One System That Both Heats and Cools Your Home

A heat pump moves heat rather than creating it. In the winter, it pulls warmth out of the outdoor air, even when temperatures drop well below freezing, and delivers that heat indoors. In the summer, it reverses the process, removing heat from inside your home and releasing it outside. This single reversible cycle lets one piece of equipment handle your comfort all year, which separates heat pumps from traditional furnaces and air conditioners that each do only one job.

The efficiency of this approach is what draws so many Englewood homeowners to the technology. Because the system transfers existing heat instead of burning fuel to produce it, a modern heat pump can deliver two to four units of heating energy for every unit of electricity it consumes. At Katham Heating and Air Conditioning LLC, we install, service, and repair heat pumps for homes and commercial buildings throughout Englewood and the surrounding area, and we help each customer match the equipment to the building and the budget.

How a Heat Pump Actually Works

At the center of every heat pump is a refrigerant loop driven by a compressor. The refrigerant changes between liquid and gas as it moves through the system, and each change of state absorbs or releases heat. A reversing valve controls the direction of the refrigerant flow, which is what allows the same unit to heat in cold months and cool in warm months. The outdoor coil and the indoor coil trade roles depending on the season.

The process follows a clear sequence that repeats continuously while the system runs:

1. Heat absorption: The outdoor coil draws heat from the outside air, even in cold weather, and transfers it to the refrigerant.
2. Compression: The compressor raises the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant gas.
3. Heat release: The hot refrigerant passes through the indoor coil, where it gives up its heat to the air moving through your ductwork or air handler.
4. Expansion: The refrigerant passes through an expansion device, drops in pressure and temperature, and returns to the outdoor coil to start again.

During cooling season, the reversing valve flips this cycle so heat is pulled from inside your home and pushed outdoors. The result is steady, even temperatures without the on-off blasts that older systems produce. Because the cycle runs on electricity and does not rely on combustion, there is no flame, no gas line concern inside the equipment, and no carbon monoxide risk from the unit itself.

Types of Heat Pumps We Install

Not every building calls for the same configuration, so we work with several heat pump designs. Choosing the right one depends on the layout of the home, the existing ductwork, and the heating load during the coldest nights of the year. We walk through these options with each customer before any work begins.

The most common systems we install include the following:

• Air-source heat pumps: The standard choice for most homes, these exchange heat with the outdoor air and connect to existing ductwork.
• Ductless mini-split systems: Ideal for additions, converted spaces, or homes without ducts, these use one outdoor unit paired with one or more wall-mounted indoor heads.
• Cold-climate heat pumps: Engineered with variable-speed compressors to keep producing heat efficiently when outdoor temperatures fall into the single digits, which matters during a New Jersey winter.
• Dual-fuel systems: These pair a heat pump with a backup furnace, letting the system switch to gas heat on the coldest days for uninterrupted comfort.

For an older Englewood home with existing ducts, an air-source unit is often the simplest upgrade. For a renovated attic or a sunroom that was never tied into the main system, a ductless mini-split can condition that single space without the cost of extending ductwork. When a home already relies on a furnace that still has years of service left, a dual-fuel setup can lower energy use through most of the season while keeping the furnace ready for extreme cold.

Our Installation Process From Start to Finish

A heat pump performs only as well as its installation allows. Equipment that is oversized short-cycles and wears out early, while an undersized unit struggles to keep up on design-temperature days. For that reason, we begin every project with a load calculation that accounts for square footage, insulation, window area, and the direction the home faces. This step removes guesswork and sets the foundation for a system that runs quietly and efficiently.

After we size the equipment, we review placement for the outdoor unit, confirm the condition of the ductwork or plan the mini-split head locations, and check the electrical capacity the system will need. On installation day, our crew sets the outdoor unit on a level pad, mounts the indoor components, runs the refrigerant lines, and makes the electrical connections. We then evacuate the lines to remove moisture, charge the system to the manufacturer’s specification, and test every mode of operation before we leave. Katham Heating and Air Conditioning LLC has handled this work since 1985, and that experience shows in the details that keep a system reliable for years.

Technical Specifications That Affect Performance

Several ratings describe how a heat pump will behave once it is running. Understanding them helps you compare equipment and set realistic expectations. The SEER2 rating measures cooling efficiency, with higher numbers indicating less electricity used per unit of cooling. The HSPF2 rating does the same for heating performance. The coefficient of performance, or COP, describes the ratio of heat delivered to energy consumed at a given outdoor temperature.

Variable-speed and inverter-driven compressors matter just as much as these headline ratings. A single-stage compressor runs at full capacity or not at all, which causes temperature swings and higher energy use. A variable-speed compressor adjusts its output to match the exact demand of the moment, holding indoor temperature within a tight range and drawing less power. When we specify a cold-climate model for a home in Englewood, we pay close attention to the rated heating capacity at low outdoor temperatures, because that figure tells us whether the unit can carry the home through the coldest stretch of the year without heavy reliance on backup heat.

Where Heat Pumps Fit in Everyday Use

Heat pumps serve a wide range of situations. A family replacing an aging furnace and separate air conditioner can consolidate both functions into one system that lowers monthly energy costs. A homeowner finishing a basement can use a ductless unit to condition the new space without disturbing the rest of the house. A small commercial office can zone different areas so that occupied rooms stay comfortable while empty ones use less energy.

Because the technology heats and cools from the same equipment, it also simplifies maintenance and reduces the number of components that can fail. We serve homes and businesses across Englewood, Alpine, Bergenfield, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Fair Lawn, Haworth, Leonia, Paramus, Ridgewood, River Edge, Teaneck, Tenafly, and Harrington Park, NJ, and the questions we hear most often center on winter performance and operating cost. The honest answer is that a properly sized, properly installed cold-climate heat pump performs well through the New Jersey heating season and often costs less to run than the systems it replaces.

Service and Support You Can Count On

Our customers’ satisfaction is what matters to us most. We strive for excellence in customer service and provide around-the-clock assistance to all of our customers, so a problem at an inconvenient hour never leaves you waiting. A hands-on and accessible head, a knowledgeable staff, courteous service, and fair pricing have all contributed to the reputation we have built as one of the area’s preeminent residential and commercial heating and air conditioning companies.

Whether you are considering your first heat pump, replacing a tired system, or keeping an existing unit in top condition, Katham Heating and Air Conditioning LLC is ready to help. We handle installation, repair, and seasonal maintenance, and we explain each recommendation in plain terms so you can make an informed decision. Call us today and see us today to discuss heat pumps for your Englewood home or business.