Short answer
Installing a heat pump in New Orleans usually means replacing the outdoor AC unit with a heat pump, matching the indoor coil or air handler, and setting the thermostat up for heat pump control. Most homes keep their existing ducts if they are sound. Sizing is done for cooling and moisture first, since our summers set the load, with backup strips or a gas furnace for the coldest mornings.
Why heat pumps suit New Orleans
Here the cooling season sets the size of the system, and winter is short. A heat pump uses the same refrigerant circuit for both, reversing in winter to pull heat from outdoor air. On a mild January day that heat costs far less than running electric strips, which many local air handlers still use as their only heat.
The trade-off shows on rare hard freezes, when output drops and backup heat carries more of the load. Properly sized strips, or an existing gas furnace in a dual-fuel setup, cover those nights. We install Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem and Daikin heat pumps.
Heat pump, AC with strips, or dual fuel
| Heat pump | AC with electric strips | Dual fuel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter heating cost | Low on most days | High | Low; gas on cold days |
| Cold-snap backup | Strips or furnace | Strips only | Gas furnace |
| Needs gas service | No | No | Yes |
| Best for | Most all-electric homes | Lowest up-front cost | Homes with a sound gas furnace |
What a heat pump install costs
- Size and efficiency. Capacity and SEER2 and HSPF2 ratings set the equipment price.
- Single-stage or variable-speed. Variable-speed units cost more and handle humidity better.
- Indoor match. A new coil or air handler may be needed to match the outdoor unit.
- Electrical. Breaker, disconnect and wiring must suit the new unit.
- Backup heat. New strips or a dual-fuel control add parts.
Planning range: about $3,800 to $8,200 for the unit installed, or $5,200 to $13,800 with new ductwork (source: homeadvisor.com). It is a market range, not our price; we quote after we see the system.
What a heat pump install includes
- Load calculation and sizing
- Matched outdoor unit and indoor coil or air handler
- Anchored pad or raised stand
- New or flushed line set, pressure tested
- Deep vacuum and charge by weight
- Thermostat set for heat pump and backup heat
- Start-up readings in cooling and heating
Replacing electric strip heat with a heat pump
Many homes here heat with an AC plus electric strips in the air handler, which works but costs a lot on cold days because strips turn electricity straight into heat. Swapping the outdoor AC for a heat pump, matched to the indoor coil or air handler, keeps the strips as backup and lets the heat pump do most of the heating. The ductwork usually stays. We check that the air handler and its controls suit heat pump operation and set the thermostat so the strips come on only when they are actually needed.
Dual fuel: a heat pump paired with a gas furnace
If the house already has a gas furnace, a dual-fuel setup pairs it with a heat pump in place of the outdoor AC. The heat pump handles cooling and most of the heating; the furnace takes over below a changeover temperature set at the thermostat or control board. It suits homes with good gas service and a furnace that still has years left. We match the coil to both pieces of equipment, set the changeover point for local winters, and make sure the furnace and heat pump never run against each other.
Sizing a heat pump for humid summers
A heat pump sized for winter alone, or simply matched to the old unit's label, is often too big for our summers. An oversized unit cools the house fast, then shuts off before it has pulled moisture out, leaving rooms cold and clammy. We size from a load calculation that weighs windows, insulation and orientation, and we look at variable-speed and two-stage models that can run longer at low speed in humid weather. Where moisture loads are high, we may pair it with a whole-house dehumidifier.
Heat pumps, rebates and our winters
Winters here bring only a handful of freezing days in most years, which is the kind of climate heat pumps handle best. In New Orleans, Entergy's Energy Smart program has offered up to $500 back on qualifying ENERGY STAR heat pumps, though some upgrades must be done by a participating trade ally, so check the current terms. Across the lake the math changes: Tammany Electric customers in St. Tammany Parish have no heat pump rebate program.
How a heat pump install runs
- Load calculationRoom by room, so the size fits our summers.
- Choose the equipmentOutdoor unit, indoor match and backup heat.
- Remove the old systemRefrigerant recovered, old equipment hauled off.
- Install and connectStand, line set, coil or air handler and wiring.
- Start up and set controlsCharged by weight and tested in both modes.