COLD CLIMATE HEAT PUMPS

Our systems provide an exceptionally energy-efficient alternative to boilers, furnaces, air conditioners, and older tech heat pumps

Outdoor air conditioning units with snow falling

WHY HEAT PUMPS?

  • Multi-task. These heat pumps can provide water heating, heating/cooling for radiant floors, radiators, air handlers, pools and hot tubs! Very adaptable.

  • Energy Source. Our heat pumps use air (!!) as their energy source! With the latest refrigerants, energy is extracted from the air and concentrated for indoor use. Functional to -20F!

  • Electrify. We use heat pumps so efficient they can supplement or replace gas and electric powered boilers, water heaters, and air conditioners. So, even in our cold Montana climate, natural gas or propane may not be needed.

  • Go Solar. Their amazing efficiency also enables homeowners to offset a heat pump’s modest energy use with solar, resulting in a zero or near-to-zero energy bill.

Liquid Solar is the exclusive Arctic Heat Pump dealer in the Northwest: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington.

AIR-TO-WATER (A2W) HEAT PUMP BASICS

  • 32A Refrigerant is factory-sealed and limited to the outdoor unit!

  • The energy transfer from the outdoor unit to the inside takes place via a freeze-protected (hydronic) loop.

  • Cold Climate heat rating: -20F

  • High efficiency: COP ratings of 1.5 at -15f and 3.2 at 45F outdoor temps.

  • Adaptable to a wide variety of building configurations and many zones/rooms

  • Spaces typically larger than 800 SF

  • Very workable for D-I-Y installers (>30% of our sales)

  • Cost: $10,000 to $40,000+ installed and before any tax credits

Outdoor heat pump unit installed on a wooden house exterior

  • As the ID/MT/OR/WA dealer for Arctic heat pumps,  we chose Arctic because their products, performance, innovation and technical support. Arctic is located in Winnipeg, Canada (where it is colder than Montana!)

    Compared to global HVAC companies like  Fujitsu, they are a small, but ambitious family-owned company and we have very good relationships with their staff.

    That said we are always looking at new products—in fact, the first round of testing with another heat pump brand in 2017 was not so smooth and that is when we switched to Arctic.

  • COP (or Coefficient of Performance) is the measure of heat pump efficiency. At 30F COP is approx 3.2 ; meaning that for every unit of energy consumed, 3.2 units of energy are produced! An electric boiler has a COP of just 1 (thus the heat pump is at least 300% more efficient). We can provide more specific data on request.

    As of 2025, Arctic heat pumps use more environmentally friendly R-32 refrigerant (replacing R410). This improves their efficiency and lowers their cold weather rating to -20F.

  • The three primary components:

    • Exterior mounted heat pump

    • Buffer tank for thermal storage

    • Emitters (radiant, radiators etc)

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  • Emitters are the generic term for how we distribute heat (or cooling) and include:

    • radiant floor;

    • panel radiators;

    • hydronic fan coils; and

    • air handlers for forced air.

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    • No! A mini-split is an Air-to-Air (A2A) heat pump.

    • That is, it uses the air as its energy source then blows cool or warm air in the house from a radiator like device.

    • While as efficient to our A2W units, a mini-split is better to suited to smaller spaces (like an Accessory Dwelling Unit).

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