# What should you know before putting a heat pump in a Sacramento home?

> Heat pumps in Sacramento: how a ducted system works, sizing for 104°F, tule fog defrost, SMUD vs PG&E costs, ducts, panels, permits and rebates.

URL: https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/sacramento-heat-pump-guide/

Learn

How a ducted heat pump heats and cools, why Sacramento sizes for the afternoon, what tule fog does to the outdoor coil, how your electric utility changes the math, and what ducts, panels, permits and rebates add to the job.

A heat pump in Sacramento is a central air conditioner that can also run in reverse, so one ducted system cools through 100°F afternoons and heats on foggy winter mornings. The climate suits it well. Whether it pays off depends on your electric utility, your ducts, your panel and how the system is sized, and each of those is explained below.

This guide comes from [Tule Sacramento Heat Pump](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/), which installs, replaces and converts ducted heat pumps in Sacramento and the towns around it, from Elk Grove and Folsom to Roseville, Davis and El Dorado Hills. Licensed and insured contractors carry out the installations.

Key takeaways

- Sacramento's 1% cooling design is 98°F and its 0.2% heating design is 31°F (CEC data for the airport station), so the summer load usually sets the size
- Frost on the outdoor coil on damp, near-freezing mornings is normal; the defrost cycle clears it
- In SMUD territory a heat pump beats a 95% gas furnace at a COP of about 1.4 to 2; on PG&E's E-ELEC rate it takes about 3.1 to 3.5 (derived from published rates)
- Every change-out needs a permit, duct sealing and an ECC-Rater check under Title 24
- SMUD's heat pump rebate is open; TECH Clean California, HEEHRA and the federal 25C credit are not
- Dual fuel makes the most sense with a newer furnace or PG&E electric rates

## How a ducted heat pump works

A heat pump moves heat rather than making it. In summer it carries heat out of the house, exactly like an air conditioner. In winter it reverses and carries heat in from the outdoor air, which still holds usable heat on a 35°F morning.

### The parts

- **Outdoor unit.** Holds the compressor, a large coil and a fan. It sits on a pad where the old AC condenser was in most change-outs.
- **Compressor.** Pumps refrigerant around the loop and raises its pressure and temperature. Single-stage compressors run full or off; two-stage and variable-speed compressors run slower most of the time.
- **Reversing valve.** Switches the direction refrigerant flows, which is what turns an air conditioner into a heater.
- **Expansion device.** Drops the refrigerant’s pressure so it gets cold enough to absorb heat from the air passing over the coil.
- **Indoor air handler or coil.** A fan and coil cabinet, or a coil on top of a furnace, that moves air through the ducts.
- **Line set and thermostat.** Two insulated copper lines connect indoor and outdoor units; the thermostat controls heating, cooling and any backup heat.

### What COP means

COP, the coefficient of performance, compares the heat a system puts out with the electricity it draws. A COP of 3 means three units of heat for one unit of electricity. Electric resistance heat has a COP of 1.

A heat pump’s COP falls as the outdoor air gets colder, which is why the winter design temperature matters, and it is the number that decides whether a heat pump heats for less than gas in your utility’s territory. Seasonal ratings, SEER2 for cooling and HSPF2 for heating, are explained in the [SEER2 and HSPF2 guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/seer2-hspf2-ratings/).

## A climate built around the afternoon

Sacramento needs far more cooling than heating at the extremes. At Sacramento Executive Airport, NOAA’s 30-year climate normals count roughly 76 afternoons a year that reach 90°F and 14 that reach 100°F. Freezing nights number about 15 a year, and a night at 20°F is essentially unknown there. The summer heat is dry: the July mean dew point there is about 54°F, so the cooling load is mostly about temperature, not humidity.

### Design temperatures across the region

The California Energy Commission publishes the design temperatures a load calculation uses. They vary from town to town.

| Station | 1% cooling design | 0.1% cooling design | 0.2% heating design |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sacramento airport | 98°F | 104°F | 31°F |
| Elk Grove | 98°F | 104°F | 34°F |
| Folsom Dam | 99°F | 104°F | 31°F |
| Fair Oaks | 98°F | 104°F | 29°F |
| Citrus Heights | 98°F | 104°F | 26°F |
| Roseville | 100°F | 105°F | 30°F |
| Rocklin | 103°F | 108°F | 26°F |
| Davis | 97°F | 103°F | 30°F |
| Galt | 95°F | 101°F | 28°F |

The gap between the two seasons is the point. A system built to carry a 98°F to 104°F afternoon usually has enough heating capacity for a 31°F morning on the valley floor. Placer County cities sit in Title 24 climate zone 11 and most of the rest of the area in zone 12, which changes the paperwork more than the alteration rules. The [hot weather guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-hot-weather/) covers performance on the hottest days.

