# Heat pump installation in Lakeland, TN

> Heat pumps for Lakeland's 2000s two-story homes: ending R-22 refills, attic air handlers with proper drain pans, and dual fuel on a furnace with years left.

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

Service area, Shelby County

Heat pumps for Lakeland's 2000s two-story homes: ending R-22 refills, attic air handlers with proper drain pans, and dual fuel on a furnace with years left.

(901) 657-2200

Last Updated: November 12, 2026

56% gas

of homes heat with utility gas; 43% with electricity (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024)

2000

median year homes were built (ACS 2020-2024)

Permit

Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement

Utility

Electric and gas by address (MLGW across most of Shelby County)

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

### The upstairs system needs R-22 every summer

An original early-2000s heat pump on R-22 with a slow leak in the attic coil.

### An attic air handler over a bedroom

A horizontal unit reached through a closet hatch, with a pan that has started to rust.

### Gas downstairs, electric upstairs

Two systems on different fuels, aging at different rates.

## Lakeland’s houses from around 2000

Lakeland’s homes are mostly newer two-stories: the median was built in 2000, according to the Census Bureau. Many have two systems, and the original ones from the early 2000s often run on R-22.

[Bluffline Memphis Heat Pumps](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/) installs heat pumps across Lakeland, from Canada Road to Seed Tick Road and the Garner Lake area.

### What comes up most at this age

- **R-22 systems** with slow leaks and expensive refills.
- **Attic air handlers** with rusting pans over upstairs bedrooms.
- **Original ACs** beside gas furnaces that were replaced or still run well.

## Ending the R-22 refills

R-22 refrigerant is no longer produced, so what remains costs more every year. A system with a leak loses it again, and each refill buys one more summer at a rising price.

### Why the fix is a matched pair

A new outdoor unit runs on a newer refrigerant and can’t be paired with an R-22 indoor coil. So an R-22 system that needs a coil, a compressor or repeated refills gets replaced as a matched pair, outdoor unit and air handler together. The [repair or replace guide](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/repair-or-replace-heat-pump/) walks through the numbers.

### The line set too

R-22 lines carry mineral oil and are often the wrong size for the new unit. A new line set is the cleaner choice; it runs up the outside wall in a cover when the air handler is in the attic.

## Attic air handlers over bedrooms

Lakeland’s two-story houses usually put the upstairs air handler in the attic, reached through a hatch in a bedroom closet. Summer humidity pushes gallons of water through that unit, all of it above a ceiling.

### What every attic unit we install gets

- **A galvanized secondary pan** on a level platform.
- **A float switch** that cuts the system off before the pan overflows.
- **A condensate line** pitched to drain, with a cleanout.

On install day we lay drop cloths from the bedroom door to the closet. [Air handler replacement](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/heat-pump-air-handler-replacement/) covers the indoor half on its own.

## Two systems, two fuels

Many Lakeland houses heat downstairs with a gas furnace and upstairs with an all-electric heat pump. The two age at different rates, so we treat them separately.

- **The upstairs heat pump**, often original, gets a straight [heat pump replacement](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/heat-pump-replacement/) sized for that floor.
- **The downstairs gas system**, if the AC fails first, is a candidate for [dual fuel](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/dual-fuel-heat-pump/) with the furnace kept.

### Sizing each floor

A load calculation for each floor, at Shelby County’s 95-degree summer and 20-degree winter, sets each system’s size. Upstairs often needs less than the original unit, and a smaller, longer-running system dries the bedrooms better. The [humidity guide](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/heat-pump-humidity-control/) explains why.

## Ducts in a 2000s attic

Upstairs ducts in a Lakeland two-story run through the same attic as the air handler, where summer air passes 120 degrees. Twenty-plus years in that heat take a toll on flex duct.

### What we look for up there

- **Flex runs that sag** between supports or flatten where they cross a truss.
- **Boots pulling away** from the ceiling, leaking cooled air into the attic.
- **Thin insulation** on the supply plenum, which sweats in July.
- **A return that is too small** for the upstairs load, the most common reason bedrooms lag.

We take a static pressure reading before quoting. Where the ducts are part of the problem, the fix appears as its own line on the estimate and is done on install day. [Heat pump ductwork](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/heat-pump-ductwork/) explains the work.

### Insulation and the attic floor

Attic insulation in some 2000s houses has settled or been pushed aside around the hatch and the air handler platform. Topping it up is outside our trade, but we note thin spots we see, since they add to the upstairs load the new system has to carry.

## Permits in Lakeland

Building permits in Lakeland go through the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement, with the city’s planning office handling site items. We pull the permit and schedule the inspection, and install day follows the permit.

## Utility and rebate

Most of Shelby County is on MLGW, a TVA power company; your bill confirms it.

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. [SEER2 and HSPF2 explained](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/seer2-hspf2-explained/) covers the tiers.

## What it costs in Lakeland

An upstairs R-22 replacement is a whole-system job, in Bluffline’s typical range of $8,000 to $16,000. The other common Lakeland jobs:

| Lakeland job | Typical range |
| --- | --- |
| Upstairs heat pump and attic air handler | $8,000 to $16,000 |
| Downstairs heat pump on the gas furnace | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| Attic air handler alone, newer outdoor unit kept | $2,000 to $4,500 |

Your written estimate after the visit sets the price. Attic access, the new line set and any duct work move it most. The [cost guide](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/heat-pump-installation-cost/) explains each.

