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Heat Pump Installation in Seattle & Eastside
A heat pump is one system that heats the house in winter and cools it in summer. For most homes around here that is the whole appeal: the furnace is near the end of its life, there is no air conditioning, and replacing one machine solves both problems at once.
We install furnaces, heat pumps, ductless systems, boilers and geothermal. Because we are not tied to one product, we have no reason to recommend a heat pump to a house that would be better served by something else — and we will say so.
Ducted or Ductless?
If your house already has ductwork and a furnace, a ducted heat pump is the natural replacement. It uses the ducts you have, conditions the whole house from one outdoor unit, and behaves much like the system it replaced. This page covers that.
If there are no ducts — radiators, radiant floors, baseboard electric, or an addition that was never connected — a ductless heat pump is the answer instead. Plenty of homes end up with both: ducted for the main floors, a ductless head for a converted attic or a bonus room the ducts never reached properly.
Furnace or Heat Pump?
| A heat pump makes sense when | A furnace is the better value when |
|---|---|
| The house has no air conditioning and you want it | You have sound gas service and no interest in cooling |
| The furnace is past fifteen and due anyway | The existing furnace is under twelve and healthy |
| You are moving off oil | The electrical panel has no spare capacity and an upgrade is out of budget |
| You plan to stay long enough to see the running-cost savings | You are selling within a couple of years |
If the answer lands on the right-hand column, a straightforward furnace installation is the honest recommendation and we will make it.
What a Good Installation Buys
Right-sized equipment
Sized to the house, not copied from the old unit. Oversized systems short-cycle, which costs you comfort and lifespan.
Cooling included
One system, both seasons. For a house that has never had air conditioning, that is two problems solved for one installation.
Lower running cost
Heat pumps move heat rather than making it. Whether that is cheaper for you depends on your rates, and we will look at your bills rather than guess.
Ductwork checked first
Duct sizing, leakage and layout assessed before equipment is ordered — not discovered afterwards when a bedroom is still cold.
A one to two day changeout
Most straightforward replacements are done inside two days, with the house habitable throughout.
Warranty registered properly
A step that gets skipped more often than homeowners realise, and one that matters a great deal in year six.
Sizing Is Most of the Job
A surprising number of the systems we replace were oversized from the day they went in, usually because somebody matched the new unit to the old one instead of to the building.
WHAT SIZING ACTUALLY MEANS
Volume, insulation, window area and orientation, and how leaky the house is. Two similar-looking houses on the same street can genuinely need different equipment. Oversized kit blasts, satisfies the thermostat, shuts off and starts again — giving uneven temperatures, more noise, more wear and worse humidity control.
Your Ducts Decide the Outcome
Heat pumps move a larger volume of air at a lower temperature than a furnace does. Ductwork that was adequate for a furnace is not automatically adequate for a heat pump.
Before we quote, we look at duct sizing, leakage and layout. Sometimes the ducts are fine. Sometimes it is a modification at the plenum. Occasionally the duct system needs real work.
The outcome nobody wants: a new system, a large bill, and a back bedroom that is still cold. That is almost always ducts — and it is far cheaper to hear about it at the quoting stage than after installation.
What We Run Into Locally
Housing stock changes the job more than the equipment does. These are the patterns we see most often across the areas we serve.
Older Seattle housing stock
Smaller electrical panels, tight mechanical spaces, and duct runs added piecemeal over decades that are frequently undersized for the airflow a heat pump wants. Panel capacity is the first thing we check here. Where the ducts cannot carry it, ductless is often the better path than forcing a ducted system.
Bellevue, Kirkland and Redmond
Already forced-air and already ducted, which makes these the most straightforward changeouts we do. Original builder equipment from the 1990s and 2000s is reaching the end of its life, usually in houses that never had cooling — the strongest heat pump candidates on the Eastside.
