Heat Pump Installation in Southern Indiana
A mini split is a heat pump. We have installed and serviced heat-pump equipment since our first job. Now we install ducted systems too: the same refrigeration cycle, run through your ductwork. Load calculation first, written quote before any work starts.
Henry Brothers installs ducted and ductless heat pumps for homeowners across Clark and Floyd County, Indiana. Every install starts with a load calculation and ends with a written quote. The price we quote is the price you pay. Call (812) 994-1008.
One system heats and cools the whole house: a first heat pump, a heat pump replacement, or a switch from a furnace-and-AC pair. Below is how we decide between ducted and ductless, what a Southern Indiana winter actually does to a heat pump, and what the install itself looks like. Want a neutral primer first? ENERGY STAR's air-source heat pump guide covers the fundamentals and lists certified cold-climate models.
Isn't a Mini Split Already a Heat Pump?
It is, and that is exactly why this work is not new to us. Every ductless system we have put in a Clark or Floyd County home is an air-source heat pump: an outdoor unit that moves heat into the house in winter and out of it in summer. We have installed and serviced heat-pump equipment since day one. Sizing the compressor, setting the charge, dialing in defrost behavior. That is the job we already do all week.
A ducted heat pump runs the same refrigeration cycle through the ductwork your house already has. Instead of wall-mounted heads in each room, one indoor air handler or coil pushes conditioned air through your supply runs, and a single thermostat runs the whole house. The outdoor equipment, the refrigerant science, and the cold-weather behavior are the same, only the delivery changes.
Justin Henry runs the ducted side of our work, and every ducted heat pump installation goes through the same process as our ductless jobs: measure first, quote in writing, test both modes before we leave. Same standards, same pricing discipline, same two names on the truck.
Ducted or Ductless: Which Heat Pump Fits Your House?
We install both, so the recommendation follows the house, not the product line we would rather sell. The ductwork usually makes the decision for you.
Good Existing Ductwork → Ducted
If your ducts are sound (sized right, sealed, with real return air), a ducted heat pump replaces the furnace-and-AC pair with one system and one thermostat. We inspect and pressure-check the ductwork before quoting, because a strong heat pump on leaky ducts wastes the efficiency you are paying for.
No Ducts, or Room-by-Room Control → Ductless
Older homes without ductwork, additions, garages, and houses where every room wants its own temperature are ductless territory. Wall-mounted heads skip the duct losses entirely and give each zone its own control. Same heat-pump technology, different delivery.
If your house lands on the ductless side, that work has its own page: ductless mini split installation covers sizing, placement, and what every install includes.
What Happens to a Heat Pump Below Freezing?
A heat pump's output drops as the outdoor temperature drops. There is less heat outside to move. Older equipment struggled here. Modern cold-climate inverter systems hold on much better, and the threshold is written down: ENERGY STAR's cold-climate heat pump criteria require a COP of at least 1.75 at 5°F and at least 70% of the unit's 47°F heating capacity still available at 5°F. A Southern Indiana January sits inside that range. When you compare models, the HSPF rating tells you how efficiently a unit produces heat across a whole season, not just on a mild day.
Why is the outdoor unit steaming?
In cold, damp weather frost builds on the outdoor coil. The system notices, briefly runs in reverse to melt it, and vents a cloud of steam, a defrost cycle. It looks alarming the first time and is completely normal. We show you what it looks like during the install walkthrough so a February morning does not turn into a worried phone call.
What is backup heat?
Ducted systems carry electric heat strips in the air handler that step in during defrost and deep cold snaps, the emergency heat setting on your thermostat runs them directly. We size the strips during the load calculation so they assist the heat pump on the worst mornings instead of quietly carrying the house all winter at electric-resistance prices.
Can I pair a heat pump with my gas furnace?
