Best Through-The-Wall Heat Pumps -2022 Buyer’s Guide

| Last Updated: September 23, 2021

If you’re traveling through a cold climate or it has just turned into winter you may want to install a heat pump to keep your family warm during those freezing cold days. These heat pumps can work without any gas and only on electricity and work the same way as air conditioners but instead of cool air, they produce heat.

Comparison of the Best Through the Wall Heat Pumps

IMAGEPRODUCT
  • This Heat Pump Will Be Able to Heat Your Entire House Without Limit
  • One of the Best Air Filters on the Market
  • Can Be Installed Through the Window or Permanently in the Wall
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  • Pumps Out Heat Within a Large Area
  • Also Includes a Top-of-the-Line Dehumidifier
  • More Power-Efficient Than Most Models
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  • This Pump is One of the Most Energy Efficient Products on the Market
  • Not Only a Heat Pump But Offers Cool Air and Multiple Fan Modes
  • The Area it Can Cover is Also Standard to Most Other Models
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  • If You Have Any Problems, the Two-Year Warranty Should Cover it
  • This Product is Energy Efficient Which Can Save You Money Over Time
  • We Have Chosen This Product as the Best Value for the Money
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How to Choose the Perfect Model

Choosing the right heating pump is an important task. You’ll want to find a device that does its job properly without any hassle and contains the best features on the market. The following section will discuss the features or aspects to consider before buying your next heat pump.

BTU Rating

The BTU rating is the amount of heat that’s necessary to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree. It stands for British Thermal Unit. However, the U.S. uses the same term for the metric system. The best way to understand this rating is that for every extra person after the first two, you should add an extra 750 BTUs. Use this calculator to help you determine the size you need.

Area Covered

The amount of area that the heat can cover is also a huge factor you need to consider before buying. The absolute minimum your heat pump should cover is 150 sq ft. If your heat pump does less than this, it shouldn’t even cross your mind again. The average heat pump will be able to heat an area of around 450 sq ft or more.

Sample BTU computation (Photo credit: wikihow.com))

Additional Features

As we mentioned previously, these heat pumps are a lot like air conditioners in the fact they can produce cold air and hot air. Some top of the line heat pumps will be able to provide extra services such as a dehumidifier, air conditioner, and even act as a filter for any dust particles.

Review of the Best Through the Wall Heat Pumps

This section is the most important part of our article. Here is where we give details of the various features and components of some of the best heat pumps on the market.

Best Overall

Frigidaire FFRH0822R1 8,000 BTU

FRIGIDAIRE 8,000 BTU Window-Mounted Room Air Conditioner with Supplemental Heat

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Review

This heat pump can provide you with both warm and cool air and allows you the ability to install your product via a cut out in the wall which would be more permanent or the alternative, which is through a window.

A window mount is also included in your kit. The device can also give you control over setting the temperature level. Not only that, but you can also control the different fan modes. The anti-bacterial filter also eliminates any particles or bad odors to create a healthier living environment. The dehumidifier can also absorb up to 1.5 pints of liquid each day.

Bottom Line

There are many benefits you can enjoy from this heat pump, it will be able to evenly distribute 350 sq ft of heat or cool air. The fact it provides cool air is another huge benefit. The filter is anti-bacterial and allows you to absorb any bad odors any dust particles which creates a safer environment for your family. Having the choice between the window or a permanent installation through the wall is another great advantage.

This product also offers the benefit of a dehumidifier which is a fantastic way to remove up to 1.5 pints of liquid each day. The only downside with this is that there isn’t a hose for the dehumidifier, meaning you have to manually empty the tank each time it fills. If you want something light, you’ll want to buy something else. This product can also become loud if you leave it running for a while. All in all, it’s a great product and deserves the top spot as the downsides are minor in comparison to the benefits.

Pros

Dehumidifier

350 sq ft of heat

Top of the line filter

Multiple installation methods

Cons

Heavy and loud

No hose for the dehumidifier

Runner-up

Koldfront WTC12001W 12,000 BTU

Koldfront WTC12001W 12,000 BTU 208/230V Through the Wall Heat/Cool Air Conditioner

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Review

Coming in as runner-up, this heat pump can churn out heat to your house and warm an area of 550 sq ft, an impressive amount and far more than the overall best heat pump. It features an energy efficiency ratio of 9.5. With plenty of features, this product can be controlled via remote control to change the speed of the fan, which has three different options to choose from.

The product also has four operation modes to play with. Additionally, the heat pump has a built-in dehumidifier that can capture up to 60 pints of water per day, which is also double what the previous product could take in. The remote control can also be used to customize the timer and sleep mode function that is helpful.

