# Heat pump installation in Hernando, MS

> Heat pumps for Hernando's newer homes: replacements, dual fuel and fixing strip heat that runs too often, permitted through the city or DeSoto County.

URL: https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/service-areas/hernando/

Service area, DeSoto County

Heat pumps for Hernando's newer homes: replacements, dual fuel and fixing strip heat that runs too often, permitted through the city or DeSoto County.

(901) 657-2200

Last Updated: November 12, 2026

63% gas

of homes heat with utility gas; 35% with electricity (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024)

2002

median year homes were built (ACS 2020-2024)

Permit

City of Hernando Building Department (DeSoto County outside city limits)

Utility

Entergy Mississippi electric; gas by address

## What brings a house in Hernando to a new heat pump

### Winter bills higher than summer

An all-electric house where the backup strips run most winter mornings because the thermostat never got an outdoor sensor.

### The first heat pump is wearing out

Houses from the early 2000s are reaching the end of their original outdoor units.

### A newer furnace, an older AC

Gas houses where the furnace was replaced and the original AC is next.

## Hernando’s newer houses, first heat pumps

The typical Hernando home was built in 2002, the newest median in DeSoto County, according to the Census Bureau. That puts a lot of original heat pumps and ACs at around 20 years old.

[Bluffline Memphis Heat Pumps](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/) replaces and installs heat pumps across Hernando, from the Courthouse Square out along Commerce Street and Nesbit Road.

### What comes up at 20 years

- **Outdoor units losing capacity**, so the backup strips run more each winter.
- **R-22 systems** that can’t be recharged at a reasonable price.
- **Original ACs** in gas houses whose furnaces were replaced earlier.

## When the strips run the bill

About a third of Hernando homes heat with electricity. In an all-electric house the heat pump should carry most of the winter and the strips should come on only on the coldest mornings and during defrost.

When winter bills run higher than summer ones, the strips are usually running far more than they should.

### The two usual causes

- **No outdoor sensor or lockout.** The thermostat calls for strips whenever the house falls a degree or two behind, even at 50 degrees outside.
- **A tired outdoor unit.** As the compressor ages it delivers less heat, so the strips make up the difference.

The [aux and emergency heat guide](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/auxiliary-emergency-heat/) explains how staging should work, and the [thermostat guide](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/heat-pump-thermostat-setup/) covers the settings.

## Outdoor unit only, or both halves

A house from 2002 may have had its air handler replaced once already. If the indoor half is recent, matches the new outdoor unit and uses the right refrigerant, it can stay.

### When to replace both

- The air handler is original, rusting or leaking.
- The system runs on R-22.
- The maker doesn’t list a matched pair for the old indoor unit.

Replacing only the outdoor unit when the indoor half isn’t a listed match leaves a system that never reaches its rating. [Heat pump replacement](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/heat-pump-replacement/) covers the choice in detail.

## Gas houses in Hernando

About 63 percent of Hernando homes heat with gas. Where the furnace is sound and the AC is failing, [dual fuel](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/dual-fuel-heat-pump/) keeps the furnace for the coldest nights and puts a heat pump in the AC’s place.

### The furnace check

Before we price dual fuel, we inspect the furnace’s heat exchanger, flue and blower and take a combustion reading. A furnace that fails the check changes the estimate to a new furnace or an all-electric system.

## Sizing an early-2000s house

Houses from this era are bigger than older ranches and often two stories. A load calculation for the 95-degree summer and 20-degree winter design conditions sets the size, room by room, rather than the old nameplate.

### Two stories, one system

Where one system serves both floors, upstairs tends to run warm and damp. A second return and sealed attic ducts help, and a [variable speed heat pump](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/variable-speed-heat-pump/) running long and slow pulls more water out of the air.

## Permits: city or county

Hernando is the DeSoto County seat, and the city and county run separate building offices.

- **Inside city limits:** the City of Hernando Building Department, part of the Office of Planning, issues permits and inspects.
- **Outside city limits:** DeSoto County’s planning and building office handles it, even with a Hernando mailing address.

We check which applies to your address and pull that permit. The inspection follows the install, and the permit has to be issued before install day, so it sets the calendar more than anything else.

## What it costs in Hernando

Bluffline’s typical range for an outdoor unit only is $4,500 to $9,000. Every range:

| If the job is | Typical range |
| --- | --- |
| Outdoor unit only | $4,500 to $9,000 |
| Whole-home system with a new air handler | $8,000 to $16,000 |
| Heat pump on a gas furnace you keep | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| Air handler only | $2,000 to $4,500 |

What you pay is set by the written estimate we leave after looking at the house. Capacity, the efficiency tier, whether the line set can stay and any duct repairs drive the number; the [cost guide](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/heat-pump-installation-cost/) goes through them.

### Rebates

Hernando is on Entergy Mississippi, not a TVA power company, so TVA’s heat pump rebate doesn’t apply. Entergy Mississippi runs its own heating and cooling incentive program; we check its current terms for the equipment we quote.

## Older homes near the Square

Not all of Hernando is new. The streets around the Courthouse Square and along Commerce Street include houses from the mid-twentieth century, some with crawlspaces, small returns and ducts that were extended as rooms were added.

### What that changes

- **Crawlspace ducts** in humid air need sealed seams and sound insulation, or they sweat in summer.
- **Small returns** sized for a smaller old system can starve a new heat pump of air.
- **Older electrical panels** may need a look before strips or a new circuit go in.

