The cheapest heat pump install is rarely the cheapest heat pump
Over twelve years a heat pump costs more to run than to buy. Cook's installs them for the second number, not just the first.
The cost that matters
A heat pump quote has one number on it, but you’ll pay three: the price of the equipment and the install, the power it uses over a dozen summers and a dozen winters, and the repairs it needs along the way. The first number is the only one a low bid can lower. The other two are set on install day by decisions a homeowner never sees: whether the charge was weighed, whether the line set was flushed, whether the system was sized to the house or to the old nameplate.
Cook’s installs Lennox heat pumps across ten markets with the second and third numbers in mind. Here is what that means in practice.
What a heat pump install is not
It is not a swap. Pulling the old condenser, dropping a new one on the pad and connecting the existing lines is what gets a system running by lunchtime and leaking by the second summer. It is not a tonnage match: a three-ton nameplate on the old unit says only that someone once chose three tons. And it is not finished when the air is cold. A heat pump is finished when the heating side has been tested, the auxiliary strips have been staged correctly, and the readings are on paper.
What it is
A load calculation, an equipment selection that fits the calculation and the budget, a careful mechanical install with the refrigerant circuit treated as the precision system it is, a thermostat set up for a heat pump specifically, and a commissioning that proves both seasons work. Then a registered warranty and an inspection.
Install day, step by step
- Protection. Floors covered from the door to the air handler. The attic ladder gets a drop cloth.
- Recovery. Refrigerant from the old system is recovered legally, by EPA-certified staff, and the old equipment is hauled out.
- Pad and condenser. A level composite pad, the new Lennox heat pump set and secured; on the coast, elevated and anchored for wind where code asks for it.
- Air handler. Set, leveled for drainage, sealed to the plenum, a new trapped drain with a float switch, and a secondary pan where the unit is in an attic.
- Line set. Flushed or replaced; brazed with nitrogen flowing to keep the inside clean; pressure-tested and pulled to a deep vacuum before any refrigerant goes in.
- Electrical. Disconnect, whip, breaker sizing and surge protection checked or installed.
- Charge. By weight to the manufacturer’s spec, then verified by superheat and subcooling at running conditions.
- Thermostat. A heat-pump-capable model, wired and configured so the strips run only as backup. On Lennox communicating systems, an iComfort thermostat is set up with the app.
- Commissioning. Cooling readings, then a forced heating cycle to confirm the reversing valve and strips. Everything written down.
- Walkthrough. Filter, drain, thermostat, and what to call about.
How to prepare the house
Clear a path from the nearest door to the air handler and three feet around the outdoor unit. Move cars out of the garage if the air handler is there. Crate pets; the doors will be open for hours. If the attic access is in a closet, empty the floor of it. Decide where you want the thermostat, if it’s moving. And have the Wi-Fi password handy if you’ve chosen a connected thermostat.
For a business, Cook’s plans around trading hours; the preparation is mostly roof access, a lift schedule if a crane is coming, and someone on site with keys.
Residential and commercial heat pumps
Home installs are the bulk of the work: split-system Lennox heat pumps for houses from Yulee to Belleview, plus ductless mini-split heat pumps for additions and garages. Commercial heat pumps are usually package units on roofs or split systems on small offices, installed with three-phase power and economizers where code requires, with the same refrigerant discipline.
Warranty and financing
Lennox parts warranties are registered by Cook’s on your behalf. Labor on the installation is covered by Cook’s; ask for the term in writing. [[CONFIRM WITH JERRY]] Financing with low monthly payments is available on new systems; utility rebates on high-efficiency heat pumps vary by market, and Cook’s will point you to them without promising a figure. The federal credit on heat pumps ended with 2025.
Find it in your market
Local pages describe the housing and the typical install in each county. See St. Augustine, Lake City or Palm Coast.
Heat pump installation, before you sign
What's the difference between a cheap install and a Cook's install, mechanically?
Line set flushed or replaced instead of reused dirty, nitrogen purge during brazing, charge by weight and verified, a trapped drain with a float switch, a load calculation instead of a tonnage match, and a thermostat configured for heat-pump auxiliary logic. Each one is a future service call avoided.
Can the old ductwork stay?
If it’s sized right, sealed and intact, yes, and Cook’s will say so. If it’s undersized or leaking into the attic, a new heat pump will underperform from day one and the quote will show the duct work as its own line so you can decide.
Which efficiency tier makes sense for a house I'll sell in five years?
A mid-tier Lennox heat pump, usually. The top tier earns its premium over a long ownership; a buyer sees a new system either way. Cook’s will give you the honest version of that math for your house.
How soon after a no-cooling emergency can a new system go in?
Often within a day or two anywhere in the territory, and Cook’s will install overnight or on a weekend without an after-hours charge when a home has no cooling or heat.
Will the install crew be Cook's employees?
Ask when you book, and dispatch will tell you who is on the crew. The same office handles the permit, the inspection and the warranty registration. [[CONFIRM WITH JERRY: install crew staffing]]
Other services in Palm Coast
- A/C ServicesRepair, maintenance and replacement for any brand, dispatched from Palm Coast to ten markets.
- A/C RepairDiagnosis before a price, parts on the van, no after-hours fee anywhere in the territory.
- A/C MaintenanceThe seasonal check, done the same way in every market, with the readings written down.
- A/C InstallationLennox systems sized by calculation, installed by employees, free estimates in all ten markets.
- ThermostatsSmart, programmable or simple: installed and wired correctly, on any system, in any county.
- GeothermalGround-source heat pumps for acreage, well-water properties and owners playing the long game.
- Heating ServicesHeat pump, strip and furnace service for the whole territory, from the coast to the Suwannee.
- Heat PumpThe year-round system for this climate: installed, repaired and maintained by one crew in ten markets.
- Heat Pump RepairDiagnosis by the numbers, common parts on the van, a labor warranty on every repair.
- Heat Pump MaintenanceTwo visits a year, matched to the system's age, with the readings kept on file in every market.
- Furnace RepairGas, propane and electric furnace repair, with combustion safety checks, in the markets that use them.
- Furnace MaintenanceCombustion and safety checks for gas, propane and electric furnaces, scheduled before the cold arrives.
- Furnace InstallationLennox gas furnaces and dual-fuel systems where gas makes sense, honest advice where it doesn't.
- Air QualityFiltration, humidity control and ventilation, matched to how the building actually breathes.
- Indoor Air QualityAssessment first, then filtration, humidity control or ventilation, with readings to prove it worked.
- Duct CleaningCleaning where it helps, sealing and replacement where it's needed, with an honest inspection first.
- CommercialRooftop, package and split systems for businesses across the territory, scheduled around your hours.
Ready for a free estimate on a heat pump?
A Cook's advisor visits the property in any of the ten markets. No charge, no pressure.