We’ve been fortunate here in Katy not to have gotten the worst of the cold that struck much of the state last week, although we still had chillier days than we often get. But this deep freeze in February has probably put your mind on your heating system. You may be wondering: “Can my heating system tolerate another major cold snap?”
We’re glad you’re asking this question, because preparation is the key to making it through weather extremes. You’re accustomed to worrying about your AC getting through the intense summers, so let’s now turn this attention toward your heating system.
If you live in an all-electric home, there are several choices available to you when it comes to heating during the winter. The two main ones are the electric furnace and the heat pump. Because we don’t experience fierce winters here in Katy, your heating system will run for only a short season—but that doesn’t mean that just any heater will do. 
The spread of ductless heating and cooling systems, also known as ductless mini split heat pumps, has been a huge gift to many homeowners. Not every home can have a standard central AC and heater. Many older homes sometimes only have window AC units and no central heater. Ductless systems allow those homeowners to junk their old ACs and instead have cooling from wall-mounted units around the house, each of which connects through the wall to a single outdoor unit. When the cool weather arrives, these units switch over to heating in a snap.
Heat pumps are a popular option for home comfort here in Katy because they are ideally suited to our climate: hot weather during most of the year with a short, cool winter. A heat pump works as both an air conditioner and heater, able to switch between the two modes with only an adjustment on the thermostat. During hot weather, a heat pump is as powerful as an air conditioner of the same cooling tonnage. During colder weather, a heat pump delivers heat at lower cost than using an electric furnace.