# Heat pump air handler replacement in Memphis

> Attic or closet air handler leaking or rusting? We replace heat pump air handlers in Memphis with a matched unit, right-sized strips and a sound pan.

URL: https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/heat-pump-air-handler-replacement/

Service

The indoor half decides airflow, drainage and backup heat. We replace it with a matched unit and keep a sound outdoor unit.

(901) 657-2200

Last Updated: November 12, 2026

1 visit

before a written estimate with load numbers, model numbers and price

95° / 20°

Shelby County design temperatures we size for

In writing

start-up readings for charge, airflow and backup heat

## The indoor half is the part you hear about last

The air handler is the indoor half of a heat pump: the blower, the indoor coil, the backup strips and the drain pan.

It sits in a closet, the attic, a garage or a crawlspace, and it tends to fail quietly until water shows up on a ceiling. [Bluffline Memphis Heat Pumps](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/) replaces air handlers across Memphis and the towns around it, and we check the outdoor unit before we price anything.

### Signs the air handler is the problem

- **Water stains** on a ceiling below an attic unit, or a wet closet floor.
- **A musty smell** when the system starts, from a wet pan or coil.
- **Weak airflow** at every register with a clean filter.
- **A loud or grinding blower**, or one that won’t start.
- **A coil that leaks refrigerant**, so the system needs topping up every summer.

## Keep the outdoor unit or replace both?

The answer depends on the outdoor unit’s age and refrigerant. Both halves are rated as a matched pair, so the new air handler has to be one the outdoor unit’s maker lists for it.

- **Outdoor unit under about 10 years, on R-410A or a newer refrigerant:** replace the air handler alone. Bluffline’s typical range for an air handler only is $2,000 to $4,500.
- **Outdoor unit older, failing, or on R-22:** replace the whole system. Bluffline’s typical range for that is $8,000 to $16,000.

Your written estimate after the visit sets the price. When the outdoor unit is also near the end, see [heat pump replacement](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/heat-pump-replacement/).

## Strip heat sized for the house

Most heat pump air handlers carry electric strips for backup. They run on the coldest mornings and during defrost. The right size depends on the house’s heat loss at Shelby County’s 20-degree design temperature and on what the heat pump delivers there.

### Too big, too small

- **Too big:** a 15 kW kit draws far more power than the house needs and can push the panel toward an upgrade.
- **Too small:** the house drifts below the setpoint on a 20-degree morning.

Many Memphis houses land between 5 and 10 kW. The thermostat’s lockout keeps them off above about 30 to 35 degrees. [Aux and emergency heat](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/auxiliary-emergency-heat/) explains how staging works.

## Attic air handlers and water

Memphis summers put a lot of water through an air handler. On a humid afternoon a 3-ton system can pull several gallons out of the air, and all of it has to drain.

In an attic, that water sits above a ceiling. So every attic air handler we install gets:

- **A secondary pan** under the unit, on a level platform.
- **A float switch** that shuts the system off if water reaches the pan.
- **A drain line pitched to the outside** or to a drain, with a cleanout.

We test the float switch by filling the pan until the system stops. The [humidity guide](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/heat-pump-humidity-control/) explains why so much water comes out of Memphis air.

## Closets, garages and crawlspaces

Each location changes the job:

- **Hall closets:** quick to service. The cabinet has to fit the closet depth with room for the return and the door.
- **Garages:** the unit stands on a raised stand, and the return can’t draw air from the garage itself.
- **Crawlspaces:** low clearance and damp air. The cabinet sits on a pad above the vapor barrier, and the connections need sealing so the blower doesn’t pull crawlspace air. [Crawl space ductwork](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/crawl-space-ductwork-heat-pump/) covers the details.

### Getting it in and out

Attic hatches can be as small as 22 by 30 inches. Most air handlers fit through in their shipping orientation, and the old one comes out in sections. We measure the hatch, the path and the platform on the visit.

## Airflow and the blower

The blower decides how much air the system moves and how well it dries the house. Many new air handlers have variable speed or multi-speed blowers, which can run slower for better moisture removal.

On start-up we set the blower to the maker’s airflow for the heat pump’s size and check static pressure. If the ducts are restricting it, the estimate says so. [Heat pump ductwork](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/heat-pump-ductwork/) explains the fixes.

## What the replacement day looks like

Most air handler replacements take one day.

1. Pull the mechanical permit for your town.
2. Pump the refrigerant down into the outdoor unit, or recover it.
3. Remove the old air handler and set the new platform, pan and float switch.
4. Set the matched air handler and connect the plenum and return, sealed.
5. Braze the refrigerant lines under nitrogen, pressure-test and evacuate below 500 microns.
6. Re-pitch the condensate line with a cleanout.
7. Set airflow, test cooling, heating, the strips and the float switch, and leave the readings with you.

The [commissioning checklist](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/heat-pump-commissioning-checklist/) lists what each reading should be.

## Upgrading while the indoor half is open

Replacing the air handler is the cheapest moment to change a few things that are hard to reach later:

- **A variable speed blower**, which runs slower and longer for better moisture removal. Paired with a [variable speed heat pump](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/variable-speed-heat-pump/) it does the most good, but even with a single-stage outdoor unit it can help a damp house.
- **A larger return connection**, when the static pressure reading says the old one was choking the blower.
- **A better filter rack**, sized so a deeper filter doesn’t add restriction.
- **Smaller strips**, when the old unit carried a 15 kW kit from its days as an [electric furnace](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/electric-furnace-to-heat-pump/).

