So, you have a home or business in Maine, and you’re in search of an efficient heating and cooling solution? The best place to start is to contact Valley Home Services for a free heat pump estimate and installation consultation.

Our consultants will listen and discuss your options with you to help you to make the most informed decision. We treat your home like it is our own. Our technicians focus on keeping your home tidy from the moment we walk through your door. It all starts with a free consultation and estimate.

Call us at (207) 945-9008 to schedule your heat pump estimate today! We will gather information about your needs, answer any initial questions for you and schedule a free, in-home consultation.

heat pump technician

What to expect during our free in-home heat pump consultation:

Whether you already know exactly what you want or you are in search of more help to come to a decision, we will discuss the considerations with you for the best system configuration and placement to fit your needs.

We take pictures of where you would like your inside and outside units to go, where the lineset between them will be placed, your electrical panel(s), as well as how the unit will connect to the electrical panel. This work is done at the consultation so that there are as few surprises as possible, allowing us to come fully prepared to each installation. You have options, and the look of your home is always a key consideration that we want to understand from you. Please share your needs and preferences with us!

Your consultant will take notes and provide you with one or more estimates for an installation to fulfill your needs, often even before we leave. We can send an emailed or a snail mail copy of your quote as well, just ask.

Each estimate or quote is honored for 30 days from the day of the quote, providing you with time to make a decision. In some cases, like new construction or remodeling, we can answer further questions over the phone or provide a follow-up in-home consult, still at no charge.

Before your consultant can advise on your best options, they want to understand what you need and what you want. We want to…

Identify your goals

The most common goals being cost savings, comfort, reduced environmental impact, convenience, and aesthetics.

Identify your Needs

Consultants aim to understand how you will use your heat pump. Questions to answer include:

  • Will your heat pump be used for heating, cooling or both?
  • Will it be a supplemental source or the main source of heating/cooling?
  • What are your heating and cooling priorities?
  • Upstairs only or maybe a bedroom first? A single room or addition? A heat source for your garage renovation? Maybe you are focused on your main living area?
  • What is your budget today?

What is your consultant looking for in order to advise you on your best heat pump options?

Centralized Locations

Centralized locations for your heat pump that can allow for the most air circulation to the largest space, prioritizing the areas that you use most.

Wall Space

Wall space! Wall-mounted units are the most efficient, which is why they are the most common. Some homes may only have space closer to the floor on the walls, though, which could mean that your best option is to switch to a floor unit.

  • Outdoor walls are often your best friend for a simplified connection for your indoor to outdoor unit.

Zones

How many zones? If you already have heating or cooling sources in certain rooms or “zones,” putting a heat pump directly next to them or your thermostat is often not your best bet for allowing systems to work together. Overlapping your home’s zones can work well, but we want to ensure that your systems work together and do not either duplicate efforts or, even worse, work against each other.

Outside Your Home

Outside your home, we explore discreet placement for your outdoor compressor, preferably not in the front of your home. Your consultant will be looking to identify…

  • Clear areas for your unit. If the intake area directly in front of the outdoor unit is blocked, your compressor won’t be able to draw enough air to do its work as efficiently as possible.
  • If you have limited outdoor space, we sometimes recommend a multi-zone setup, which can connect up to 4 indoor units to the outdoor compressor. These are more expensive than single-zone setups both in initial cost and on-going maintenance costs and efficiency. Our consultants can advise on all the pros and cons when considering a multi-zone setup.
  • Less-trafficked areas. Here in Maine, your heat pump will defrost itself automatically, but if your unit is installed beside your door or walkway, that could mean you’ll need ice skates to get by on those cold snaps! Correct placement means you’ll never notice the little bit of water/ice!
  • Which type of mount will work best? Standard wall mount, inverted (foundation) wall mount, and free-standing mount are your options. Each option has considerations, which can be unique to each home. The wall mount is our standard option and included with your heat pump.
  • Slimduct color and placement. Even if your home can hide or store the lineset for your heat pump inside the wall, some slimduct will be needed to cover the areas outdoors where the lineset will be exposed.
  • Other “obstacles.” A propane tank is the most common “obstacle” that we find for Maine homes. Code requires that your heat pump be 10 feet of away from a propane tank.

Your Electrical Panel

We work with our own electricians, so we set them up for success when trying to answer, “How will we get electricity to your heat pump?” We also want to ensure the most aesthetically pleasing result without any visible wires, but we can use conduit when necessary or appropriate.

  • Is your panel full? Don’t worry! Our electricians can either consolidate breakers for you for free or add a sub panel for a small charge!

Centralized Locations

Wall Space

Zones

Outside Your Home

Your Electrical Panel

During your installation we need you for these important things:

1

To get final authorization of the positioning of your inside and outside units and the lineset between them.

2

To provide you with heat pump education as well as instructions on how to operate your remote control.*

*We want you to be informed, but this is also a requirement to obtain your rebate!

3

To obtain signatures for any financing or rebates, to provide the owner’s manual and other important paperwork, and to receive payment.

Schedule your heat pump installation appointment Today!