Air Source Heat Pumps: How They Heat and Cool a North Country Home
Quick answer: an air source heat pump moves heat from the outdoor air into your house in winter and reverses to cool it in summer, and the Mitsubishi Hyper-Heating models we install deliver 100% of rated heat at 5°F and keep running to -13°F, or -22°F on H2i Plus models. That makes them a real primary heating system for homes in Ticonderoga, the High Peaks and the Champlain Valley, whether the project is a new build, a retrofit of an 1800s farmhouse, or a barn or camp conversion.
What an air source heat pump is
An air source heat pump is a refrigeration system that runs in both directions. Outside, a compressor and coil pull heat energy out of the air, even air that feels cold to you. Refrigerant carries that heat through a small line set to one or more indoor units, where a fan blows room air across a warm coil. In summer the cycle reverses and the same equipment pulls heat out of the house and dumps it outdoors. One system, two jobs, no fuel delivered and nothing burned.
Because it moves heat rather than making it, a heat pump delivers roughly three units of heat for every unit of electricity it uses across a North Country winter. Electric baseboard and space heaters are one-for-one. That difference is where the savings come from. See our plain-language guide to heat pumps for the full walk-through.
Suitable for almost any project
Whether your project is a new build, a retrofit or a barn conversion, a Mitsubishi air source heat pump fits. The indoor side comes in five styles, so the system adapts to the building instead of the other way around:
- Wall-mounted units for rooms with open wall space (the most common choice in camps and village homes)
- Floor-mounted units that sit where a radiator or baseboard used to be, ideal under big windows
- Ceiling cassettes that recess between joists and disappear
- Ceiling-concealed ducted units for short duct runs to a few bedrooms
- Multi-position air handlers that connect to existing ductwork for whole-home conversions off an oil furnace
Mitsubishi Electric has been building heat pumps since 1980 and its M-Series is the best-selling ductless line in the United States. The outdoor units are built for snow country and sit on stands or wall brackets above drift height.
Inverter technology: comfort and efficiency
The heart of the system is an INVERTER-driven compressor. Think of it like your own heart: always beating, but speeding up when you exercise and slowing when you rest. The compressor runs continuously in the background, adjusting speed and capacity to hold the set temperature in each zone. It uses only the energy that moment requires.
Conventional central systems and older heat pumps use a fixed-speed compressor that is either fully on or fully off. That causes temperature swings, a surge of current at every start, and wasted energy. Inverter operation means:
- Steady room temperature with no on-and-off cycling
- Faster recovery after a setback because the compressor can over-speed briefly
- Lower starting current, which matters on older rural electrical services
- Quiet operation, as low as 19 dB indoors
Read more about how Hyper-Heating INVERTER (H2i) technology keeps full output at 5°F.
Zoned comfort and utility savings
A multi-zone outdoor unit can run up to eight indoor units, each with its own control. That lets you turn down the guest room and the mudroom instead of heating the whole house to one number the way a boiler does. Zoning by occupancy, combined with inverter efficiency, is why customers who convert from oil or propane see the largest drops in their heating cost. Run the numbers for your own home with our savings calculator.
Rebates for going all-electric
Utilities reward homeowners who move off fossil fuels. In New York, NYS Clean Heat incentives are paid through NYSEG and National Grid on qualifying cold-climate heat pumps; in Addison County, Vermont, Efficiency Vermont and the utilities offer their own. We confirm what you qualify for at the free estimate and file the paperwork. Details are on our rebates page. Note that the federal heat pump tax credit ended December 31, 2025, so the state and utility programs are the money that matters in 2026.
Is an air source heat pump right for your home?
If you heat with oil, propane, electric baseboard or wood and you want air conditioning too, almost certainly yes. If your home has leaky windows and no attic insulation, we will tell you that at the estimate, because a tighter envelope means a smaller, cheaper system. And if a heat pump is not the right fit, we also install RUUD furnaces and boilers, so you get an honest recommendation rather than a one-product pitch.
Frequently asked questions
Does an air source heat pump work when it is below zero?
Yes. Mitsubishi Hyper-Heating INVERTER models deliver 100% of rated heating capacity at 5°F and continue operating down to -13°F; newer H2i Plus models operate to -22°F. That covers Ticonderoga's design temperature of about -10°F and most nights in the High Peaks.
What is the difference between an air source heat pump and a mini-split?
A mini-split is one type of air source heat pump: a ductless outdoor unit paired with one or more indoor units. Ducted air handlers and ceiling-concealed units are also air source heat pumps; they just distribute air differently.
Do I need to keep my oil furnace as backup?
Many homeowners keep an existing system for the first winter as a comfort backup, but a properly sized Mitsubishi H2i system can carry a North Country home on its own. We design to your home's actual heat loss and tell you plainly whether backup is advisable.
How long does an air source heat pump last?
With annual maintenance, 15 to 20 years is typical. Diamond Contractor ELITE installs carry a 12-year parts warranty, and our Adirondack Shield plan covers labor.
Talk to us
Have questions about your home? Call Adirondack Heat Pumps at (518) 812-1958, stop by the showroom at 15 Montcalm Street in Ticonderoga, or request a free in-home estimate. We serve Essex County, the Lake George and Lake Champlain shores, the High Peaks and Addison County, Vermont.