<p>We need to replace our 17 year old heat pump. Just got a quote for $8000. Ouch. Has anyone replaced theirs recently? What did it cost?</p>
<p>We have one (12 years old). I had no idea they could cost that much.</p>
<p>Where did you find that bidder? The Yellow Pages? That number seems high, very high unless there is something peculiar about your set up. Get another bid or three. Get a sense of how much you are being charged for labor. Switching out a heat pump unit should be a fairly simple matter, less labor than a typical repair call. Price out the unit being spec’d at a supply house. Ask at the supply house if there is a different unit they would recommend and price that out. Ask at the supply house if they can recommend an installer or two or three then call those installers for bids.</p>
<p>We have two acres and no outside access to the vegetable garden where the heat pump is right outside our bedroom window, so they need a crane to lift the new unit in over our fence and remove the old one. They will also cut another return in another part of the house for better air flow (I had no idea there was a name for that vent in the ceiling). It’s a reputable company with excellent warranties for customer satisfaction and service. The price he quoted includes a $400 rebate from the electric utility.</p>
<p>Craning the unit in over the house and adding duct work in an existing house.</p>
<p>That would be a bit different than standard I guess. They can’t get it in with an appliance dolly? How big is this unit?</p>
<p>For reference, 17 years ago, new construction pricing for an HVAC system iincluding two heat pumps, two air handlers, two thermostats, all duct work and all piping for a 2500 sq ft colonial was 6-7K.</p>
<p>It’s a 3-1/2 ton unit. The manufacturer is Goodman.</p>
<p>The heat pump is on the south side of the house. There is a solid wood fence-- no gate or other opening— on the west boundary of the vegetable garden where the heat pump is. The opening to the garden is on the opposite side, and it’s a standard width entrance, maybe 5 feet wide.</p>
<p>The only opening to our 2 acre backyard is a standard gate along the fence of the north side of the house. That’s the one used by the guy who delivers propane, painters, workmen, etc.</p>
<p>I think I will get another estimate though.</p>
<p>Did that estimate include the inside unit also? We replaced our outside unit about 4 years ago and it was about $2000. The est for both units was $6000.
Have you thought about cutting a gate in the fence? Might be cheaper than renting a crane.</p>
<p>We have a dual system, one for upstairs and one for downstairs. We had to replace our heat pump downstairs back in September. It did run about $4,000 (only for downstairs).</p>
<p>Our house is a ranch-- no upper floor. There is no inside unit, just the outside one. </p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses.</p>
<p>Down here, when contractors have to work with a wodden fence problem, they just knock down a section, and they put it back up. Pool builders do this all the time. Seems to me that this would save you a lot of money.</p>
<p>Kinshasa, I have direct experience in this field through my work. Noting that you are in CA (as I am) the quote is not unreasonable. However, I would get one more estimate and please make sure that whoever you use has a VALID CA contractors license. They should give you the license number and you can verify it on this website… </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cslb.ca.gov%5B/url%5D”>www.cslb.ca.gov</a>. Go to the right side of the page and there is a button marked “license status check”. You click there and then put in the number and you will see whether the license is current and active. </p>
<p>This is a way for you to know that their insurance, etc. is in place.</p>
<p>Thanks, ebeeeee. Ejr1, even if the fence was knocked down, there is no sidewalk or smooth path for a dolly.</p>
<p>LOL, from the thread title, I thought this was one of those perimenopausal discussions.</p>
<p>Carry on…</p>