Using a heat pump is a smart and efficient way to both heat and cool a home, and here at Home Caprice, we are excited to present our buyer’s guide, review, and comparison of the best window-mounted heat pumps you can buy.
What is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump is, in the most basic terms, a unit similar to an air conditioner in how it works, but one that can move hot air either out of a house (in cooling mode) or into a house (in heating mode).
Since they offer such effective climate control, not to mention real savings on your energy bill, we are always surprised that more people aren’t using heat pumps – indeed, a lot of people aren’t even familiar with them!
Granted, they are more popular and well known in warmer climates – in the United States, for example, they are more commonly seen in the southern states. But in fact, heat pumps work well in cooler climates too, and still offer some of the best energy efficiency you can get – often far better than air conditioner/natural gas furnace combinations.
How Does a Heat Pump Work?
Understanding how a heat pump works also helps you understand how an air conditioner works, as they are in most details functionally identical. That is why a window mounted heat pump is sometimes referred to as a window air conditioner with heat pump, or a window mounted AC with auxiliary heating.
Hot air will always want to move from warmer to cooler spaces, and from more pressure to less pressure, and this law is an important part of how both the heat pump and the air conditioner work.
In cooling mode, a heat pump holds a refrigerant fluid, and uses a fan to blow indoor air across the refrigerant tube. The heat from the air in your home is absorbed by the refrigerant, and the indoor air, now much colder, is circulated throughout the room or the house.
The now warmer refrigerant is sent through a compressor, which compresses the refrigerant and as a result makes it much hotter. This hot refrigerant is moved outside, where a fan runs across it and blows the heat into the outside air.
The refrigerant, now significantly cooler, is moved back inside through an expansion valve, which expands and further cools it, and is ready to begin cooling the inside air again.
Now here’s the nifty part – a heat pump can reverse this process, and with amazing efficiency! And so is not just a great way to cool your home, but to heat it as well.
When the process is reversed, the refrigerant absorbs any heat from the outside (even when it is cold out), moves inside (and when it’s moving it gets even hotter), and then heats air which the heat pump’s fans blow across it, effectively warming the inside of your home. Then the cooled down refrigerant moves back outside to start the cycle over.
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A window mounted heat pump may be a great way to make a room or a part of your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
They are, again, especially effective in moderate climates, but may not have enough heating power for places that freeze or get really cold.
That said, one of the window heat pumps reviewed here has extra heating elements (see the Frigidaire FFRH0822R1 below), and so can work well in a wider variety of climates – still, though, not in freezing, snowy or very cold places.
So, if you would like a more efficient and less costly way to both heat and cool a room or a small part of your home, a window heat pump may be the perfect way to go.
What Is the Best Window Heat Pump Available Right Now?
Our buyer’s guide of window mounted heat pumps will include the best products we’ve found – selections based on our experience, customer feedback, performance, features and dependability.
We will include units from a variety of price points and units with more or less power, but in every case the heat pumps we list here will offer exceptional performance, value and durability.
What Is the Best 8,000 BTU Window Heat Pump?
Frigidaire FFRH0822R1 8,000 BTU Window-Mounted Room Air Conditioner with Supplemental Heat
For some, the legendary Frigidaire name is enough of a recommendation in itself, but this Frigidaire FFRH0822R1 air conditioner with heat pump is loaded with special features and functions, making it one of the best units on the market.
8 Way comfort control allows the precise direction of the airflow and greater flexibility in mounting locations, and with three cooling speeds, three fan speeds and one heat speed this Frigidaire heat pump can efficiently cool or heat any space up to 350 square feet.
The Frigidaire FFRH0822R1 also has an effective humidifier, which removes up to 1.5 pints of water from the hour every hour. And, despite its exceptional performance and effectiveness, this Frigidaire heat pump still earns a great 9.8 EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating, and full Energy Star certification!
The sophisticated digital control panel is, despite its high levels of functionally, quite easy to use, and the Frigidaire FFRH0822R1 also comes with a versatile and simple remote control. It has 24-hour programmability and a sleep mode to improve both comfort and energy efficiency.
In addition to normal heating and cooling functions, what makes the Frigidair FFRH0822R1 even more special, and much more versatile is its 3,500 BTU supplemental heating capacity, which can be a real life saver in case of furnace failure in cold climates, or cold snaps anywhere.
