Mini-split heating capacity versus outdoor temperature

Heat-pump capacity is rated at 47°F and fades as it gets colder. Size a cold-climate mini-split on its delivered capacity at your design temperature — from the NEEP list or the manufacturer table — not the nameplate.

A line chart of heating capacity as a percent of nameplate against outdoor temperature from 47°F down to below zero. A red standard curve falls to about 61 percent at 17°F and 47 percent at 5°F, while a green cold-climate / hyper-heat curve holds about 92 percent at 17°F and 83 percent at 5°F. A callout shows a 12,000 BTU/h head delivering only about 5,600 at 5°F as a standard unit versus about 9,960 as a hyper-heat unit. — Source: NEEP Cold Climate ASHP list; manufacturer capacity tables

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A line chart of heating capacity as a percent of nameplate against outdoor temperature from 47°F down to below zero. A red standard curve falls to about 61 percent at 17°F and 47 percent at 5°F, while a green cold-climate / hyper-heat curve holds about 92 percent at 17°F and 83 percent at 5°F. A callout shows a 12,000 BTU/h head delivering only about 5,600 at 5°F as a standard unit versus about 9,960 as a hyper-heat unit.

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    <img src="https://remodelcalculators.com/api/figure-embed/mini-split-cold-capacity" alt="A line chart of heating capacity as a percent of nameplate against outdoor temperature from 47°F down to below zero. A red standard curve falls to about 61 percent at 17°F and 47 percent at 5°F, while a green cold-climate / hyper-heat curve holds about 92 percent at 17°F and 83 percent at 5°F. A callout shows a 12,000 BTU/h head delivering only about 5,600 at 5°F as a standard unit versus about 9,960 as a hyper-heat unit." width="800" height="440" style="width:100%;height:auto;border:0" loading="lazy">
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    Diagram: <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com/construction-diagrams/mini-split-cold-capacity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mini-split heating capacity versus outdoor temperature</a> — courtesy of <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RemodelCalculators.com</a>
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