Bottom Line

Despite coming as runner-up, this heat pump was a strong contender for best overall. The many benefits include the fact that it covers a large area of around 550sq ft. The energy efficiency is also far greater than the previous product, the same goes for the dehumidifier that is twice as effective.

The multiple modes and features offer an extensive service that can all be controlled via remote control. All of these benefits are great, however, the downsides come close behind. There is no window mount with the kit. The filter is also absent, leaving behind more dust particles and bad odors. The dehumidifier also needs to be cleaned out manually as there’s no hose.

Pros

Energy efficient

Remote control

Covers a large area

Effective dehumidifier

Multiple modes and features

Cons

No filter

Limited installation

No hose for the dehumidifier

Second Runner-up

LG LW8016HR 7,500 BTU

LG 7,500 BTU Window Air Conditioner with Supplemental Heat, Cools 320 Sq.Ft. (16' x 20' Room Size), Electronic Controls with Remote, 2 Cooling, Heating & Fan Speeds, Slide In-Out Chassis, 115V

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Review

Coming as the second runner-up, this heat pump can offer its owner an energy efficiency rating of an outstanding 11.2. It is able to heat an area of up to 320 sq ft, which is roughly the average area that is covered by these heat pumps.

The pump doesn’t just offer constant heat, but can also offer multiple cooling modes and fan speeds. This product is far smaller than the others mentioned and can be controlled via remote control. This remote control allows you to mess around with different settings such as the fan speed, timer, or even the temperature.

Bottom Line

This product offers a range of benefits such as being far more energy-efficient than the others on this list. This efficiency can save you money in the long run. The area it covers is also decent, not great, but still offers a standard area coverage.

The multiple modes like the timer can be controlled via the remote control, which makes it far easier to operate than pressing all the buttons on the device. The only downsides to this product are that they don’t have a dehumidifier or filter, which is both big benefit in cleaning dust from the household air.

Pros

Energy efficient

Multiple modes

Remote control

Covers a great area

Cons

No filter

No dehumidifier

Best for the Money

Koldfront WTC8001W 8,000 BTU

Koldfront WTC8001W 8,000 BTU Through the Wall Air Conditioner with 3500 BTU Heater

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Review

The last on our list has been chosen as the best value for the money. The product can cover an area of 350 sq ft which should cover the main room of the average American household. The pump will produce both hot and cool air with the ability to increase or decrease the room temperature gradually. The three fan speeds are also a useful feature along with four different operation modes.

Along with functionality as a heat pump and air conditioner, it can also extract up to 1.8 pints of water per hour from the air with the built-in dehumidifier. Most people enjoy the sleep mode feature that will gradually increase the room temperature overnight, saving on energy costs. The remote control also helps make the whole process a lot more simple.

Bottom Line

The last on our list isn’t there as a reflection of the overall quality of the unit. Covering the average main room of a household, this product is easy to use thanks to the remote control which can alter the many settings and modes built into the heat pump.

This unit excels by providing your house with heat, cool air, and a dehumidified environment as it can extract 1.8 pints per hour. The only downside to this product is that it doesn’t come with a window mount and has to be installed permanently through your wall which can be more tricky.

Pros

Multiple modes

Remote control

Covers the average household

Extracts 1.8 pints of water per hour

Cons

Doesn’t come with a window mount

What Is a Through the Wall Heat Pump?

These wall heat pumps do exactly what their name says. They are installed into your wall and instead of producing cold air, they produce heat. If you have a decent heat pump, it should be able to produce cold air as well as dehumidify and filter out any dust particles. They will also help circulate air to keep your home from becoming stuffy.

How Does a Through the Wall Heat Pump Work?

The heat pump transfers the heat energy from a heat source to a heat sink. The pump moves this thermal energy in the opposite direction of the spontaneous heat transfer by extracting heat from cold air and releasing it as warm air. Heat pumps are said to be four times more effective than the average household heater, even using the same energy. The only difference is that heating pumps are more expensive to install.

Conclusion

Most heat pumps provide you with a great experience and do their job properly. The things to look out for are mentioned in this article. The products listed are also a good guide as to what makes a decent quality heat pump.

No matter what you do, always research before you buy, to save yourself a lot of time, money, and effort. Regardless of what product you end up with, we hope you’ve learned something here today.



My name is Bob Wells and I am a retired HVAC tech from Washington state. I am currently retired and no longer do much with HVAC, however, I feel like I have a lot of knowledge in the subject and I wanted to create a website where I could talk about what I've learned and help upcoming HVAC techs. Find more info about me and HVAC Training 101.