Plenty of Los Angeles homes were never built with ductwork — older bungalows, Spanish-style houses, garage conversions, and room additions often rely on window units or nothing at all. Ripping open walls to install full ductwork is expensive and disruptive. That is...
In Southern California, your air conditioner works hard all summer and then your heater sits idle for months — until the first chilly evening when you flip it on and hope for the best. October is the ideal time for a fall HVAC tune-up: the cooling season is winding...
Residential and Commercial HVAC
A heat pump looks like an air conditioner because it does the same job — and one more. In summer it moves heat out of your home; in winter it reverses and moves heat in, even from cool outdoor air. For Southern California’s mild winters, that makes a heat pump one of the most practical ways to heat and cool with a single system. Mars HVAC installs, replaces, and services heat pumps across Los Angeles and Orange County as a licensed C-20 HVAC contractor (Mars Construction Industries Corp, CSLB Lic #1138550).
Homeowners replacing an aging air conditioner often ask whether to add a furnace or switch to a heat pump. In our climate, a heat pump handles the great majority of winter days comfortably, and because it moves heat rather than creating it by burning fuel, it is a highly efficient way to warm a home. It also simplifies your equipment: one system, one thermostat, one maintenance schedule. A gas furnace can still make sense for homes with large heating loads or a preference for gas heat — and in dual-fuel setups the two work together. During your estimate we compare the options for your house honestly, including what your existing ductwork and panel can support.
Replacements start with a load calculation and a look at your ducts, since a heat pump’s heating mode moves more air than a furnace does and undersized ducts get noisy. We handle permits, install and charge the system, complete required Title 24 verification, and walk you through the thermostat. For repairs, we diagnose the full refrigeration cycle in both modes — a heat pump that cools well but heats poorly often has a reversing valve or defrost issue we can correct without replacing the system.
Curious whether a heat pump fits your home? Call Mars HVAC at 310.880.9718 or request an estimate. You can also browse the cities on our areas served page.
Will a heat pump keep up on the coldest nights? In Southern California, yes. Heat pumps are at their best in mild climates like ours, where winter nights rarely push the limits of the technology. For the occasional cold snap or for larger homes, a dual-fuel setup that pairs the heat pump with a gas furnace is also an option we can design.
Can a heat pump use my existing ductwork? Usually — with an important caveat. Heat pumps move more air in heating mode than a furnace does, so ducts that were marginal for a furnace can become noisy or restrictive. We measure your duct system during the estimate and tell you honestly whether it is ready as-is or needs targeted corrections.
What does a heat pump replace, exactly? A heat pump takes over both jobs: it is your air conditioner in summer and your heater in winter, run from one thermostat. Many homeowners retire an aging furnace and air conditioner at the same time and end up with one newer, simpler system to maintain.
Heating and cooling from a single, efficient system — sized and installed by a licensed C-20 contractor. Talk to Mars HVAC about your options.