## Tule fog mornings, frost and defrost

The Sacramento Valley’s winter problem is not deep cold. It is damp, near-freezing mornings. NOAA’s hourly normals at Sacramento Executive Airport put the normal January 7 a.m. temperature at 41.6°F, with one morning in ten at 32.3°F or colder, and the January mean dew point at 41.3°F. When the air is that close to saturation, moisture freezes onto the outdoor coil as the heat pump pulls heat from it.

### What defrost looks like

The heat pump handles this with a defrost cycle. It briefly switches to cooling mode, sends warm refrigerant through the outdoor coil, melts the frost and switches back. You may see steam rising from the unit and water draining from its base, and indoor air may cool for a few minutes unless backup heat covers it. On fog-season mornings this can happen repeatedly. That is normal.

### When it is not normal

Ice that builds up and stays, a coil that never clears, or a unit encased in ice points to a problem: blocked airflow, a defrost control fault or a refrigerant issue. Those need a technician, and [heat pump repair](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/heat-pump-repair/) covers the diagnosis.

### What it means for the install

NOAA’s normals show 0.0 inches of annual snowfall at the valley-floor stations that report it, so snow stands are not needed.

What matters is drainage: the outdoor unit is set on a pad so defrost water runs away from the foundation and does not refreeze under the unit. Cold-climate-rated equipment is not required for capacity on the valley floor. The foothills are the exception, with about 30 nights a year at or below freezing at Placerville. The [aux heat and defrost guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-aux-heat-defrost/) explains how backup heat and defrost interact, and the [placement and noise guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-placement-noise/) covers where the unit can go.

## Three electric utilities, one gas utility

The biggest local variable is who sells you electricity. The California Energy Commission’s utility maps show three electric providers inside the metro, while PG&E supplies gas everywhere.

| Electric utility | Areas it serves | Winter price per kWh |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SMUD | Sacramento, Elk Grove, Folsom, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Galt, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Arden-Arcade, Orangevale, North Highlands | $0.1285 off-peak, $0.1776 at the 5 to 8 p.m. peak |
| Roseville Electric | Roseville | $0.1469 Tier 1, $0.1912 Tier 2, plus small surcharges |
| PG&E | West Sacramento, Davis, Woodland, Rocklin, Lincoln, Loomis, Granite Bay, Auburn, El Dorado Hills | $0.28468 off-peak to $0.32063 peak under PG&E’s E-ELEC plan |

Davis and Woodland get generation from Valley Clean Energy, and the Placer County cities and El Dorado Hills from Pioneer Community Energy, with PG&E delivering the power.

### The break-even COP

Gas heat and heat pump heat can be compared by what each costs per unit of heat delivered. That ratio is the COP a heat pump has to average before its heating costs less than a furnace’s.

Working from PG&E’s residential gas baseline rate and each utility’s winter energy charges (fixed charges left out), the derived figures against a 95% furnace are: SMUD, roughly 1.41 off-peak and 1.95 during its evening peak; Roseville Electric, 1.70 to 2.18 depending on tier; PG&E’s E-ELEC, 3.13 to 3.52. On PG&E’s default E-TOU-C plan the bar climbs to about 4.04.

### What the numbers mean for your bill

Put simply, a SMUD customer with any reasonably modern heat pump should spend less on winter heat than with gas. A PG&E electric customer may not, which shifts the argument toward getting new cooling and retiring the furnace in a single project. Tariffs move, so treat these as ratios to recheck against your own bill. The [furnace comparison for Sacramento](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-vs-gas-furnace-sacramento/) and the [guide to heat pump electric bills](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-electric-bill-sacramento/) work through the numbers.

### Summer peaks

Cooling costs follow time-of-use windows. SMUD’s summer peak runs weekdays from 5 to 8 p.m. at $0.3765 per kWh, and PG&E’s peak runs 4 to 9 p.m. daily. Pre-cooling the house before the peak and a variable-speed system that can run slowly through the evening both help. Roseville Electric has no residential time-of-use schedule; its higher tier starts above 500 kWh a month.

