Give the designer a clear home brief

Include your location and elevation, floor plan, ceiling heights, sleeping rooms, insulation information, and current wood-heat use. Say whether wood heat is a daily choice you want to keep, an occasional supplement, or something you want to stop relying on.

We would not design around an assumption that you will tend a stove every cold night unless that is your stated plan. Ask for two scenarios if necessary: heat pump with your intended wood use, and heat pump carrying the areas you need when the stove is off.

Have the wood appliance's safety and care handled by the appropriate qualified provider. That is a separate responsibility from heat-pump selection.

Translate the table into three decisions

Ask for the exact matched indoor and outdoor models and the source of their performance data. Then ask:

  • How much heat does the home or served area need at the selected winter design temperature?
  • How much usable heat can this exact system provide there?
  • What covers any gap, and how will we know when that support is needed?

Request a plain explanation of minimum output as well as maximum output, and what the selection means for milder weather and summer comfort. A lowest operating temperature should not be used as the answer to all of those questions.

Check how heat reaches each room

Point out the A-frame's loft, stair opening, bedroom doors, and rooms away from the proposed indoor unit. Ask the designer to show coverage on the plan and describe any room that needs its own solution. A comfortable main space does not establish bedroom comfort.

Also request the approved elevation guidance, outdoor location, snow and drainage plan, electrical scope, and controls. If a table lacks data for your conditions, ask how the manufacturer or designer supports the estimate rather than accepting an invented number.

Your next step is that one-page design explanation with supporting tables attached. We would choose the proposal that makes the home's comfort plan understandable and shows where its limits are.