When should you replace a heat pump?

Roots plans for year 16, measured from installation. That is a planning horizon, not an expiry date: budget for the replacement then, and keep using it while it works.

By Roots Team · Jul 10, 2026 · Updated Aug 17, 2026

How long does a heat pump last?

How long a heat pump lasts

Published service life: 10–16 years, depending on which reference you read. Roots plans for: year 16.

Service life is a planning horizon, not an expiry date. It tells you when to start budgeting, get a second quote, and stop paying for repairs on something near the end — not the day it stops working.

What changes this

A heat pump runs in both seasons, so it accumulates roughly twice the run time of a cooling-only air conditioner in the same house. That is why its horizon is not much longer than an AC's despite doing both jobs.

Why published figures disagree

The two ranges miss each other by a single year (InterNACHI 10–15, NAHB 16). Sided with NAHB on provenance rather than a third figure: NAHB's HVAC section names its sources — ASHRAE three times, plus the Department of Energy and the equipment manufacturers — while InterNACHI's chart names no source and carries no publication date.

Sources

the NAHB/Bank of America Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components (February 2007) (Heat Pumps, HVAC section), cross-checked against InterNACHI's Standard Estimated Life Expectancy Chart for Homes.

Service-life figures are typical estimates drawn from published industry references. Where a second reference covers the component, the figure is cross-checked against it and any disagreement is set out above; where only one reference covers it, that is stated. Actual life varies with installation, water quality, climate, and maintenance, and these figures shouldn't be relied on for insurance, lending, or warranty decisions.

Maintenance is what decides where in the range you land

The published range is wide for a reason: two identical units, installed the same day, routinely fail years apart. What separates them is upkeep.

For a heat pump, the tasks that matter most:

Replace heat pump air filter — Heat pumps run year-round, so a clogged filter hurts twice as much.
Schedule heat pump service — Year-round duty means yearly service (ideally spring and fall) to protect the compressor.

Roots tracks the age of every component in your home alongside the upkeep that extends it, so the replacement is a planned expense instead of an emergency.

Free tool Know what's due before it fails Knowing how long a component lasts only helps if you're maintaining it. Build a free maintenance checklist tuned to your home. It takes about 30 seconds and there is no signup.

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Frequently asked questions

How long does a heat pump last?: Published figures disagree 10–16 years, depending on which reference you read. Roots plans a replacement at year 16.
When should you replace a heat pump?: Roots plans for year 16, measured from installation. That is a planning horizon, not an expiry date: budget for the replacement then, and keep using it while it works.
What shortens the life of a heat pump?: A heat pump runs in both seasons, so it accumulates roughly twice the run time of a cooling-only air conditioner in the same house. That is why its horizon is not much longer than an AC’s despite doing both jobs.
Why do published figures disagree?: The two ranges miss each other by a single year (InterNACHI 10–15, NAHB 16). Sided with NAHB on provenance rather than a third figure: NAHB’s HVAC section names its sources — ASHRAE three times, plus the Department of Energy and the equipment manufacturers — while InterNACHI’s chart names no source and carries no publication date.

Never think about this schedule again.

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