Heat Pump Installation in Centennial

In Homestead, Walnut Hills, Willow Creek and Southglenn, we often find a 15- to 25-year-old AC sitting next to a furnace with plenty of life left. Replacing that AC with a heat pump and adding a dual-fuel thermostat gives you efficient heat for most of the season, with the furnace covering the cold nights. The indoor coil has to sit on the furnace's discharge side, and the controls need to keep the compressor off whenever the burner runs.

If the furnace is also near the end, you can choose between a new furnace plus heat pump or an all-electric air handler with backup strips. All-electric works best in tighter homes and usually needs more panel capacity. Our dual-fuel guide compares both.

Heat pumps deliver air at a lower temperature than a gas furnace, so they need good airflow. Two-story and tri-level plans in Piney Creek or Cherry Knolls often have undersized returns or ducts that leak into attics or garage walls. We measure static pressure and, where needed, add a return or seal the worst leaks before installing equipment.

Many homes from this era have 100- or 150-amp panels. A heat pump outdoor unit needs its own 240-volt circuit. Backup strips need another large one. We check panel capacity at the estimate, and HomeGuide's national range for a 100-to-200-amp upgrade is $1,300–$1,600, a market figure rather than our price.

Centennial sits at about 5,720 feet. We size from a Manual J at Arapahoe County's design temperature of about 4°F, adjust for altitude and select equipment by its published 5°F capacity. Running costs deserve an honest note: at current Colorado prices, a 95% gas furnace is generally cheaper per unit of heat. The heat pump's value is replacing the AC, reducing gas use and covering mild days efficiently.

For budgeting, Power Ahead Colorado's regional cost summary puts a whole-home cold-climate system at about $12,000–$16,000 for 2 tons and $18,000–$24,000 for 3 tons before incentives, excluding panel and duct work. Adding a heat pump to a working furnace generally costs less. Fixr's national range for that is $2,500–$8,000. These are market ranges, not our quotes. Your free estimate will be specific to your house.

Centennial's Building Division treats like-for-like furnace and AC replacements as One-Stop permits. A heat pump that replaces an AC, or an air handler that replaces a furnace, may be classified differently, so we confirm with the city before filing. We pull the permit, coordinate any electrical work and schedule the inspection.