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Sizing a heat pump for this area starts with how far outdoor temperatures fall and how long they stay there. Homes in Sullivan County, NH run heat about nine months a year, from September through May. As temperatures drop, a heat pump's output drops with them, which means a contractor has to establish where the system loses ground before they can specify the right equipment or the right back-up heat source. A unit sized for a milder shoulder month will come up short on a hard January night, and in a county where the heating season runs as long as it does here, that shortfall translates into real energy cost over time.
Ductwork and electrical service were put into most of these houses for something other than what runs in them now. Half the homes in Sullivan County, New Hampshire were built in 1974 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year). A heat pump draws more from a panel than what those original systems asked of it, and a panel that was adequate for decades of oil or propane heat is not always adequate for the new load. On an installation job here, the electrical assessment happens before the duct layout, before the equipment is selected, and before any number goes on a quote.
What a Heat Pump Installation Puts in Your Home
The outdoor unit sits on a pad beside the house and holds the compressor and coil that do the system's core work. Inside, an air handler mounts in a utility space, basement, or closet and moves conditioned air through the home. These two units are the main pieces a contractor brings in and sets in place.
A refrigerant line set runs between the outdoor unit and the air handler, carrying the working fluid that connects the two. A thermostat goes on an interior wall where it reads the living space and signals the system to run. A condensate drain line leads away from the air handler to manage the moisture the indoor coil pulls from the air.
The drawing shows a representative layout, and a licensed contractor determines exactly how each piece applies to your house.
Get matched in Sullivan CountySullivan County, NH, by the numbers
111 severe weather events were recorded in Sullivan County, New Hampshire between 2015 and 2024.
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, bulk CSV export, events 2015-01-01 through 2024-12-31.Half the homes in Sullivan County, New Hampshire were built in 1974 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesSullivan County, New Hampshire holds 21,958 housing units (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesOwners occupy 75.4% of the occupied homes in Sullivan County, New Hampshire (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesCodes & Standards Covering Heat Pump Installation in Sullivan County, New Hampshire2 sourced rules and standards
Contractor Rules for Sullivan County, New Hampshire
New Hampshire's mechanical licensing board issues nine credentials — hearth system, four fuel gas endorsements, domestic appliance technician, and master, journeyman and apprentice plumber — and a licensee may not work outside the specialty their licence names. None of the nine is an HVAC licence.
New Hampshire does not license HVAC as a trade, and says so where it matters: the plumbing licence expressly does not reach a person installing heating, cooling, air conditioning or domestic water heating systems, whether solar, oil, gas or electric. The gas piping on a gas-fired system is a separate matter and needs a fuel gas fitter licence.
Severe Weather Events in Sullivan County
New Hampshire weather puts real demands on heating and cooling equipment, and Sullivan County conditions shape what a heat pump here has to handle year after year. Sizing and installation decisions are local ones, and the weather record is part of that picture.
111 severe weather events, 2015–2024. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database.