Ultimately, though, it does come back to the Frigidaire name and reputation. The best engineering, the highest levels of material quality, the most intelligent and effective climate control solutions, all of these things are synonymous with Frigidaire, and all make the FFRH0822R1 our pick for the best window heat pump – 8,000 BTU Range.
Features & Specifications
- Cooling Output: 8,000 BTU
- Heating Output: 7,000 BTU
- EER: 9.8
- Room Size: 350 Square Feet (~32 Square Meters)
- AC Voltage: 115 V
- Refrigerant: R-410A
- Washable Filter: Yes
What Is the Best 12,000 BTU Window Heat Pump?
Koldfront WAC12001W 12,000 BTU Heat/Cool Window Air Conditioner
The Koldfront WAC1201W is a simple and basic heat pump, preferring strong performance, ease of use and durability over cosmetics and slick features.
The right features, though, are there when you need them. Three fan speeds and a smart four-way louvre system make sure your space will be filled with hot or cold air. And the Koldfront has an effective humidifier feature built-in as well.
The sleep mode and energy saver mode allow this Koldfront heat pump to earn a 10.9 EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio). Also contributing to its low energy usage is the digital display’s Check Filter light
This Koldfront high output heat pump is smaller than some, relatively easy to install, and it includes insulation and mounting hardware. Keep in mind, though, that this and other high output heat pumps don’t use normal AC – they require a higher voltage level (230V) and a licensed electrician to install the wiring if it is not already in place.
For the money, the Koldfront 12001 heat pump gets outrageously good reviews, reports from even very cold and very hot regions raving about how well both the heating and cooling functions work and how pleased customers are with their investment.
Our pick, then, for the best window heat pump – 12,000 BTU Range – is the Koldfront WAC1200W, and it is also our choice for the best value overall in heat pumps.
Features & Specifications
- Cooling Output: 12,000 BTU
- Heating Output: 11,000 BTU
- EER: 10.9
- Room Size: 450-550 Square Feet (~40-50 Square Meters)
- AC Voltage: 230 V
- Refrigerant: R-419A
- Washable Filter: Yes
What Is the Best 18,000 BTU Window Heat Pump?
Frigidaire FFRH1822R2 18,500 BTU Air Conditioner with 16,000 BTU Supplemental Heat Capability
For cooling and heating larger spaces without spending too much money, the Frigidaire FFRH1822R2 is a perfect choice.
This Frigidaire heat pump has not only high cooling output, but an impressive 16,000 BTU heat output as well – still not sufficient for places that get below freezing, but great for temperatures down to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
And with a wide array of features designed to make heating and cooling more effective and less costly – 24-hour program mode, energy saver mode, sleep mode, multi-speed fan and clean filter alert – the Frigidaire FFRH1822R2 keeps larger spaces comfortable and still maintains impressive energy ratings: a 10.7 EER (energy efficiency ratio)!
Not only is the FFRH1822R2 window-mounted heat pump effective and efficient, but it is also quiet and easy to run and maintain, and you can count on Frigidaire to offer some of the most durable and reliable products on the market.
Please note that this and other high output heat pumps don’t use normal AC – they require a higher voltage level (230V) and you’ll need a licensed electrician to install the wiring if it is not already in place.
Overall, an easy product to use, to maintain and to live with, and an easy choice for the best window heat pump – 12,000 BTU Range.
Features & Specifications
- Cooling Output: 18,500 BTU
- Heating Output: 16,000 BTU
- EER: 10.7
- Room Size: 700-1000 Square Feet (~65-90 Square Meters)
- AC Voltage: 230 V
- Refrigerant: R-419A
- Washable Filter: Yes
What Is the Best 24,000 BTU Window Heat Pump?
Friedrich Kuhl Series 24,000 BTU Commercial Air Conditioner with Reverse Cycle Heat Pump
When we get into the 24,000+ BTU range of heat pumps, we are mostly looking at commercial units which tend to be quite a bit more expensive. At the same time, they also tend to offer absolutely top-notch material quality, reliability and performance.
The latter is definitely the case with the Friedrich Kuhl YL24, which is made of heavy gauge galvanized steel, rifled copper and industrial grade aluminium, and offers the best compressor, fully sealed fans and other advanced engineering and build features, ensuring this heat pump will perform at its best for many years to come.
This top-level build quality also means powerful heating and cooling and surprisingly quiet operation. The 8-way directional system will fill any room effectively regardless of installation position, and the powerful motors mean the Kuhl YL24 heat pump will quickly a room with hot or cold air – even from startup.
