talking about heat pumps, air source heat pumps are the type they are referring to, and they will be the heat pump we discuss in this post.
The other type of heat pump is a geothermal heat pump. Geothermal heat pumps, also known as ground source heat pumps, are cheap to operate but are at least an order of magnitude more expensive than air source heat pumps.
You read that correctly: geothermal heat pumps can cost as much as $30,000 to $45,000 for equipment and installation for higher end models. That high installation cost can make offsetting your investment with lower utility bills a lifetime project.
Because of their high price tag, geothermal heat pumps are not as common in Minnesota. However, they can still be found in homes throughout the Twin Cities because they are able to effectively warm a home even on our coldest winter days and are one of the most eco-friendly options currently available.
The short answer to the question of whether air source heat pumps can be used in Minnesota is: technically, yes you can. But that comes with a big caveat: nearly every type of air source heat pump is rated to work down to about 30 degrees. Some newer models may be rated to work down to 0 degrees.
But, if you’ve spent any time in Minnesota, you know that we can go weeks or even a month or longer with temperatures that fall below 0—or never get above 0! On those days you will need an auxiliary heat source, which is most commonly a heat strip or electric baseboards, neither of which are as efficient as a heat pump or a gas furnace.
So, yes, an air source heat pump is an option for heating your home in the spring and fall and cooling your home in the summer.
The bottom line: we do not recommend using an air source heat pump as your primary heating source for winters in Minnesota.
While we strongly recommend using a gas furnace to heat your home whenever possible, sometimes a gas furnace is not an option. But, for every rule there is an exception. An air source heat pump may be the best choice for these types of homes:
For most homes in Minnesota, we highly recommend a gas furnace as your primary source of heat. Gas furnaces deliver exceptional efficiency ratings of 96%-97%, meaning nearly all the energy they consume gets converted to heat for your home. They’re more affordable to operate during our harsh winters and perform reliably even when temperatures plummet well below zero. Unlike heat pumps that struggle in extreme cold, gas furnaces maintain their heating capacity regardless of outdoor conditions, ensuring your family stays comfortable during the coldest Minnesota nights.
Newer furnace models with two-stage motors take efficiency even further by adjusting their output based on your heating needs. On milder days, these smart systems can operate at lower capacity, using less gas and more electricity to optimize energy consumption and reduce utility bills.
Additionally, gas furnaces typically have longer lifespans than air source heat pumps, which face double the operational hours by running year-round for both heating and cooling. This extended usage means heat pumps generally require replacement twice as often as furnaces, adding to their lifetime cost despite their dual functionality.
If you have decided an air source heat pump is right for your home, we can help you out! Our expert technicians can install a new Trane XLi or Trane XB air source heat pump to heat and cool your home.
Call: 612-825-6867
