Larger houses, one system per floor
Collierville’s houses are newer and larger than most around Memphis: the median was built in 1998, according to the Census Bureau, and many are two-story homes with a separate system for each floor.
Bluffline Memphis Heat Pumps installs heat pumps across Collierville, from the Town Square out to Schilling Farms and Houston Levee Road.
What a two-system house needs
- The upstairs system is usually the problem: warm, damp bedrooms under a hot roof.
- The downstairs system often runs fine and may be newer.
- Each one should be sized for its own floor, not the whole house.
When upstairs feels clammy
An upstairs at 72 degrees and 60 percent humidity feels sticky. The usual cause is a single-stage system that is bigger than the floor needs. It cools the air quickly, satisfies the thermostat and shuts off before much water has condensed on the coil.
The fix that works
A load calculation for the upper floor alone, then a correctly sized variable speed heat pump. Variable speed runs long and slow at low capacity, which keeps the coil cold longer and pulls more water out. At start-up we set the dehumidify mode and the airflow.
The humidity guide explains the physics in plain terms.
Replace one system, not two
Replacing both systems at once only makes sense when both are failing. Where the downstairs unit is recent and working, we leave it alone and replace the upstairs one.
What we check on each
- Age and refrigerant, from the nameplates.
- Static pressure, since upstairs attic ducts are often the restriction.
- Matched pairs, so whichever system stays is still rated correctly.
One system for two floors
Not every Collierville two-story has two systems. Where one system serves both floors, the gap between them is built in: heat rises, the upstairs ducts run through a hot attic, and the only return may sit at the foot of the stairs.
What closes the gap
- A return upstairs, so air from the bedrooms can get back to the air handler.
- Balancing dampers on the supply trunk, set so more air reaches the upper floor in summer.
- Sealed, insulated attic runs, so the cooling gets to the bedrooms instead of the attic.
- A variable speed system that runs long enough for the far rooms to catch up.
Zoning with motorized dampers and two thermostats is another option where the ducts allow it. It costs more and needs a system that can run at reduced capacity, so we price it only where the duct layout suits it.
Bonus rooms over the garage
Many Collierville houses have a bonus room over the garage, at the end of the longest duct run, over an unheated space and under a hot roof. It is usually the hardest room in the house to keep comfortable. A dedicated larger supply run and its own return often help more than any equipment change.
Gas houses and dual fuel
About 61 percent of Collierville homes heat with MLGW gas. On a sound furnace, dual fuel adds a heat pump where the AC was and keeps gas for the coldest nights.
The furnace check
Before we price dual fuel, we inspect the heat exchanger, the flue and the blower and take a combustion reading. A blower that can’t move about 400 cubic feet per minute per ton at a usable speed changes the plan.
Two outdoor units on one pad
Two-system houses usually put both outdoor units side by side. Each maker lists the clearance needed between units and from walls, so one unit doesn’t breathe the other’s warm discharge air.
When we set a new unit beside an old one, we check those clearances, level the pad and keep the line sets and disconnects separate and labeled. Placement and noise covers clearances, and a variable speed unit’s low-speed hours help on narrow side yards near a neighbor’s window.
Permits through Collierville
Collierville runs its own Building and Codes Division, so heat pump permits and inspections go through the town rather than the joint Memphis and Shelby County office.
We pull the permit through the town and schedule the inspection. Install day follows the permit.
What it costs in Collierville
Upstairs-only variable speed replacements sit in the upper part of the whole-system range. Bluffline’s typical ranges for Collierville jobs:
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| One floor’s system, both halves | $8,000 to $16,000 |
| Heat pump on a furnace that stays | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| Indoor air handler alone | $2,000 to $4,500 |
| Attic duct and return work with an install | $800 to $3,500 |
Your written estimate after the visit sets the price. The cost guide explains what moves it.
TVA on MLGW
Collierville is on MLGW, a TVA power company, so TVA EnergyRight applies: $500 for a qualifying heat pump at 15 SEER2 and $800 at 17 SEER2, through a participating contractor in TVA’s Quality Contractor Network. Most variable speed models clear the higher tier. SEER2 and HSPF2 explained covers the ratings.
Attic air handlers upstairs
The upstairs air handler in a Collierville two-story usually sits in the attic, above the bedrooms. That puts gallons of summer condensate over a ceiling.
What every attic unit gets
- A secondary pan under the unit.
- A float switch that shuts the system off before the pan overflows.
- A drain line with a cleanout.
If only the attic unit is failing, air handler replacement covers the indoor half alone.
Before we come out
These save time on the visit:
- Nameplate photos for both outdoor units and both indoor units.
- Which floor has the problem, and when.
- The thermostat models.
- Twelve months of MLGW usage.
Nearby
We work across Collierville, from the Town Square and W.C. Johnson Park to Byhalia Road.
Germantown to the west has older 1980s houses and uses the joint county permit office. Arlington and Lakeland to the north are newer still. The Memphis heat pump buying guide walks through the whole choice.