Other features include washable carbon filters, a full 7 pints per hour of humidification, and a cool, full-function remote control.
An Energy Star rated product, the Friedrich Kuhl YL24 commercial grade heat pump uses remarkably small amounts of electricity for its size and power. And don’t be too put off by the “commercial grade” designation – this heat pump is perfectly well suited for a home, especially larger rooms and spaces, and even at its not-insignificant commercial-grade price it is much less expensive than other heat pumps in its category and offers a substantial bargain for the money.
The Kuhl YL24 window-mounted heat pump is not only a Smart product, allowing remote access via the internet and FriedrichLink from your smartphone, computer or tablet anywhere in the world, it is also the world’s first smart grid heat pump.
Please note that this and other high output heat pumps don’t use normal AC – they require a higher voltage level (230V) and you’ll need a licensed electrician to install the wiring if it is not already in place.
For the best material quality and engineering, advanced features, ease of use and – by far – the best performance you can get, the superb Friedrich Kuhl YL24 is our pick for best window heat pump – 24,000 BTU range – and also our pick for best window mount heat pump overall.
Features & Specifications
- Cooling Output: 24,000 BTU
- Heating Output: 22,000 BTU
- EER: 9.8
- Room Size: 700-1000 Square Feet (~65-90 Square Meters)
- AC Voltage: 230 V
- Refrigerant: R-410AWashable Filter: Yes
Final Thoughts: How do I Choose the Best Window-Mounted Heat Pump?
The first thing to know is that if you are a list-making kind of shopper we’ve already ticked all the boxes for you. Here are some things to watch out:
- Energy Efficiency: All have very high EER ratings, and two are fully Energy Star rated!
- High Customer Ratings: All have exceptionally high star ratings on Amazon, especially from verified purchasers.
- Environmental Consciousnesses: All include environment-friendly refrigerants.
- Programmability: All have at least 24-hour programmability, as well as energy-saving and comfort-optimizing modes and programs.
- Value: Every heat pump on our list is chosen not just based on our experience, reviews, features and performance, but because they offer exceptional value for the money.
- Reliability: With brands like Frigidaire, Koldfront and Friedrich, you can count on many years of reliable use, as well as the best customer service – if you should ever need it, that is.
In choosing which window-mounted heat pump is right for you, you really, then, just need to figure out the size of the room you want to heat, your budget, and finally if such a window mount AC unit with auxiliary heat is right for your climate.
Climate: If the temperature where you live drops much below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (~4.5 Celsius) in the winter, a window mounts heat pump might not work for you. The large Friedrich we’ve included in our window heat pump buyer’s guide might be an option (but not if your area ever freezes) but for cold climes, you may need a larger system with an integrated furnace.
If you are in an area which maintains at least 40 degrees or higher as a winter-time low, and will certainly never drop below freezing, a window heat pump is likely your very best choice for climate control!
Budget: We have included models from under 500 dollars to over 2,000 dollars, and any on this list can be considered the best choice, and best value, in its price range based on several different criteria.
Room Size: There are many considerations in determining how large a heat pump you will need (that is, how much output, in BTU, you will need), and determining an exact figure can be pretty complicated, and not always that helpful.
To make it simple, we have included a very basic chart, which will help you figure out what you need.
If you will regularly have more than one or two people in a room, or if it is exposed to long periods of sunlight, you might want to move up one level for sufficient cooling, and if your room is dark, poorly insulated, or has other factors which make it more difficult to heat, you might also want to consider moving up one level to get increased heating power.
As a rule, it is better to get a little too much power, and it might actually save you money in the long run.
- 8,000 BTU: 400 Square Feet or Less
- 12,000 BTU: 450 to 600 Square Feet
- 18,000 BTU: 700 to 1,000 Square Feet
- 24,000 BTU: 1,200 to 1,500 Square Feet
A window-mounted heat pump provides efficient heating and cooling for a room, an apartment, an area in a larger house, or even an entire small home.
Whatever your budget, climate, or specific use, we are confident that our buyer’s guide to the best window-mounted heat pumps will lead you to the best unit for you.
Every model on our list works extremely well, is affordable, has quite low energy consumption, and offers the best engineering, features, and material quality, and they all will provide year-round comfort for many years to come.
Download this FREE cheat sheet to find 28 tricks that can help you save on your electricity and heating bill each month.
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