For heat pump contractors
Size cold-climate heat pumps right and sell them on the 15-year story
The situation
Heat pump jobs carry more design work than the price shows
Nameplate tons don't tell you enough
A cold-climate heat pump's real output at 0°F or below can be far from its rated capacity. Sizing on square footage or the old furnace leaves homes cold or short-cycling.
Rebates need documentation
Programs like NYS Clean Heat and Mass Save ask for Manual J documentation. Rebuilding each job in a separate tool eats evenings and delays submissions.
Homeowners compare against what they know
They know their oil or gas bill. Without a side-by-side on long-term cost, the heat pump looks like the expensive option at the table.
How Tradewright fits
Engineering, paperwork and the cost story in one flow
Equipment selection
Capacity at your design temperature, not nominal tons
- Balance point and backup heat shown
- Ruled-out units listed with the reason
- Built on ACCA Manual J and Manual S methods
Cold-climate heat pump, 3 ton
33,100 BTU/h at 2°F · 86% of load
Cold-climate heat pump, 3.5 ton
38,900 BTU/h at 2°F · 101% of load
Standard heat pump, 3 ton
19,800 BTU/h at 2°F · needs 18,600 strip heat
Gas furnace 80k + 16 SEER2 AC
Meets load · highest 15-year cost
Rebate documentation
NYS Clean Heat and Mass Save paperwork, generated
Program rules change; verify against the current manual.
System comparison
The 15-year story against the furnace or boiler
- Fuel prices and efficiencies the homeowner can see
- Neutral ranking, never pushed toward a higher-margin product
Estimated · $0.21/kWh · $1.70/therm · $3.90/gal · 3%/yr
Before and after
What changes for your team
Before
- Sizing from square footage or the old equipment
- Manual J done back at the office, days after the visit
- Rebate forms rebuilt by hand for each job
- Heat pump looks expensive next to a like-for-like furnace quote
With Tradewright
- Room-by-room loads at design temperature, calculated on site
- Real equipment capacity checked against the load
- Program documentation generated from the same design
- A 15-year comparison the homeowner can follow, signed at the table
Heat pump contractor questions
How does Tradewright size a cold-climate heat pump?
It calculates the room-by-room heating load at your local design temperature, then checks each candidate heat pump's actual capacity at that temperature using Manual S methods. You see the balance point and whether backup heat is needed, not just a nominal tonnage.
Does it produce NYS Clean Heat and Mass Save documentation?
Yes. The Manual J and equipment selection behind each design are used to generate the documentation those programs ask for, so you are not re-entering the job in a separate tool.
Can I show a heat pump against keeping the furnace or boiler?
Yes. The system comparison puts heat pump, furnace, boiler, mini-split and dual-fuel options side by side on estimated 15-year cost of ownership, with the assumptions visible to the homeowner.
Is Tradewright ACCA-approved?
Not yet. Tradewright is not on ACCA's list of approved Manual J software. Our load calculations follow the ACCA Manual J (8th edition) and Manual S methods, every input is visible, and reports show the assumptions behind each number. We plan to apply for ACCA approval in 2028 and will update this answer when that status changes.
Do I need a LiDAR iPhone or iPad?
LiDAR models make scanning fastest. You can also upload a plan and correct the geometry. The office can work in any browser.
Related tools and guides
See a cold-climate heat pump job designed and signed in 20 minutes.
A 20-minute demo on a real home in your territory.