Heat Pumps for Second Homes, Camps and Lake Houses in the Adirondacks & Vermont

What a second home needs from its heating

A second home has a different job than a primary residence. It sits empty for days or weeks. The system has to protect the building, not just keep people comfortable, and it has to be ready fast when you show up on a Friday night in February.

Camps and lake houses in the Adirondacks and Vermont often rely on propane wall heaters, kerosene heaters, a wood stove or electric baseboard. Those work, but they come with problems: fuel deliveries to a remote driveway, combustion safety concerns for a vacant building, uneven heat, and no cooling or humidity control in summer.

A cold-climate heat pump addresses all of those at once. Mitsubishi Hyper-Heat outdoor units deliver 100% Capacity to -13°F and operate down to -35°F, which is the real test for a lake house on a January night.

Freeze protection and remote monitoring

The biggest risk in a seasonal property is a frozen pipe. A heat pump held at a low setback temperature maintains a safe floor without running the whole house.

Mitsubishi Comfort App

The Mitsubishi Comfort App is included with every new install. From your phone you can:

• See the current mode and set temperature of each zone
• Raise the setpoint on the drive up, so the house is warm when you arrive
• Confirm the system is running after a storm or power flicker
• Change the setpoint without calling a neighbor

It needs an internet connection at the property. If your camp has none, we can talk through options at the estimate. Keep in mind that a heat pump needs electricity: after a power outage the system restarts when power returns. A plumber's usual advice about draining lines for long absences still applies for properties with no heat or power at all.

The app complements, but doesn't replace, a neighbor or caretaker for severe weather.

Low-temperature setback while you are away

A setback is a lower temperature set while the home is empty. For a seasonal property, the goal is protection, not comfort. A common approach is to hold a modest temperature above freezing in the main living area and let the rest of the house coast.

The right setting depends on your plumbing layout, insulation and how cold the property gets. We help you choose it at the commissioning visit. A few practical notes:

• Zone placement matters. If the plumbing is in a utility room or bathroom, that area needs air movement or its own zone.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks on the coldest nights.
• Pre-warming costs less than holding a comfortable temperature for weeks. Raise the setpoint the day before.
• Hold a margin. Don't rely on a minimum number that leaves no room for error.

Heating-cost estimates for second homes vary widely with use. The Heating Cost Calculator can compare your current fuel against Mitsubishi options.

Humidity control for closed-up camps

Winter is not the only problem. A closed-up camp in July can grow mold, musty smells and swollen woodwork. Lake houses are especially prone because of nearby water and shaded lots.

Mitsubishi systems provide cooling and dehumidification, and they can run at a low, efficient setting all summer while you are away. A moderate setpoint keeps humidity in check and protects furniture, linens, instruments and drywall. Humid stretches of 85 to 90°F are normal here, and they're hardest on empty buildings.

Keep filters clean, which a spring service visit handles. Our maintenance programs start at $10.50 per month per outdoor unit on the Preferred plan, a reasonable way to make sure a seasonal system is ready on opening weekend. Seasonal homes should be serviced in the spring and fall.

Replacing kerosene and propane heaters

Many camps still run unvented or direct-vent heaters. Switching has a few clear advantages.

• No combustion indoors from the heat pump itself, and no fuel to carry or store.
• No deliveries to a hard-to-reach road in mud season or deep snow.
• Cooling that the old heater never offered.
• Even temperatures from a quiet indoor unit, not hot spots near a wall heater.
• Typical savings: about $855 per year versus propane and about $950 versus oil, for primary residences. Savings in a second home depend heavily on how often you use it.

Be realistic. If you use the camp ten weekends a year, the value of a heat pump is more about safety, comfort and convenience than payback. For a year-round or heavily used lake house, the savings math looks more like a primary home. See heat pump vs propane.

Seasonal shutdown or year-round operation?

There are two sound approaches.

Year-round, low setback

The system stays on. It protects the building, controls humidity, and warms the house quickly when you arrive. This suits properties that get visited in every season and any building with plumbing at risk.

Seasonal shutdown

Some camps are closed for winter: water drained, power off. In that case the heat pump isn't used in the cold months, and you gain cooling and dehumidification in the warm ones. This is for properties designed to be winterized.

We talk through your situation at the free in-home estimate. Equipment placement matters either way: a raised aluminum stand, pan heater and surge protection are included, which matters on remote lines where outages are common.

Lake and mountain towns we serve

Examples by housing type, not named customers:

• Lakefront cottage with no insulation in the walls (Lake George area): one or two zones and a plan to improve insulation. See Lake George and Bolton Landing.
• Winterized camp on a long lot (Schroon Lake, Hague): a small multi-zone system and remote monitoring. See Schroon Lake and Hague.
• Mountain chalet (Saranac Lake area): deep-cold performance matters. See Saranac Lake.
• Lake Bomoseen camp or lake house in Vermont: Castleton.

Lake Champlain properties are within reach as well. Prices: single-zone Mitsubishi systems are $10,000 to $15,000 installed; whole-home multi-zone systems start at $15,000. Rebates through NYS Clean Heat or Efficiency Vermont and Green Mountain Power may apply, and we confirm what you qualify for at the free estimate. Rebates are expected to shrink or end in 2027. Request an estimate.

Frequently asked questions