Sammamish and Issaquah
Elevation and heavy tree cover change the load calculation more than people expect. Plateau housing built in one wave is hitting first-replacement age together, so we are often re-sizing homes whose original equipment was specified to a builder’s budget rather than to the building.
Mercer Island and the Points
Frequently hydronic — radiators or radiant floors, with no ductwork to work with. A ducted heat pump is not the route here. An air-to-water heat pump feeding the existing loop usually is, and it keeps the floors and radiators exactly as they are.
Woodinville, Bothell and Newcastle
Split-levels and hillside lots, where zoning and duct layout decide the design more than the equipment does. Getting the return air right matters more here than anywhere else. Our shop is in Woodinville, so scheduling and follow-up in these towns are quick.
How can we help you?
What the Work Involves
The old equipment comes out, the new outdoor unit and indoor coil or air handler go in, electrical and refrigerant connections are made, and ductwork is adapted where it needs to be. Then the system is commissioned — measured against specification rather than simply switched on. We pull the permits and handle inspection.
Dual Fuel: Keeping the Furnace as Backup
A dual-fuel system pairs a heat pump with a gas furnace. The heat pump handles the great majority of the year; the furnace takes over on the handful of nights cold enough that gas becomes the cheaper way to make heat.
It costs more than either system alone and suits a narrower set of houses — you need existing gas service and the extra equipment has to earn its place. For larger homes, or homeowners who want the efficiency without giving up a familiar backup, it works well. It rarely gets offered, so ask about it.
Do Heat Pumps Work in Our Winters?
Yes, and this region is one of the better ones for them. Heat pumps lose efficiency as it gets colder, which is a genuine limitation somewhere that spends February below zero. Puget Sound does not. Modern cold-climate units hold useful output well below anything we typically see here.
What decides whether you are comfortable in January is not the badge on the box. It is whether the unit was sized correctly and commissioned properly.
Permits and Rebates
Permits are issued by your city
Requirements differ between Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland and the smaller Eastside jurisdictions. We pull the permit and schedule inspection as part of the job.
Your utility decides your rebate
Whether you are served by Puget Sound Energy or Seattle City Light changes what is available, as does what you are converting from and your household income. The federal tax credit expired at the end of 2025, which makes the remaining local programmes more important rather than less. Current amounts are on our rebates page, and we work out what your address qualifies for as part of the estimate.
After the Install
Heat pumps want annual service, the same as any system, and the outdoor unit needs clearance kept around it. Between visits, changing the filter on time does more for performance than anything else you can do yourself. Our maintenance plan members get priority scheduling in the busy weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a heat pump last?
Fifteen to twenty years is typical with annual maintenance, much like a furnace. Our mild winters are kinder to equipment than most of the country, which helps.
Will my electricity bill go up?
Yes, and your gas bill should fall. Whether the net is cheaper depends on your rates and your house. Anyone who quotes a confident savings figure without looking at your bills is guessing.
Does the air feel different?
It does. A furnace blasts short bursts of hot air; a heat pump moves a larger volume of gentler air for longer. Same room temperature, but the air is not hot to the hand. Most people stop noticing within a fortnight.
Will I need an electrical panel upgrade?
Sometimes. Older homes with smaller panels may not have capacity for the new load. We check the panel before quoting so it is priced in from the start rather than appearing halfway through.
Can I keep my gas furnace as a backup?
Yes — that is a dual-fuel system, covered above. It suits larger homes and anyone who wants the efficiency without giving up a familiar backup.
What if my house has radiators instead of ducts?
Then a ducted heat pump is not the route. Start with boiler systems or an air-to-water heat pump, which produces hot water for your existing loop.
Licensed, Bonded and Insured
Each licence can be looked up individually on the Washington State L&I contractor register.
Get a Heat Pump Quote
Serving Seattle and the Greater Eastside since 1977. We will check the ducts, the panel and the sizing, tell you honestly whether a heat pump is the right answer for your house, and quote it properly.
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