### What stays the same

The thermostat often stays, as long as it is a heat pump model with an outdoor sensor or room for one. The ducts stay unless the static test says otherwise, and the outdoor unit keeps running as it did.

## Rebates and the indoor half

TVA EnergyRight’s heat pump rebate is tied to the system’s rated efficiency, which depends on the matched pair. Replacing only the air handler doesn’t usually qualify on its own. TVA does pay $300 for qualifying duct sealing and insulation. The [cost page](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/heat-pump-installation-cost/) covers every range.

## What's included

- Outdoor unit and refrigerant check before quoting
- Matched air handler with the right strip kit
- New platform or stand where needed
- Secondary pan and float switch in attics
- Condensate line re-pitched with a cleanout
- Plenum and return connections sealed
- Old air handler hauled away
- Start-up readings in writing

## Air handler only or the whole system

|  | Air handler only | Whole system |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Outdoor unit | Kept | Replaced |
| Fits when | Outdoor unit under about 10 years, current refrigerant | Outdoor unit old or R-22 |
| Typical range | $2,000 to $4,500 | $8,000 to $16,000 |
| Usual time | One day | One or two days |

## An attic air handler in Cordova that leaked through the ceiling

A 1997 two-story in Cordova has a brown stain spreading on an upstairs bedroom ceiling. The attic air handler's pan has rusted through and there is no float switch. The outdoor unit, from 2016, is sound.

Where

Cordova, Memphis

The house

1997 two-story, attic air handler over the bedrooms

Price

$3,600

Time on site

1 day

1. Keep the good half The 2016 outdoor unit runs on R-410A and its maker still builds a matched air handler, so only the indoor half changes.
2. Through a small hatch The hatch is 22 by 30 inches. The old unit comes out in sections and the new one goes up in its shipping orientation, starting at 7 a.m. before the attic heats up.
3. Two lines of defense A new galvanized pan on a raised platform sits under the unit, with a float switch that shuts the system off if water reaches it.
4. Test with water We fill the pan until the float trips and confirm the system stops, then re-pitch the drain line with a cleanout.

## Related resources

- [Learn**What is the difference between auxiliary heat and emergency heat?** Two settings that both turn on the strips, why one is automatic and the other is a last resort, and how to keep the bill in check.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/auxiliary-emergency-heat/)
- [Learn**Does a heat pump remove humidity from a Memphis house?** Why 72 degrees can still feel clammy, where the water goes, and the four things that decide how dry a heat pump keeps the house.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/heat-pump-humidity-control/)
- [Learn**What belongs on a heat pump installation checklist?** The tests during installation and the readings at start-up that separate a heat pump that reaches its rating from one that never will.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/heat-pump-commissioning-checklist/)
- [Learn**How do crawl space ducts affect a heat pump in Memphis?** Humid air under the floor, cold ducts, failed tape and small returns, and what to fix before a new heat pump goes on them.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/crawl-space-ductwork-heat-pump/)
- [Decision Guide**How do you buy the right heat pump for a Memphis house?** The whole decision in the order you meet it, from the system you have now to the readings you should get at start-up.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/memphis-heat-pump-buying-guide/)

## How a job runs

### Call or send the form

Tell us what heats and cools the house now and what's going wrong.

### One visit

We look at the equipment, ducts, panel and the spot outside and run the load numbers.

### Written estimate

Load figures, matched model numbers, scope and price on one page.

### Install and start-up

Permit pulled, system set, line set tested, and the start-up readings handed to you.

## Air handlers: questions

### Can I replace only the air handler and keep my outdoor unit?

Yes, when the outdoor unit is fairly new, runs on a current refrigerant and its maker lists a matched air handler. If the outdoor unit is old or on R-22, replacing only the inside half rarely makes sense.

### Why is water coming through my ceiling under the attic air handler?

Usually a rusted primary pan, a clogged drain line or a missing secondary pan. A float switch on a secondary pan shuts the system off before water reaches the ceiling, and every attic unit we install gets one.

### What size strip heater does my air handler need?

It depends on the house's heat loss at 20 degrees and the heat pump's output there. Many Memphis houses need 5 to 10 kW. Too big wastes panel capacity; too small leaves the house cool on the coldest mornings.

### Will a new air handler fit through my attic hatch?

Most fit through a standard hatch in their shipping orientation, and the old one can come out in sections. We measure the hatch and the path on the visit before choosing the cabinet.

### Should an air handler be in the attic or a closet?

A closet or conditioned space is better for efficiency and service. Attics are common in Memphis houses, and when the unit stays there we add a secondary pan, a float switch and sealed, insulated connections.

## Related services

- [Service**Heat pump replacement** Your heat pump is near the end and you want the next one to last. We size it from the house and match both halves.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/heat-pump-replacement/)
- [Service**Duct work** A heat pump can only move the air the ducts let through. We measure first, then fix returns, seams and crushed runs.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/heat-pump-ductwork/)
- [Service**Electric furnace to heat pump** Strip heat makes the biggest winter bills in Memphis. A heat pump moves heat instead of making it and keeps strips for the coldest hours.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/electric-furnace-to-heat-pump/)

## Get an estimate for air handlers

Tell us what heats and cools the house now, what's going wrong and roughly where the house is. Photos of the outdoor unit and its nameplate help.

(901) 657-2200