Here in Minnesota, the winters often bring sub-zero temperatures. For decades, gas furnaces have been the most popular heating option here. Today, however, another heating option is gaining popularity: heat pumps. They offer an all-electric, high-efficiency alternative to furnaces. They can also serve as a cooling solution in the summer.
What Is a Heat Pump and How Does It Work?
If you’re unfamiliar with heat pumps, the way they work can sound confusing. A heat pump runs exclusively on electricity and doesn’t create heat through combustion. Instead, heat pumps extract heat from the outdoor air. Then, they carry that heat indoors to warm your home. Hearing that often prompts the question: Do heat pumps work in cold weather?
To learn the answer, consider this. Outside air always contains thermal energy, even at very low temperatures. However, you’ll still feel cold in the winter due to the second law of thermodynamics. It states, in part, that heat energy always flows spontaneously from warmer to colder substances. So, the further the air temperature drops below your body temperature, the colder you feel.
Heat pumps exploit that process to heat your home. To do this, they apply the same refrigeration principles as ACs and refrigerators. The compressor and expansion valve control refrigerant temperature by increasing or decreasing pressure. This temperature change also affects the refrigerant’s state. In heating mode, a heat pump sends cold, low-pressure liquid refrigerant to its outdoor unit. There, it collects heat from the outdoor air until boiling into a vapor. Today’s heat pump refrigerants have low-pressure boiling points near -60 degrees Fahrenheit. At those temperatures, the refrigerant can absorb significant heat from even the coldest outdoor air.
Next, a heat pump sends the warm vapor through a compressor, which increases its pressure and temperature. Upon leaving the compressor, the vapor can reach 140 degrees, which is more than enough to heat your home. The heat pump transfers that heat into your home’s air via a coil in its indoor unit. When the refrigerant surrenders enough heat, it condenses back into a liquid. After passing through an expansion valve, it turns back to a frigid vapor to start the process again. In cooling mode, a heat pump uses the very same refrigeration cycle steps, but in reverse.
It’s important to realize that a heat pump’s heating performance depends on the outdoor air temperature. The colder the outside temperature, the harder the heat pump must work to collect the heat your home needs. A heat pump’s efficiency does decline in colder weather. Also, you need a well-insulated home and a properly sized heat pump for best results here in Minnesota.
Pros of Heat Pumps for Minnesota Homeowners
One of the most important advantages of a heat pump is its high energy efficiency. In cooling mode, most heat pumps rank among the most efficient cooling solutions on the market. In heating mode, they perform exceptionally well in mild winter conditions. At temperatures above about 40 degrees, you can expect a heat pump to operate at approximately 400% efficiency. Importantly, cold climate heat pumps remain at least 175% efficient at temperatures as low as 5 degrees. They’re even capable of working at temperatures as low as -20 degrees.
Another advantage of heat pumps is that they provide year-round comfort. By providing both heating and cooling, a heat pump can keep your home comfortable in any weather. It’s also worth noting that a heat pump can lower your home’s carbon footprint. Not only do they avoid any direct carbon emissions, but they can also become effectively carbon-neutral when paired with a renewable electricity source.
Heat pump owners also often enjoy the consistent indoor temperatures that these systems provide. Since the air they produce is not as hot as that from a gas furnace, they must run longer cycles. That prevents big indoor temperature swings and avoids sudden bursts of heat, as you’d expect from a furnace.
Cons and Challenges in Harsh Winter Weather
One disadvantage of heat pumps is that they become less efficient as outdoor temperatures drop. In most cases, that isn’t an issue. However, at temperatures below 5 degrees, a heat pump will cost significantly more to operate than a gas furnace. In extreme cold or heat, heat pumps may also require supplemental electric heat strips to increase heat output. While that will keep your home warm, it will further increase your operating costs.
You should also know that installing a heat pump will cost more than installing a gas furnace and an AC. And, if your home isn’t well insulated and air-sealed, you won’t get the most out of a new heat pump.
Heat Pumps vs. Traditional Heating Systems
If you compare a heat pump vs. a furnace in Minnesota, some obvious differences emerge. One is that gas furnaces output hotter air, which can help during periods of extreme cold. However, in all but the coldest parts of the winter, a heat pump will be far cheaper to operate.
When it comes to heat pumps versus boilers and other heating system types, expect lower costs with a heat pump. However, some homeowners prefer the conditions created by hydronic heating to those created by a heat pump. As a result, some homeowners choose to keep their old boiler in place for very cold days.
Home Factors That Affect Heat Pump Performance
If you want the best possible heat pump experience, you must prepare your home for one. That includes sealing your home’s air envelope, making necessary ductwork repairs, and having your ducts air balanced. It’s also wise to have your home professionally evaluated before switching to a heat pump. That helps ensure your new heat pump meets your home’s heating needs, given its size and layout. Our professional installation includes thermostat settings optimized to meet your comfort preferences.
Tax Credits, Rebates, and Financial Incentives
Right now, some local utilities offer rebates that can help lower the cost of a heat pump installation in Minnesota. Rochester Public Utilities offers rebates to customers who install qualifying heat pumps. The People’s Energy Cooperative offers heat pump rebates worth up to $200 per ton of capacity. Unfortunately, a federal heat pump tax credit program ended at the close of 2025, and a federally funded state heat pump rebate program remains in limbo.
The experts at Haley Comfort Systems can walk you through available heat pump tax credits at the time of purchase. They’ll also help you qualify for as many rebate programs as possible to lower your upfront costs.
Book Heat Pump Installation
Now you know that there’s no reason not to consider heat pumps in Minnesota winters. However, it’s essential to have your home professionally evaluated before installing one. Haley Comfort Systems is your local leader in heat pump installation and replacement. Our experts can recommend additional upgrades that would make your home a good fit for a heat pump. They can also help you weigh your other heating options to choose the one that best fits your needs.
Contact Haley Comfort Systems in Rochester to request a heat pump installation today!
