The house decides the size, not the old sticker
A load calculation accounts for square footage, insulation, windows, orientation and the ducts you already have. Sizing off the label on the old unit just copies whatever mistake was made last time. Oversized is the worse mistake: it reaches temperature fast, shuts off, never pulls humidity out of the air, and wears out its own compressor doing it.
Ducts and electrical are what stop a heat pump working
A heat pump moves more air at a lower temperature than a furnace does, so duct runs and returns that were marginal before become the limit afterward. Panel capacity is the other one — some houses need a service change first, and it is cheaper to know that before you sign for equipment. We measure both and tell you which you have.
It heats differently, and that catches people out
Air out of the registers feels cooler than furnace air, and the system runs for long stretches instead of short blasts. That is it working, not failing. In a cold snap the backup heat carries part of the load, and on a defrost cycle the outdoor unit steams and the indoor air goes briefly cool. We show you what normal looks like so you are not calling us about it in December.
How A Visit Goes
- 01
We Come And Diagnose
A real diagnosis, not a glance at the age plate. You get told what has failed and why, in words that make sense.
- 02
Repair Is Quoted First
If it can be fixed economically, that is the quote you get. A replacement number only comes out when repair genuinely does not make sense, and we will show you the arithmetic.
- 03
Sizing By Calculation
For a replacement, we measure the house — insulation, windows, ducts, orientation — instead of copying the old unit's label. Oversized systems short-cycle, run humid and wear out early.
- 04
Installed And Commissioned
Charged to spec, airflow measured, ducts sealed and every register balanced. An install that is not commissioned is only half done.
- 05
You See The Numbers
Temperature split, static pressure, and the settings we left it on — written down, so the next person has a baseline.
Heat Pumps: common questions
Does a heat pump actually work when it gets cold?
Modern cold-climate units keep heating well below freezing, and mild winters are exactly the conditions they are efficient in. Capacity does drop as it gets colder, which is what the backup heat is sized for. There are houses where it is the wrong call, usually ducts or electrical, and we say so rather than sell you one anyway.
Do I have to get rid of my furnace?
Not necessarily. If your furnace is sound, it can often stay as the backup and hand over on the coldest days, which suits some houses better than electric strip heat. We will tell you which arrangement fits yours.
Are there rebates for a heat pump?
There usually are, from utilities and from state and federal programs, and they change from year to year. We tell you which ones you qualify for and what paperwork they need, rather than quoting you a number that has moved by the time you install.
Heating & cooling throughout east Multnomah County
Most of our work is in east Multnomah County and the neighborhoods around it. Two weeks a year everybody calls at once — the first hard frost and the first real heat — so if you already know your system is on its last season, booking outside those weeks gets you a better job and a shorter wait.