Heat Pump Installation in Cumming, GA
A new system here will heat from October through April and cool from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Forsyth County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
A heat pump in Forsyth County runs almost year round
Winter nights here average 33°F, mild enough that a heat pump keeps working without much strain, and summer afternoons average 86°F on the cooling side. Between the two, a heat pump here runs 12 months a year, heating from October through April and cooling from May through September.
Any split-system heat pump installed new has to meet 14.3 SEER2 for cooling and 7.5 HSPF2 for heating. That is the floor, not a special feature. With most homes in the county still heating with gas, a heat pump installed now is also often the first one that house has run.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 33°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 86°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Georgia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The State Construction Industry Licensing Board is the one that tests and licenses HVAC contractors in Georgia. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the same license covers this heat pump install as it would any other HVAC work that contractor takes on.
The license is what stands behind the person doing the work. In most cities and counties, installing a heat pump also needs a permit from the local building office, and an inspection once the work is done. That permit and inspection are a separate check on the installation itself, not on the contractor's license.
Source: Georgia Secretary of State
- Is a heat pump better than a furnace?
- A heat pump does both jobs, heating and cooling, where a furnace only heats. That matters here since Cumming needs one or the other 12 months a year. A heat pump moves heat instead of burning gas to make it, so it can cost less to run through a mild winter like this one where nights average 33°F. Most homes here still heat with gas, and a furnace can push out hotter air on the coldest nights, so which one fits depends on the house and what's already installed.
- What's the difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner?
- An air conditioner only cools. A heat pump can run in reverse and heat the house too, using the same outdoor unit and the same ducts. Inside the cabinets look almost identical, and both use a compressor and a coil to move heat rather than create it. The difference shows up in winter, when the heat pump keeps working and the air conditioner sits idle until summer comes back around.
- Does a heat pump work in cold weather?
- Yes, a heat pump keeps working in cold weather, though it pulls less heat from the air as the temperature drops. Cumming's winter nights average 33°F, which is well within the range a modern heat pump handles without trouble. Newer units sold since January 2023 have to meet a federal minimum of 7.5 HSPF2 for heating, a step up from older models. Some homes pair the heat pump with backup heat for the rare night that drops much lower, and a contractor can tell you whether your house needs that.