4-ton heat pump retrofit — 1972 Ballard rancher

Case study · Retrofit

4-ton heat pump retrofit — 1972 Ballard rancher.

1972 Ballard rancher, ~1,840 sq ft, originally heated with a builder-grade gas furnace and a 1990s replacement AC. Homeowner wanted off gas and asked us specifically if heat pumps work in Seattle. They do. They also handled the PSE rebate paperwork and the federal tax-credit documentation for them.

Before / after

What changed in the conditioned space.

Indoor temperature reading at the thermostat probe, taken at the same room location before the install crew arrived and at the post-commissioning walk-through.

Before

58°F

After

71°F

Equipment used

Exact model numbers. Nothing generic.

Every piece of equipment that landed on this job, with the spec line. We publish the model numbers so you can shop them against another bid and confirm you're comparing apples to apples.

TraneXV20i Variable-Speed Heat Pump4-ton, 19.5 SEER2, 10.0 HSPF2, communicating inverter
TraneS9V2-VS Variable-Speed Air HandlerECM blower, sealed condensate pan, MERV-13 capable
HoneywellT10 Pro Smart ThermostatOptimization-mode, geofencing, remote sensor
Aprilaire600 HumidifierBypass-mount, 18 gal/day capacity

Install timeline

Day-by-day, hour-by-hour on this job.

We publish the timeline so the homeowner can plan their week, the inspector knows when to show up, and any future homeowner reading this knows what to expect on a similar project.

  1. Day 1 — Morning

    Existing 80% AFUE gas furnace and 13-SEER condenser decommissioned. Gas line capped (no permit needed — line stays for fireplace).

  2. Day 1 — Afternoon

    Ductwork pressure-tested at 25 Pa; leakage measured at 8% of system flow. Two return runs added in the upstairs hall.

  3. Day 2 — Morning

    Outdoor unit set on pre-poured composite pad. Line-set run through wall chase (new 7/8" + 3/8" copper).

  4. Day 2 — Afternoon

    Air handler set, refrigerant line connections brazed and pressure-tested at 500 psi nitrogen. Triple evacuation to 250 microns.

  5. Day 3 — Morning

    Power-up, refrigerant weighed in (TXV system), commissioning checklist run. Static pressure measured at 0.32" WC — well inside spec.

  6. Day 3 — Afternoon

    Customer walk-through, thermostat schedule programmed, PSE rebate paperwork filed in-house.

Warranty on this job

What the homeowner walked away with.

10 years parts (manufacturer-registered) on the heat pump and air handler. 5 years labor under the Trane XV20i premium-tier labor warranty. 2 years on ductwork modifications. Lifetime on the wall-chase penetrations.

From the neighborhood

Real calls. Real receipts.

Five-star average across 400+ Google reviews. We’re happy to email full reviews—or just call the neighbor whose house has our yard sign and ask.

★★★★★
Furnace died at 6am with two toddlers in the house. Mike was on the curb in 22 minutes, had the ignitor in his truck, and we had heat by 7:30. Charged exactly what he quoted.
★★★★★
Got three bids on a heat pump. NorthPeak was the only crew who measured our ductwork before quoting and who told us the Energy Trust rebate would cover $1,800 of it. They were right.
★★★★★
AC stopped cooling during the August heat dome. Same-day call, capacitor swap, $284 flat. The tech wore booties in the house and actually answered my question about MERV ratings.

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Call dispatch and ask for the retrofit team — we'll send the same lead tech who ran the Seattle · Ballard job out for a free written estimate.

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