Mercer Island Dual Heat Pump Replacement Case Study
How two 17-year-old Carrier systems became a coordinated, rebatesupported replacement
Numbers and budget signals at a glance
The extracted dollar figures are shown as a quick comparison so readers can understand range, rebates, and budget impact at a glance.
Case Snapshot
The essential facts at a glance
1 8,110-square-foot, two-story home built in 2009
2 Two original Carrier heat pumps, both 17 years old
3 One system stopped producing heat; the second was unreliable
4 Final result: two Resolute by Trane inverter systems
cue
/ rebate scale $1,900 $40,292
The Starting Point
One system stopped producing heat in a large home with two HVAC zones
1 Christopher and his partner had just bought the home and faced their first winter with failing HVAC equipment.
2 The home needed two systems because its size and layout were divided into separate zones.
3 The immediate concern was no reliable heat; the longer-term concern was replacing equipment that had been neglected.
4 The homeowners wanted a solution they would not have to revisit soon after moving in.
What the Technician Found
Age, neglect, and component failures made replacement more sensible than another patch
1 Both Carrier systems were original to the 2009 construction and had reached 17 years of service.
2 Eli found aged equipment that had not received the regular maintenance needed to keep internal components reliable.
3 The problem was not an undersized home or an installation defect; it was aging systems and failed components.
4 Replacing both zones together allowed the home to return to stable, coordinated heating and cooling.
The Decision
The options were matched to the home, not forced into one package
1 The estimates separated the upstairs and downstairs scopes before presenting combined replacement tiers.
2 The homeowners selected a coordinated replacement of both systems rather than replacing only the failed zone.
3 The plan preserved correct zoning while upgrading both systems to inverter-driven equipment.
4 The rebate structure helped reduce the cost of the complete project.
What Was Installed
Equipment, scope, and warranty details
1 Downstairs: 4–5 ton Resolute by Trane inverter heat pump and matching variable-speed air handler.
2 Upstairs: 2–3 ton Resolute by Trane inverter heat pump and matching variable-speed air handler.
3 Four HVAC technicians and two electricians completed both systems in one coordinated day.
4 Permits were signed off the following morning.
Timeline and Execution
How the project moved from first contact to completion
1 Call and first visit: December 30, 2025
2 Project completion: January 8, 2026
3 Both systems were commissioned and running before the crew left.
4 The homeowner received a complete dual-zone replacement without a second disruptive project later.
The final number and what changed it
1 Base price before rebates: $42,192.49
2 PSE hybrid heating rebate: $1,500
3 PSE Midstream rebate: $400
4 Total rebates: $1,900
Outcome
What the homeowner received at the end of the project
1 Reliable heat was restored across both zones of the large Mercer Island home.
2 Inverter equipment provides quieter, more controlled operation than the aging systems.
3 The homeowners avoided piecemeal replacement of two systems with different ages and conditions.
4 The project was completed before the family had to spend another winter depending on failing equipment.