## Quieter upstairs bedrooms

Upstairs bedrooms in a two-story sit closest to the attic air handler and often above the outdoor unit. A [variable speed heat pump](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/variable-speed-heat-pump/) spends most hours at low speed, which is quieter inside and out, and pulls more water from the air.

### Placement on newer lots

Lakeland lots from the 2000s often put the outdoor units on the side yard beside a neighbor’s. We keep the maker’s clearances and, where the lot allows, keep the unit away from bedroom windows.

## Before the visit

These help:

- **Nameplate photos** for each outdoor unit and each indoor unit.
- **The refrigerant type** printed on the outdoor unit’s label.
- **The attic hatch location.**
- **Any rooms that run warm or damp.**

## Nearby

We work across Lakeland, from the Canada Road exit on I-40 to the Highway 70 corridor.

[Arlington](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/service-areas/arlington/) to the east has the newest houses in the area, and [Bartlett](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/service-areas/bartlett/) to the west runs its own Code Enforcement office. [Collierville](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/service-areas/collierville/) to the south has larger two-system homes too. The [Memphis heat pump buying guide](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/memphis-heat-pump-buying-guide/) covers the whole decision.

## Services in Lakeland

- [Service**Air handlers** The indoor half decides airflow, drainage and backup heat. We replace it with a matched unit and keep a sound outdoor unit.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/heat-pump-air-handler-replacement/)
- [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**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/)

## Ending the R-22 refills in Lakeland

A 2004 two-story near Canada Road has a gas furnace downstairs and an all-electric system upstairs. The upstairs heat pump still runs on R-22 and has needed a recharge two summers running. The leak is in the attic coil.

Where

Lakeland, near Canada Road

The house

2004 two-story, about 2,900 sq ft, upstairs air handler in the attic

Price

$10,900

Time on site

2 days

1. Why not just recharge R-22 is no longer made, so each refill costs more, and a new outdoor unit can't be paired with an R-22 coil. The upstairs system gets replaced as a matched pair.
2. Through a closet hatch The attic hatch is in a bedroom closet. We lay drop cloths through the room and bring the old air handler out in sections.
3. New lines The old line set carries mineral oil from the R-22 system and is the wrong size, so a new 40 foot set runs up the outside wall in a cover.
4. Pan and switch The new air handler sits in a galvanized pan with a float switch, and the downstairs gas system stays as it is.

## How a job usually runs in Lakeland

### 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

- Canada Road
- Seed Tick Road
- Garner Lake area
- Monroe Road
- Highway 70 corridor

### Landmarks

- Garner Lake
- Lakeland City Hall
- Interstate 40 at Canada Road

### Getting around

- Interstate 40
- US 70
- US 64
- Canada Road

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

## Lakeland: questions

### Is it worth recharging an R-22 heat pump in Lakeland?

Rarely. R-22 is no longer produced, so each recharge costs more, and a leak keeps losing it. A new outdoor unit can't be paired with an R-22 coil, so the usual answer is replacing both halves as a matched pair.

### Who issues heat pump permits in Lakeland?

Building permits in Lakeland go through the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement, with the city's planning office handling site items. We pull the permit and schedule the inspection.

### Can a new air handler get into my Lakeland attic through a closet hatch?

Most can, in their shipping orientation, and the old unit comes out in sections. We measure the hatch and the walkway on the visit and lay drop cloths through the room on install day.

### Do I need a new line set when replacing an R-22 system?

Usually. R-22 lines carry mineral oil that doesn't mix with newer refrigerants' oils and are often the wrong size for the new unit. A new line set is the cleaner choice and is listed on the estimate.

### Can I keep my Lakeland gas furnace and add a heat pump?

Yes, if the furnace is sound and its blower can move the air a heat pump needs. That is dual fuel, and Bluffline's typical range for it is $5,000 to $10,000. Your written estimate sets the price.

## Nearby towns

- [Shelby County**Bartlett** Heat pumps for Bartlett homes on their second system: duct checks, dual fuel and replacements, with the permit through Bartlett's own Code Enforcement.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/service-areas/bartlett/)
- [Shelby County**Arlington** Heat pumps for Arlington's newer homes: quieter outdoor units placed away from bedrooms, dual fuel on gas furnaces, with permits through Shelby County.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/service-areas/arlington/)
- [Shelby County**Collierville** Heat pumps for Collierville's two-story homes: variable speed upstairs, dual fuel and replacements, permitted through the town's Building and Codes office.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/service-areas/collierville/)

## Guides for houses in Lakeland

- [Decision Guide**Should you repair or replace your heat pump?** Age, refrigerant, the size of the repair and what the system already isn't doing well. A practical way to weigh them.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/repair-or-replace-heat-pump/)
- [Learn**What do SEER2 and HSPF2 mean on a heat pump?** The two numbers on every heat pump quote, what changed when they got a 2, and how much a higher rating is worth in a Memphis house.](https://blufflinememphisheatpumps.com/guide/seer2-hspf2-explained/)
- [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/)
- [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 Lakeland

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

(901) 657-2200