On these houses we take a static pressure reading and look under the floor before quoting. [Heat pump ductwork](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/heat-pump-ductwork/) and the [panel guide](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/electrical-panel-for-heat-pump/) cover the fixes.

## How long a heat pump lasts here

A Mid-South heat pump runs most of the year, cooling from May into October and heating through winter. Fifteen to twenty years is a fair working life with regular filter changes and a clean outdoor coil. The [lifespan guide](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/heat-pump-lifespan-memphis/) covers what shortens it.

## Helping the first visit along

It saves time if you can gather:

- **Photos of the nameplates** on the outdoor unit and the air handler or furnace.
- **Twelve months of Entergy bills**, which show the winter strip-heat pattern.
- **The thermostat’s model**, or a photo of it.
- **Rooms that run warm, cold or damp.**

## Nearby

We work across Hernando, from the Courthouse Square and Conger Park to the newer neighborhoods off McIngvale and Getwell Roads.

[Southaven](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/service-areas/southaven/) and [Horn Lake](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/service-areas/horn-lake/) to the north have older housing, and [Olive Branch](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/service-areas/olive-branch/) to the northeast sits partly on a TVA power company. The [Memphis heat pump buying guide](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/memphis-heat-pump-buying-guide/) lays out every step of the choice, Hernando included.

## Services in Hernando

- [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**Dual fuel heat pumps** A heat pump in place of your AC, on top of the gas furnace you keep, with the handoff set for MLGW rates.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/dual-fuel-heat-pump/)
- [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/)
- [Service**Variable speed heat pumps** Long, slow runs that pull more water out of a Memphis summer and keep two-story houses even.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/variable-speed-heat-pump/)

## Taming winter bills in Hernando

A 2005 all-electric two-story west of the Square has winter bills nearly double its summer ones. The thermostat has no outdoor sensor, so the backup strips come on most winter mornings, and the 20-year-old outdoor unit can no longer keep up.

Where

Hernando, west of the Square

The house

2005 two-story, about 2,600 sq ft, air handler in the attic

Price

$7,200

Time on site

1 day

1. Find what runs the bill The strips, not the heat pump, are using most of the winter power. The 2017 air handler is fine.
2. New outdoor unit only A 3.5-ton heat pump matched to the 2017 air handler replaces the old outdoor unit.
3. Add the sensor An outdoor sensor uses the thermostat wire's spare conductor, and the thermostat locks the strips out above 35 degrees.
4. Permit in Hernando The City of Hernando building department issues the permit for homes inside city limits.

## How a job usually runs in Hernando

### 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.

## Neighborhoods, landmarks and routes

### Neighborhoods

- Courthouse Square
- Commerce Street
- Nesbit Road
- McIngvale Road
- Getwell Road

### Landmarks

- DeSoto County Courthouse
- Hernando Square
- Conger Park

### Getting around

- Interstate 55
- US 51
- MS 304 (Commerce Street)
- Getwell Road

[Open Hernando, MS in Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Hernando%2C%20MS)

## Hernando: questions

### Why does my Hernando heat pump run the backup heat so much?

Usually because the thermostat has no outdoor sensor or lockout, so strips come on whenever the house falls a little behind. An aging outdoor unit that has lost capacity makes it worse. Both are fixable, often without replacing the indoor half.

### Who issues the heat pump permit in Hernando?

Inside city limits, the City of Hernando Building Department in the Office of Planning. Outside the limits, DeSoto County's planning and building office. We check the address and pull the right permit.

### My Hernando heat pump is about 20 years old. Should I replace it now?

If it needs a major repair or runs on R-22, replacement is usually the better money. If it still runs well, getting a written estimate before it fails gives you time to plan instead of choosing in a heat wave.

### Can a new outdoor unit work with my existing air handler in Hernando?

Yes, if the air handler is recent, uses the right refrigerant and the maker lists it as a match for the new unit. We check the model numbers on the visit.

### What does a heat pump replacement cost in Hernando?

Bluffline's typical range for an outdoor unit only is $4,500 to $9,000, and for a whole-home system $8,000 to $16,000. Your written estimate after the visit sets the price.

## Nearby towns

- [DeSoto County**Southaven** Heat pumps for Southaven homes on Entergy Mississippi power and Atmos gas: dual fuel or all-electric, sized from a load calculation and permitted with the city.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/service-areas/southaven/)
- [DeSoto County**Olive Branch** Heat pumps for Olive Branch on Entergy Mississippi or Northcentral Electric: dual fuel and replacements sized from a load calculation, permitted by the city.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/service-areas/olive-branch/)
- [DeSoto County**Horn Lake** Heat pumps for Horn Lake homes, nearly half heated by electricity: strip-heat swaps, replacements and right-sized backup, permitted through the city.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/service-areas/horn-lake/)

## Guides for houses in Hernando

- [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**How should a heat pump thermostat be set up in Memphis?** The handful of settings that decide whether a heat pump saves money: the equipment type, the outdoor sensor, the lockout, setbacks and the fan.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/heat-pump-thermostat-setup/)
- [Learn**How long does a heat pump last in Memphis?** Year-round running, humid summers and installation quality decide the number. Here is what to expect and what helps.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/heat-pump-lifespan-memphis/)
- [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/)

## Get an estimate in Hernando

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

(901) 657-2200