If your heat pump is damaged and needs to be replaced, you'll need to think about how to proceed. If your heat pump hooks up to ducts, you'll need to decide if you want a new air handler. If the air handler is in good shape, you might keep it to use with the new heat pump.

If your heat pump uses wall blowers instead, decide if you'll replace the blowers too. It may not be necessary, but you'll need an HVAC contractor to help you decide. Here are some of the steps involved with a heat pump replacement.

Capture Refrigerant And Remove Old Equipment

The refrigerant will be drained and collected. It and the equipment that's removed will probably be recycled when possible. The entire condenser outside will be replaced, and the air handler or wall blowers will be removed too if needed. The contractor might even replace the ducts if necessary. When all the old equipment is out of the way, the new heat pump can be set up.

Choose A Location For The Heat Pump

Your new heat pump replacement may go in the same place as your old one was located. This is convenient if you'll be hooking up to old connections. However, you may want to think about whether the old location caused you any problems.

Since a heat pump sits outside and operates in the fall and winter, falling leaves and snow can block the heat pump and cause problems with home heating. If that's happened to you, talk to the contractor about an elevated way to set up the heat pump. It might be mounted on the wall or a tall stand so it will be above the snow.

Assemble The Parts

The refrigerant lines need to be connected from the heat pump to the air handler or blowers. The drain is connected and the electrical wiring is passed through a conduit to the blowers, thermostat, or air handler. A heat pump replacement should go fairly fast if you're not replacing the air handler or blowers too.

However, you may want to replace the rest of the system so everything is new and the risk of a breakdown is lower for a few years. If so, the air handler may need a new evaporator coil and blower parts. If you have blowers, you may want to replace the entire units. In addition, this would be a good time to replace your thermostat so you can have a modern unit that does more to help control your energy bills.

Contact a professional to learn more about heat pump replacement. 

Share