A heat pump is an air conditioner that can also run in reverse. In summer it moves heat out of your house, like any AC. In winter it moves heat from the outside air into the house. Your central system may already be one, and the label on the outdoor unit will tell you.

Climate Pros Tucson matches homeowners with licensed local pros who can confirm what you have.

How does a heat pump work?

Heat pumps do not make heat by burning fuel. A refrigerant loop carries heat in one direction or the other. A reversing valve flips the direction between cooling and heating. Because it moves heat rather than creating it, a heat pump can deliver more heating energy than the electricity it uses.

How do you tell if your system is a heat pump?

Look at the data label on the outdoor unit. A model listed as a heat pump, or a thermostat with an “emergency heat” or “aux” setting, is a clue. If your home has a gas furnace and a separate AC, the AC is cooling only. In Arizona, about 25% of homes use a central heat pump as main heating and 55% use a central furnace, according to the EIA’s 2020 survey. Those are statewide figures, not Tucson numbers, so check your own unit.

Why does a heat pump suit Tucson?

Tucson’s cooling load is much bigger than its heating load: about 2.6 cooling degree days for every heating degree day, with fewer than 12 nights a year at or below freezing at the airport. The City of Tucson’s winter design temperature is 35F. A heat pump does the cooling a Tucson home needs and covers the mild winter too, so it is the sensible default for the Tucson basin. See do heat pumps work in Tucson winters.

Mount Lemmon and Summerhaven are the exception. The Mount Lemmon station averages about 53 nights a year at or below freezing, and backup heat or a cold-climate heat pump is a question for the pro.

What efficiency ratings should you know?

SEER2 measures cooling efficiency and HSPF2 measures heating efficiency. ENERGY STAR certified air-source heat pumps must reach SEER2 15.2 and HSPF2 7.8. That is the ENERGY STAR level, not the legal minimum.

Are there rebates?

TEP’s Efficient Home Program works through participating contractors. As listed by TEP in October 2026, a heat pump quality installation earns up to $720. The federal 25C and 25D credits ended for installs after 2025. Confirm current TEP terms before you sign.

What are the downsides?

A heat pump relies on electricity, so your TEP time-of-use plan matters. TEP’s summer on-peak runs weekdays 3 to 7 p.m. from May to September. Gas furnaces run on Southwest Gas instead. Read heat pump vs gas furnace and heat pump vs AC to compare, and heat pump service for what the pros we send handle. See also the Tucson HVAC hub.

When to call us

Call when you are replacing a system, adding heat to a space or want a pro to read your unit’s label. Call (520) 353-2520 and we’ll match you with a licensed local pro.