Ready for an HVAC upgrade? Then you're ready for a heat pump.
If you're thinking about a heat pump, here's what you should consider:
Is a heat pump right for you?
Whether or not a heat pump is right for your home depends a lot on your current heating and cooling system and what’s important to you. So let’s figure it out. If you want to:
Save money on your utility bills
A heat pump is the best choice if your current HVAC system is fueled by oil or electrical resistance (electric baseboard heat, for example). If you have natural gas, then a heat pump won’t save you money so long as the cost of natural gas is lower than the cost of electricity. But regardless of what kind of system you have, a heat pump is a no-brainer if you have solar panels: Your panels will power your heat pump, and that means a very low (or nonexistent!) heating/cooling bill.
Take advantage of Mass Save rebates
Now is the perfect time for Massachusetts homeowners to install a heat pump and benefit from the rebates and tax credits that come along with making your home more energy efficient. Mass Save™ offers cash rebates of up to $10,000 for switching to a heat pump or up to $16,000 if you are income-eligible. They also offer 0% financing options.
Get year-round comfort
Heat pumps are an all-in-one solution for heating and cooling. They are a great choice if you’re ready to swap your window ACs for central air while also upgrading your heat. You can either upgrade your entire heating and cooling system or keep your current heating system and add cooling with a heat pump.
Lower your climate impact
A heat pump is right for you regardless of your current HVAC system. Once they’re widely adopted, heat pumps will be our #1 weapon in the fight against climate change — they use less energy than fossil fuel-based systems and have the potential to be powered by renewable energy sources.
Replace an aging HVAC system
A heat pump is almost always the best choice if your current system is broken, on its last legs, or is 10 years old or older. Thanks to the heat pump rebates from the Sponsors of Mass Save™, upgrading your system is often more cost-effective than continuing to repair an older system.
Improve indoor air quality
A heat pump results in healthier air than gas- or oil-run systems for many reasons: You’re not burning fossil fuels and polluting your air with combustion byproducts; the filters remove dust, pollen, smoke, and other impurities; and you can even find models that let you control humidity levels.
What kind of heat pump is best for your home?
Whether you have a single room you want to make more comfortable or a large house with legacy HVAC systems you’d like to upgrade, we’ll design the ideal heat pump setup for your home. There are a few different kinds.
Ducted
If your home is heated by an oil- or gas-powered furnace that blows warm air out of vents around your house, then you have what’s called ductwork. And if you have ductwork, then a ducted heat pump system is probably best for your home. In these systems, an air handler takes the heated or cooled air from the heat pump and blows it into the ducts and, ultimately, your rooms. (If you’re not sure and your basement is unfinished, then go down there and look up — if you see box-shaped metal tubes that attach to your furnace, then you have ductwork.)
Ductless
If you don’t have existing ductwork or your ducts are in rough shape, no problem. Some of the most popular heat pumps are ductless systems called mini-splits. This is a great option for multi-family houses, smaller houses, older houses, and those who want to add air conditioning to their existing heating system. They’re also a great option if you have an oil boiler that heats your home via baseboards.
Hybrid
Sometimes the best system for a homeowner combines ducted and ductless heat pumps in a hybrid approach. Thanks to the flexible modularity of these fantastic machines, if that’s what would work best for your home and your needs, that’s what Forge will deliver.
How do you pick a heat pump installer?
Heat pumps need to be properly designed and installed to operate at maximum efficiency. Make sure you are working with an installer that offers multiple brands, does an ACCA-approved Manual J to size your system, and visits your home at some point in the process. Here’s what sets us apart at Forge:
Quality
Quality system design and installation are essential for your heat pump project, and at Forge, heat pumps are our specialty. Our in-house trained team has decades of experience designing and installing systems for single and multi-family homes. Unlike companies that rely on subcontractors, all of our heat pump installers and electricians are employed by Forge — allowing us to maintain quality control, eliminate unnecessary markups, and deliver the best value for your investment. Before installation, we always conduct an on-site visit and perform ACCA-approved Manual J and Manual D calculations to ensure your system is correctly sized and scoped for maximum efficiency and comfort.
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Value
As a Mass Save-approved heat pump installer, we offer eligible homeowners instant Mass Save rebates, reducing your upfront cost and eliminating the hassle of rebate paperwork. Plus, most Forge customers can finance their project through a Mass Save HEAT Loan, taking advantage of 0% financing to spread costs over time without added interest.
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Customer experience
If you’ve had major work done on any of your home’s systems, you know how stressful it can be. Well, not with Forge. We’ll answer all your questions, handle all the scheduling, deal with the permits and Mass Save, and keep you in the loop at all times. And for even greater peace of mind, Forge provides an extended labor and equipment warranty, ensuring your system is protected for years to come.