## Sizing: a load calculation, not the old tonnage

The right capacity comes from a Manual J calculation at your own town’s design conditions. Copying the old air conditioner’s tonnage or the furnace’s Btu input repeats whatever margin someone added years ago, and it ignores new windows, added insulation or a room built on since.

### Why bigger is worse

Too much capacity means short cycles. On a mild April or October day the system hits the thermostat setting within minutes, stops, then restarts, and every start costs efficiency and wear while the far rooms never catch up. Title 24 puts a ceiling on oversizing: unless measured airflow reaches 350 cfm or more per ton, a replacement heat pump’s cooling capacity may exceed the calculated load by only about 6,000 Btu per hour, and its heating capacity by about 12,000.

### What the City permit assumes

The City of Sacramento’s standard web permit for a change-out keeps the new unit in the old location and no more than 25% larger than the existing one. A load calculation that calls for a much larger system, or a new location, moves the job onto a different permit path. The [sizing guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-sizing/) shows how room-by-room loads are built up.

## Ducts, airflow and Title 24

Most homes in SMUD territory already have the ducts a heat pump needs. In the CEC’s 2019 residential appliance survey, about nine in ten SMUD households had central air conditioning. The question is whether those ducts can carry the airflow a heat pump wants.

### Why heat pumps are pickier

Heat from a furnace arrives hot enough to mask weak ductwork. A heat pump’s supply air is milder, so it has to move more of it, and the Title 24 charge check assumes no less than 300 cfm for each ton of capacity.

A return grille sized for an older furnace, a flex duct kinked over a ceiling joist or a disconnected boot starves the rooms at the end of the run. Where ducts pass through an attic, a leak on the return side also draws in superheated attic air in summer.

### What Title 24 requires

For an alteration like a heat pump change-out, the CEC’s 2025 Single-Family Residential Compliance Manual has the installer seal the connected ducts and an ECC-Rater test them. Passing means total leakage at or under 10%, or leakage to the outside at or under 7%. Ducts that can’t get there pass once every accessible leak is sealed and checked by eye and with smoke.

Systems in a garage face a tighter 6% figure. New runs adding up to more than 25 feet need R-8 insulation and their own leakage test, and a completely new duct system has to come in at 5% or less.

### Where to read more

For how testing and repair fit into a conversion, see the [conversion service page](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/gas-furnace-to-heat-pump-conversion/) and [ductwork for heat pumps](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/heat-pump-ductwork/). If you are weighing a system without ducts, the [ducted vs ductless guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/ducted-vs-ductless-heat-pump/) sets out the tradeoffs, and the [older homes page](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/heat-pump-older-homes/) deals with houses whose ducts are missing or original.

Plan a heat pump around your house

Load, ducts and panel get checked first, and the equipment choice follows from what they show. Send a few details to start.

## The electrical panel and circuits

Many heat pumps can share the size of 240-volt circuit the old air conditioner used. The picture changes when electric heat strips are added for backup, and that is when a small or full panel becomes a real question. Among City of Sacramento permits issued between January 1 and October 25, 2026, 719 descriptions mention a main service panel or a panel upgrade, a sign of how often electrification and electrical work travel together.

The City of Davis’s residential service-load worksheet counts a heat pump’s nameplate load at 100%, which shows how quickly a heat pump plus an EV charger can fill an older service. Typical upgrade costs and SMUD’s panel and circuit rebates are covered in the [panel upgrade guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-electrical-panel/).

## Permits across the region

Installing a heat pump, other than a plug-in room unit, requires a building permit in California. The permit office depends on the parcel, not the mailing address.

- **City of Sacramento.** Online minor permits for one- and two-family homes. Change-out inspections also check carbon monoxide and smoke alarms.
- **Sacramento County.** Unincorporated areas such as Carmichael, Fair Oaks and Arden-Arcade apply online, and residential heating and cooling permits issue automatically once paid.
- **Elk Grove.** An online residential mechanical permit with separate types for full HVAC replacement, condenser only and furnace or duct work only.
- **Roseville.** A pre-application in the OPS Portal with the CF1R-ALT HVAC form; a new unit in the attic or on the roof needs stamped plans.
- **Citrus Heights.** All permits through the City’s online portal.
- **El Dorado County.** An email permit program for licensed contractors who hold a County business license.

