New England’s four seasons create a lot of fun and diversity, but the weather changes also put pressure on your HVAC system. To stay warm through Boston’s winters, you need a reliable heating system, and as summers become hotter, AC is also becoming increasingly important.
What’s the best heating and cooling option in this area? How should you maintain your HVAC equipment? We’ve created this resource about Boston heating and cooling to help you answer these questions.
If you’re looking for heating and cooling companies in Boston, we encourage you to contact us. We are based in North Andover, but we provide service and repair to home and business owners throughout the Greater Boston area.
Greater Boston Heating Services and Installation
Boston area homeowners use a vast range of heating options. They include gas furnaces with ductwork, oil heat with steam radiators, propane heaters with forced air, electric baseboards, and electric heat pumps as well as a handful of other options.
Over the years, traditional heating options have become less efficient, and many homeowners don’t like the impact that fossil fuels have on their carbon footprints. As a result, many homeowners are gravitating to more efficient options such as electric heat pumps or mini splits.
Rising Popularity of Heat Pumps in the Northeast
Heat pumps aren’t just popular in Boston. They’re becoming increasingly popular throughout the Northeast. In fact, the market share for this part of the country is higher than in any other area of the United States. There are many different reasons people are upgrading to ductless heat pumps including efficiency, comfort, and more.
What Is the Best Heat Pump for a Boston Area Home?
The right heat pump varies based on the size of your home and your heating needs. Standard heat pumps work great as a backup heating source. Homeowners who take this route use the heat pump as their primary heating source. Then, when the temperature drops to a certain level, they switch to their gas furnace, radiators, or other traditional heating methods. This happens automatically with integrated controls.
However, an integrated system is no longer the only option. Hyper heat technology allows you to use a heat pump as your stand-alone heating solution. Heat pumps with hyper heat can efficiently heat your home at temps as low as -13 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you’re looking for a Boston heater, this is an ideal solution because the temperature only drops below zero in this area for less than a day per year. In other words, you can measure the total amount of sub-zero temperatures in the Boston area in hours, not days. Both LG and Mitsubishi make ductless heat pumps that can work efficiently at these temperatures.
Will a Mitsubishi Ductless Split Work Around Boston?
Mitsubishi electric heat pumps are perfect for homes in Boston, MA, and the surrounding area. A standard Mitsubishi ductless mini split will comfortably heat and cool your Boston home. But if you want to use a heat pump as your exclusive heating solution, you should upgrade to hyper heat.
Heat pumps work by extracting warm air from one area and moving it to another area. In the summer, they remove heat from your home. During the winter, they extract heat from the outside, and they use it to heat your home. This may sound impossible in freezing temperatures, but hyper heat technology allows these systems to find heat even when outside temperatures are well below zero.
Although this process may sound technical, it’s what makes heat pumps so efficient. Most traditional heating sources generate heat. By extension, they will always consume more energy than they produce in heat. This is not the case with heat pumps. Heat pumps move heat rather than generate it. This means they can produce more heat than they consume in energy. This has the potential to save homeowners a lot of money on their Boston heating bills.
Best Heating and Cooling for Row Houses in Boston
Electric heat pumps are the ideal solution for row houses in Boston. They don’t require ductwork which many older homes lack. They also add air conditioning to your home, and they generally improve your home’s efficiency.
When you contact one of the heating and cooling companies in Boston, they can talk with you about the best heating solution for your home. At NETR, Inc, we send comfort consultants to our clients’ homes — although we’re based in North Andover, we serve homeowners throughout the Boston area.
Our comfort consultants help you find the best heating and cooling solutions to meet your needs, while also working within your budget. We help you design the best system possible, and then, we look for installation challenges. For example, some older homes may need an electrical inspection to ensure that their home can support new HVAC equipment.
Where to Get a Wall-Mounted AC and Heater in Boston
The most popular option for ductless systems is a wall-mounted unit. These air-handling units mount to the wall of your home, and they connect to an outside condenser with very small lines that run through a very small hole in your exterior wall.
You can use a single wall-mounted unit for a single room in your home. For instance, this is a popular option for people who live in the Greater Boston area and want to add heating and cooling to a basement, an attic, a room above the garage, a backyard studio, or any other place that isn’t connected to ductwork.
However, you can also use wall-mounted units to heat and cool your entire home. In this case, you need one wall-mounted unit for each zone of your home. Wondering where to get a wall-mounted AC and heater in Boston? We can help. Contact us at NETR, Inc today to talk about your options.
Keep in mind that a wall-mounted unit is not the only option. If you don’t like the look of a wall-mounted unit or if you have short walls or big windows, you may want to look into a ceiling-mounted unit. Ceiling-mounted units recess into your ceiling so you just see a small grille.
Cost of a Mitsubishi Ductless Mini-Split Around Boston, MA
A single-zone mini split ductless system starts at about $4,500, and the price goes up from there. The total cost depends on the number of zones, the capacity of the equipment, and special features. Installation challenges can also affect the total price, as they drive up labor costs.
To find out the cost of putting a ductless mini split system in your home, contact us directly, and we’ll customize a quote based on the unique features of your Boston-area home. In the meantime, you can learn more about pricing by checking out the following resources:
- Podcast about ductless heating and cooling systems in and around Boston
- Video about the cost of ductless heating and cooling systems in the Boston Area
Keep in mind that prices vary based on market conditions. For example, supply chain shortages often lead to higher prices. Cooling and heating companies in Boston also charge different rates. To protect your investment, don’t necessarily look for the cheapest company. Instead, when getting quotes, look for value.
In particular, you should look for a heating and cooling company that has completed training from the manufacturer. HVAC manufacturers such as LG and Mitsubishi provide training to their dealer line, and in many cases, if you hire a dealer with a high level of training, you will get a longer warranty on your equipment.
Boston Air Conditioning
To make their homes more comfortable, many homeowners are adding air conditioning. The main options include central air, high-velocity air conditioning, and ductless air conditioning. However, the best option varies based on your situation.
For example, if you have existing ductwork, central air might be the best option. If you don’t have ductwork, both high-velocity ACs and ductless ACs can work well. Ductless ACs are the perfect option if you want to create heating and cooling zones in your home.
When you contact us about air conditioning installation in Boston, we’ll talk with you about your home and your cooling challenges. Then, we’ll help you select the best AC for your home. In addition to installations, we also provide AC service and AC repair in Boston.
Best Heater and AC Warranties in the Greater Boston Area
When you buy an AC or a Boston heater, you want to protect your investment with a warranty. A warranty gives you peace of mind that if the equipment fails, you will be able to replace it without a lot of expense or hassles.
The best warranties on heating and cooling equipment in Boston are often the warranties offered by ductless manufacturers. Depending on the type of equipment you select, you can get warranties that last up to 12 years. However, even with the same piece of heating or cooling equipment, the length of the warranty varies based on the installer.
As a general rule of thumb, you need to work with a dealer that has completed the manufacturer’s highest level of training if you want the longest warranty. This is one of the reasons why you should stay away from DIY ductless installation.
It’s also why you shouldn’t just hire a random contractor or a heating and cooling company with the lowest rates. Instead, you need to look at the heating and cooling companies that have the most training and experience.
Contact Us About Boston Cooling and Heating
At NETR, Inc, we have 30+ years of experience with Boston heating and cooling equipment. We serve residential and commercial clients in the Greater Boston area including Groton, Reading, Newton, Salem, Somerville, Andover, and more. Your comfort is our top priority — to schedule an appointment, contact us today.