The outdoor equipment in the proposal was new. Almost everything carrying air around our house was older than I was. I wanted to know how those two facts would work together.
The back bedroom already received less useful airflow than the front room. It seemed optimistic to assume a different heat source would automatically change that.
Assess the air the equipment needs
Source: Natural Resources Canada: heating and cooling with a heat pump
NRCan explains that heat pumps often deliver more air at a lower supply temperature than furnace heating. Existing ducts therefore need assessment for the selected equipment's airflow requirements. Capacity, distribution, leakage and return paths all deserve attention.
I asked what would be measured and which rooms were likely to need work. A square-foot estimate of the house did not tell me what the narrow branch to the back bedroom could carry.
I also described our ordinary use: doors closed overnight, a basement office and a room above the extension. Those details helped keep the discussion tied to actual comfort rather than just equipment output.
Put duct changes in the written proposal
ENERGY STAR's installation guidance calls for evaluating duct sealing and sufficient airflow. If modifications were needed, I wanted them listed with the equipment work and any finishing excluded. Otherwise we might be comparing one complete proposal with another that left a necessary job for later.
I did not close other registers to force more air into the difficult room. Nor did I ask for a bigger unit as a substitute for checking the distribution system.
At the next visit we spent time looking at the returns and branch routes. It was less exciting than the new outdoor unit's brochure, but much closer to the reason we were considering the work: making the rooms we use feel comfortable.