### What state law adds

California’s SB 222 requires cities and counties to offer asynchronous inspections from July 1, 2027 and automated online permitting for licensed contractors by July 1, 2028, and caps the permit fee for a residential heat pump HVAC system at $200 unless the jurisdiction adopts written findings. It also voids HOA rules that block a gas-to-electric replacement.

### Is there a gas furnace mandate?

No. The City of Sacramento’s electrification strategy states it will not set mandatory requirements for immediate appliance replacement, and the state’s heat pump baseline in Title 24 applies to new construction. The [permit and Title 24 guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-permit-title-24/) and the [California gas furnace rules guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/california-gas-furnace-ban/) cover the details.

## Rebates and credits: what is open and what has closed

Across most of the area, one significant heat pump incentive remains, and only SMUD customers can use it.

- **SMUD heat pump HVAC rebate (open).** Pays $3,000 when a variable-stage system replaces gas heat, $2,000 for a two-stage system rated 15.2 SEER2 or higher, and $1,000 when an electric system is upgraded. It covers qualifying equipment installed by a participating contractor in the SMUD Contractor Network, with a connected thermostat, a closed permit and Title 24 results on file. Installations set up to qualify can be arranged on request.
- **SMUD Go Electric (open while funded).** Extra money toward a panel, subpanel or new circuits when a gas appliance is replaced.
- **TECH Clean California (closed).** It stopped accepting reservations on November 14, 2025.
- **HEEHRA federal rebates (closed).** Fully reserved in California; the CEC says a second phase will be announced later.
- **Federal 25C credit (ended).** The IRS credit covered qualifying heat pumps placed in service from 2023 through the end of 2025.
- **Outside SMUD.** Roseville Electric’s rebate page lists nothing for residential heat pump HVAC, and PG&E electric customers have no single-family heat pump rebate on record.

Each program sets its own eligibility, so no amount is certain until the program confirms it. The [SMUD rebate guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/smud-heat-pump-rebates/) and [California rebate guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/california-heat-pump-rebates/) track status.

## Full conversion, dual fuel or a new AC

There are three realistic paths when an old furnace and AC need attention.

### Full conversion

The whole furnace-and-AC pair is replaced by one heat pump, with backup strips only if the design needs them. On SMUD power, where heating costs drop the most, this is the usual recommendation for a furnace near the end of its life, and it is the setup SMUD’s largest rebate targets. The [conversion service page](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/gas-furnace-to-heat-pump-conversion/) covers the first visit, the duct and panel checks, the gas line and the rebate paperwork.

### Dual fuel

A heat pump replaces the AC and handles most of the heating, while the existing gas furnace takes over below a set outdoor temperature. Dual fuel makes the most sense in three cases: a furnace young enough to keep; PG&E electric territory, where winter electricity costs more than double SMUD’s; and a house with a large heating load for its size.

The changeover point, the matched coil and controls that keep the two from running against each other are the design decisions, and the furnace’s combustion safety and venting are checked separately. See [dual fuel heat pumps](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/dual-fuel-heat-pump/).

### A new AC with the old furnace

Often the smallest project of the three, but it leaves gas heating in place and a furnace that will need replacing later. When only the air conditioner is dead and the furnace still has life, [putting a heat pump where the AC was](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/replace-ac-with-heat-pump/) is usually the better middle step. The [heat pump vs air conditioner guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-vs-air-conditioner/) compares the two, and if your house uses an evaporative cooler, the [swamp cooler comparison](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-vs-swamp-cooler/) covers that switch.

## The refrigerant change: R-454B and R-32

New residential heat pumps must use refrigerants with a global warming potential below 700 under the EPA’s Technology Transitions rule, which took effect for new systems on January 1, 2025. In practice that means A2L refrigerants such as R-454B or R-32 in place of R-410A. Systems whose components were all made or imported before that date have no installation deadline.

The change matters at installation. A2L refrigerants are classed as mildly flammable, and some indoor equipment needs leak detection. Existing line sets are checked for size and cleanliness rather than reused by default, and a new outdoor unit needs a matched indoor coil rated for the same refrigerant. The [R-454B guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-refrigerant-r454b/) explains what changes, and [heat pump replacement](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/heat-pump-replacement/) covers swapping an older R-410A system.