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Here’s what our customers say about Forge.
What should you expect from the process?
When you work with Forge, we do all the work – from educating you on the options for your home, to securing the permits, to the final heat pump installation. Our extensive and unrivaled experience enables us to work quickly and diligently so you can start enjoying your new HVAC system ASAP. Here's what we do:
STEP 1
Learn about your home
We’ll start by learning about your home, current HVAC system, and comfort goals. Depending on the size of your home and your preference, one of our Home Comfort Advisors will conduct either a virtual or in-person visit. To size your system correctly, we perform an ACCA-approved Manual J (and Manual D for a ducted heat pump system), along with an electrical load calculation. We also determine your eligible Mass Save rebate and apply it upfront, so you save right away without the wait.
STEP 2
Scope your project & design your system
We take all of the information we collected about your home and do an initial scope of your project. This scope includes the type of heat pump system we recommend, details of the work we'll do, and a quote. Once you've decided to move forward, our expert team of HVAC and electrical designers will take over. They'll do a site visit and finalize the design of your system — things like defining the exact locations of vents or confirming you still want the bedroom mini-split above your dresser.
STEP 3
Install your heat pump
Next, we open permits and schedule your project. The average heat pump installation takes 4-5 days, but every home is different so there are many exceptions to that. If your system is super simple, it could take as few as 1-2 days. If it's larger or more complex, the install could take 2 weeks or more. We'll set your expectations ahead of time and work with your schedule.
STEP 5
Ongoing service and maintenance
Your heat pump is a long-term investment — and we’re here to help you take care of it. Forge offers ongoing service check-ups and maintenance to keep your system running efficiently, season after season. Whether it’s a routine inspection or a performance tune-up, our in-house heat pump team is here to help you.
STEP 4
Project completion and warranty set up
When your installation is complete, we'll register all installed equipment with the manufacturer to ensure you get the full equipment warranty, schedule a final inspection with your town/city, and close out any open permits. With Forge, you don’t have to handle all the extra coordinating and paperwork that comes along with permits.
Who you'll be working with:
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Our Massachusetts service area
Don’t see your town listed? No worries — just get in touch with us using the form below for the very latest news on our ever-expanding service area.
Get in touch.
Need a new HVAC system? Ready to upgrade to a heat pump? Want a quote? Not sure what you need but want to learn more about working with Forge? Whatever your question, the answer is just a simple form away. We look forward to hearing from you.
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Frequently asked questions. And answers.
You’ll find at least a handful of models that will work well in your home and meet your heating and cooling needs.
But even if you identify what you think is the perfect heat pump, it might not be available when you want to install it. Or it might not be eligible for some rebate that you want. Or the installer offers an equally good option for a much better price. Or they might prefer to work with a different brand and will offer a better warranty for that equipment. It’s much more important to have a great installer and a well-designed HVAC system than to have a particular brand or model of heat pump. If you keep up with basic maintenance, there are usually any number of heat pumps that will serve you well for many years.
An inverter, or variable speed, heat pump should take your heating and cooling system to the next level. Here’s why:
- Inverter heat pumps can keep temperatures and humidity levels steady. Usually, HVAC systems are either fully on or completely off, but inverter heat pumps constantly adjust to maintain the precise temperature they are set at.
- Low fan speeds and an emphasis on quiet design mean they are quieter than most other HVAC systems, especially window AC units.
- You don’t have to turn your thermostat down at night to save energy. High-performance heat pumps work most efficiently when you leave the thermostat alone.
- HVAC systems of all kinds that constantly move air through a properly maintained filter remove a lot of dust and particulates from indoor air while keeping humidity levels steady.
- When heat pumps don’t result in greater comfort, it’s not the heat pump, but the way it was designed or installed — or some other factor, like having the right kind and amount of insulation — that’s the culprit.
Heat pumps can have an enormous impact on reducing our carbon emissions, so the federal government and several states (with Massachusetts leading the charge) now offer huge incentives for installing them. That’s the main reason interest in heat pumps has reached an all-time high in the US. Here are a few more:
- Heat pumps both heat and cool your home, usually using a lot less energy than inefficient old air conditioners, boilers, furnaces, and electric heaters.
- They’re incredibly versatile and can heat and cool your entire house, a single room, or anything in between. They can work with ducts, without ducts, and sometimes even with hot-water radiators.
- They can be installed just about anywhere — virtually any single-family house and many townhouses, condos, and apartments.
- A heat pump can be used with or without a backup system. The best choice for you will depend on your home and the cost of energy where you live.
- Compared to other HVAC systems, heat pumps usually cost less to operate, plus you’ll likely be eligible for thousands of dollars in rebates and tax credits.
- Heat pumps and solar are a match made in energy heaven. With a large enough number of solar panels, you might never see another heating or cooling bill!