Arlington’s newest houses, first replacements
Arlington has the newest housing of any town around Memphis: the median home was built in 2005, according to the Census Bureau. Many are on their builder-installed outdoor unit, and those are reaching about 20 summers.
Bluffline Memphis Heat Pumps replaces and installs heat pumps across Arlington, from Depot Square to Airline Road and the Highway 70 corridor.
What builder installs left behind
- Outdoor units under bedroom windows on narrow side yards.
- Pads set tight against the wall, closer than the maker would like.
- Shrubs planted at move-in that have grown into the coil.
- Dual fuel setups with the coil on a gas furnace.
A quieter bedroom
An outdoor unit a foot from the wall, under the main bedroom window, is heard every time the compressor starts, and on a narrow lot the sound bounces between two houses.
Moving the pad
Replacement is the cheapest moment to move the unit. A few feet along the wall toward the back of the house, with a short line set extension in a cover and the disconnect moved within sight of the unit, usually clears the window. The move goes on the estimate as its own line.
Quieter equipment
A variable speed heat pump spends most hours at low speed, which is much quieter than a single-stage unit starting at full power. A compressor sound blanket helps on any unit. Placement and noise covers clearances and sound in detail.
Shrubs, clearances and airflow
A heat pump pulls air through its coil from every side and blows it out the top. Each maker lists minimum clearances around the sides and above.
When a shrub grows into the coil, the unit runs hotter in summer and its coil frosts harder in winter, with more defrost cycles. Trimming back, moving the planting or moving the unit all work. The defrost guide explains what heavy frosting means.
Dual fuel from the builder
About 62 percent of Arlington homes heat with gas, and many builders paired the furnace with a heat pump rather than an AC. When that heat pump fails, the question is how much of the system to replace.
Outdoor unit only, or the coil too
- A recent coil that matches the new unit’s refrigerant and size can stay, and only the outdoor unit changes. Bluffline’s typical range for that is $4,500 to $9,000.
- An original coil changes too, so the pair is matched and rated.
We also check the furnace’s heat exchanger, flue and blower before pricing. The dual fuel page covers the whole system.
Re-setting the switchover
Builders often left the gas handoff at a default. With a new heat pump we set the switchover with you, based on comfort and MLGW’s current gas and power rates. The switchover guide works through it.
Builder sizing, checked again
Subdivision houses were often sized by rule of thumb, a ton for so many square feet, rather than by a room-by-room load calculation. Newer houses with better windows and insulation frequently ended up with more capacity than they need.
What oversizing costs you
- Short cycles that leave the house cool but damp in July.
- More wear on the compressor from frequent starts.
- More noise, since every start is a full-power start on a single-stage unit.
We run a load calculation for Shelby County’s 95-degree summer and 20-degree winter before choosing the new unit’s size. In a 2005 house the answer is often half a ton smaller than the builder’s unit. The sizing guide explains the method.
Pads, clay and drainage
Arlington’s newer lots sit on graded clay, and side yards often slope toward the house or hold water after a heavy rain. A builder pad that has settled or tilted puts the unit in a puddle.
What a good pad does
- Raises the unit a few inches so ice and defrost meltwater drain away.
- Stays level, so the compressor’s oil and the coil’s drainage work as designed.
- Sits on a compacted gravel base, which settles far less than bare clay.
Every replacement gets a level, raised pad, new or reset, as part of the job.
Permits in Arlington
Shelby County Construction Code Enforcement issues building permits and inspections for work in Arlington; the town handles development and public works inspection.
We pull the county permit and schedule the inspection. Install day follows the permit, so the county’s calendar, more than ours, sets the date.
Utility and rebate
Most of Shelby County is on MLGW, a TVA power company, and your bill confirms yours. On MLGW, TVA EnergyRight pays $500 for a qualifying heat pump at 15 SEER2 and $800 at 17 SEER2, installed by a participating contractor in TVA’s Quality Contractor Network.
What it costs in Arlington
An outdoor unit replacement with a pad move is the most common Arlington job. Bluffline’s typical ranges:
| Arlington job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| New outdoor unit, coil and furnace kept | $4,500 to $9,000 |
| Heat pump and coil on a furnace that stays | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| Both halves of an all-electric system | $8,000 to $16,000 |
Your written estimate after the visit sets the price. The cost guide explains what moves it.
Attic furnaces and air handlers
Many Arlington houses put the furnace or air handler in the attic. Those get a secondary pan and a float switch when we touch the indoor side, so summer condensate can’t reach the ceiling. Air handler replacement covers the indoor half.
Before the visit
Four things make the first visit faster:
- Photos of both nameplates, outdoor unit and furnace or air handler.
- Where the unit sits relative to bedroom windows.
- The thermostat model.
- Any rooms that run warm.
Nearby
We work across Arlington, from Depot Square and Chester Street to the newer neighborhoods off Airline Road.
Lakeland to the west has slightly older two-story homes, Collierville to the south runs its own codes office, and Bartlett has its own too. The Memphis heat pump buying guide covers the whole decision.
