Service
Heat pumps
One outdoor unit and one air handler that heat and cool the whole house through its ducts.
A heat pump moves heat instead of making it. In winter it takes heat from outdoor air and moves it inside, and in summer it reverses. In a house with ducts, one system does both jobs.
Signs
When it's time to look at this.
The furnace or AC is near the end
Repairs are adding up, or the equipment is old enough that parts are getting hard to find.
Rooms never feel the same
One room is hot while another is cold, which is often a duct or sizing problem.
You're adding cooling
A house with only a furnace can gain cooling from the same system that heats it.
You want off gas
A heat pump runs on electricity, so the gas line can be capped when the work is done.
The ducts are old
We test them first. Leaky ducts waste a new system's output.
The panel is full
We plan the panel work with the heat pump, not after it.
The visit
What happens at the visit.
- 01
Step 1: We measure
Room sizes, windows, insulation and the existing ducts, for a load calculation.
- 02
Step 2: We test
A duct leakage test, and a look at the panel and the meter.
- 03
Step 3: We write the plan
Equipment model, duct work, electrical work and permits, each on its own line.
- 04
Step 4: You decide
You get the plan in writing. Nothing starts until you say so.
Cost
What drives the cost.
We don't print prices here. These are the things that move the number, and the plan prices each one.
Capacity
From the load calculation, not from the size of the old system.
Ducts
Reused as they are, repaired, or partly replaced after the test.
Equipment
Single-stage or variable-speed, and the efficiency tier.
Electrical
A dedicated circuit, and a panel or subpanel if the load calculation needs one.
Access
Attic, crawlspace or tight side yard for the outdoor unit.
Permits and removal
Mechanical and electrical permits, and removal of the old equipment.
Questions
Questions about this work
Do I have to replace my gas furnace to get a heat pump?
No. Some houses keep the furnace for the coldest nights and add a heat pump for the rest. We lay out both options in the plan and say what each one needs from the panel. The choice is yours.
Will my panel handle a heat pump?
It depends on the house. We add up what the panel carries now and what you want to add, using a load calculation, before we choose any equipment. If the panel is full, the plan says whether a new panel or a subpanel is the smaller change.
Which programs can lower the cost?
Utility and state programs change often, and some depend on household income. We tell you which ones look open for your address when we write the plan. The program, not us, decides who qualifies, and we don't promise any amount.
How long does an install take?
A ducted system with a panel change is usually several working days, spread over the HVAC and electrical crews, plus the days the city needs for inspection. The plan gives the sequence for your house.
Related
Often planned with it.
Mini-splits
For rooms and additions the ducts don't reach.
Mini-splitsPanels and service
Room on the panel for the new unit.
Panels and service
Start with the assessment.
We walk the house, check the panel and write the plan. You can stop after any step.