Posted: June 9, 2025
The Atlantic-Pratt Energy team has been helping families stay comfortable in Weymouth and throughout Massachusetts’ South Shore for over a century. As you might expect, the equipment that our customers use has changed quite a bit in that time.
These days, an increasing number of households we serve are exploring the heat pump option. These electric systems provide both heating and cooling functions. But are they a worthwhile replacement for a traditional boiler, furnace or central air conditioner? In this article, we’ll provide a full primer on heat pumps, including how they work, their benefits and their drawbacks.
Heat pumps work by transferring heat from one location to another. They don’t actually generate any heat. These systems consist of two main components: an indoor unit, called the compressor, and an outdoor unit, known as the evaporator. These units are connected through a conduit that contains condensate drain lines, power cables, tubing and communication lines. Multiple indoor units can connect to a single evaporator.
During colder months, heat pumps extract heat energy from outside air, even in low temperatures, and transfer it indoors to warm your space. In cooling mode, heat pumps operate much like air conditioners, drawing heat from indoor air and releasing it outside via the outdoor unit.
There’s a lot to recommend a heat pump. For example, our customers appreciate these benefits:
As with any HVAC system, there are cons to go along with a heat pump’s many pros.
One considerable concern for many homeowners is the upfront cost to buy and install a heat pump. While you might receive financial incentives to defray some expenses, installing a heat pump is a significant investment.
The other major consideration is how a heat pump performs during the coldest times of the year. Some homeowners find that these systems struggle to adequately heat a home during extended periods of sub-freezing weather. For this reason, many of our customers hold on to their oil-fired furnace or boiler as a backup heating option.
The HVAC team at Atlantic-Pratt Energy has extensive experience installing furnaces, boilers, central A/C systems and heat pumps. We can provide you with a candid assessment of whether a heat pump is the best option for you. We can determine the ideal heating and cooling product for your home, install it properly and even help you qualify for any available financial incentives.
Get in touch with our friendly team today to receive a FREE estimate on a heat pump or any other HVAC system. We can’t wait to help you achieve new levels of home comfort!