## What it costs

For a Sacramento-area home trading a gas furnace and AC for one ducted heat pump, budget roughly $15,000 to $24,000 before any rebate, with the middle of the market around $18,000 to $19,000. New ducts in the same project move the range to between $20,000 and $31,000, and a package unit swap lands near $15,500 to $24,000. None of these is a quote.

The [Sacramento cost guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-installation-cost-sacramento/) breaks the price into labor, equipment, permit, verification and electrical work, and the [online estimator](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/tools/heat-pump-cost-estimator/) produces a budget figure from a few questions about the house. The [quote comparison guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/how-to-compare-heat-pump-quotes/) shows what a complete quote should list.

## Installation, commissioning and living with it

A straightforward change-out follows a standard sequence. The [installation process guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-installation-process/) has the full version.

- **Before the work.** Load calculation, duct and panel checks, the outdoor location, and the permit.
- **On installation day.** Old refrigerant recovered and old equipment removed; the outdoor unit, air handler or coil set; lines brazed, pressure-tested and evacuated before charging.
- **Commissioning.** Airflow, refrigerant charge, defrost and backup heat checked, and the thermostat set so backup heat does not run when it isn’t needed.
- **Verification.** The ECC-Rater visit for Title 24, then the final inspection.

### Day to day

Filters matter more on a system that runs year-round, and when wildfire smoke reaches the valley, filtration and fan settings matter too; the [wildfire smoke guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-wildfire-smoke/) covers both. Keep plants and fences clear of the outdoor unit so it can breathe and drain. [Heat pump maintenance](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/heat-pump-maintenance/) covers a yearly check, and the [lifespan guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-lifespan/) explains what shortens or extends service life.

When you are ready to plan your own system, call (916) 516-1454 or [request an estimate](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/contact/). Every area served, with its utility and permit office, is listed on the [service areas page](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/service-areas/).

## Questions about this guide

### Do heat pumps blow cold air in winter?

No, but the air feels cooler at the register than a gas furnace's. A furnace sends air past 100°F; a heat pump sends a larger volume of milder air for longer, which heats the house just as well but can feel cool on a hand held to the vent. During a defrost cycle the indoor air may briefly cool unless backup heat covers it.

### Is a ducted heat pump the same thing as a mini split?

Both are heat pumps, but they deliver air differently. A ducted heat pump uses one indoor air handler or furnace coil and the house's duct system to reach every room. A mini split mounts indoor heads in individual rooms with no ducts. Ducted systems fit houses that already have central air; mini splits are a separate trade and are not offered through this site.

### Does a heat pump need more upkeep than a furnace and AC?

About the same, spread across the year. Because one outdoor unit runs in both seasons, filter changes, a clear outdoor coil, a working condensate drain and a periodic check of refrigerant charge and airflow matter all year rather than mainly in summer. There is no burner, flue or gas valve to service, which removes the furnace's combustion checks.

Want this answered for your house?

Call with your current system, the rooms that bother you and your ZIP code.

## More guides

- Cost Guide [How much does heat pump installation cost in Sacramento?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-installation-cost-sacramento/)Typical Sacramento-area ranges for ducted heat pump jobs, the public figures inside a price, permit fees by jurisdiction, the parts only a site visit can price, and which incentives are still open.
- Decision Guide [Is a heat pump or a gas furnace better for a Sacramento home?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-vs-gas-furnace-sacramento/)How the two compare on Sacramento's winter mornings, what each costs to run under SMUD, Roseville Electric and PG&E rates, how they differ in comfort, safety and upkeep, and which households should keep gas for now.
- Learn [How is a heat pump sized for a Sacramento home?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-sizing/)How a load calculation turns your house, your town's design temperatures and your ducts into a capacity, why the old condenser's tonnage is a poor guide, and what Title 24 and the City permit allow.
- Learn [What does a heat pump permit in Sacramento involve, and what does Title 24 check?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-permit-title-24/)The permit office for each part of the region, what the City of Sacramento's standard change-out permit allows, every Title 24 test a change-out carries, and how SB 222 reshapes permits from 2027.
- Learn [What is heat pump aux heat, and when should it run in Sacramento?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-aux-heat-defrost/)How backup heat strips, defrost cycles and thermostat controls work together, why the valley floor rarely needs strips for capacity, what they cost to run on each utility's rates, and when a furnace makes the better backup.