A dual-fuel system uses the heat pump for most of the season and hands off to the gas furnace below a set changeover temperature: heat-pump operating costs for the mild months, furnace output for the cold snaps. If you are weighing the two head to head, our heat pump vs furnace in Indiana guide works through the numbers for our climate.
How Do You Know What Size Heat Pump I Need?
A load calculation, not a rule of thumb off the square footage. An oversized heat pump short cycles and never dehumidifies. An undersized one leans on its heat strips all winter. Both show up on your electric bill. The two documents that govern this work are ACCA's Manual J and Manual S: Manual J sets the load, Manual S selects equipment against that load using the local climate and the manufacturer's performance data.
Measure the House
Room dimensions, insulation, windows, ceiling heights, sun exposure. The load is calculated from your house, not a chart in a sales binder.
Inspect the Ductwork
Supply and return sizing, leakage, static pressure. If the ducts need sealing or a bigger return, that goes in the quote, not discovered on install day.
Match the Equipment
We pick a unit whose cold-weather output still covers your house at design temperature, then set the backup heat to fill the true gap.
What to Expect When We Install Your Heat Pump
Home Visit & Load Calculation
We measure every room, inspect the ductwork and electrical panel, and talk through how you actually live in the house. No quote happens over the phone.
Written Quote
Equipment options with the trade-offs spelled out: ducted, ductless, or dual-fuel. The price we quote is the price you pay.
Removal & Prep
Old equipment hauled out, refrigerant recovered by the rules, ductwork sealed or adapted, pad and line set route prepared before the new system arrives.
Set & Connect
Outdoor unit set and leveled, indoor coil or air handler mounted, line set run and insulated, dedicated circuit and disconnect installed to code, condensate and thermostat wired.
Startup, Test & Walkthrough
We commission the system in both heating and cooling, verify the refrigerant charge and defrost operation, set the backup-heat staging, and walk you through the thermostat before we leave.
Transparent Pricebook™
You see the number in writing before any work starts, and the price we quote is the price you pay. No good-better-best games, no install-day additions.
Published pricebook coming soon: what the Transparent Pricebook™ covers or call for upfront pricing before we schedule.
Already have equipment that needs attention first?
Where We Do This
Towns We Serve
Clark and Floyd County and the surrounding area. No trip charge in our service area.
Common Questions About Heat Pump Installation
Do heat pumps keep up with Southern Indiana winters?
Modern cold-climate heat pumps hold useful output well below freezing, and Clark and Floyd County winters sit inside their working range. On the coldest mornings the system runs longer cycles, pauses briefly to defrost, and leans on its backup heat strips, the setting most thermostats label emergency heat.
Should I replace my gas furnace with a heat pump?
That depends on your ductwork, your gas and electric rates, and how long you plan to stay in the house. A heat pump usually wins on operating cost across a mild Indiana winter; a furnace wins on raw output in a deep cold snap. Our heat pump vs furnace in Indiana guide works through the trade-offs.
Can I keep my furnace and still add a heat pump?
Pairing the two is called a dual-fuel system. The heat pump carries the house through most of the season at a lower operating cost, and the furnace takes over automatically once outdoor temperatures drop below the changeover point. For homes that already have a newer gas furnace, it is often the setup we recommend.
How much does heat pump installation cost in Southern Indiana?
The number depends on the capacity your load calculation calls for, the condition of your ductwork, your electrical panel, and whether you add backup or dual-fuel heat. We measure first, then hand you a written quote. The price we quote is the price you pay. The Transparent Pricebook™ explains how.
What if my house has no ductwork at all?
A ducted system is one path to heat-pump comfort, not the only one. Homes without ducts, and rooms a duct run cannot reach, are exactly what ductless mini split installation covers: the same refrigeration technology delivered through wall-mounted heads. We install both, so the recommendation follows the house, not the product line.
What maintenance does a heat pump need?
Twice-a-year service is the standard, because the same equipment runs in both seasons. A Clean and Check℠ visit is $99 and covers the coils, refrigerant charge, electrical connections, defrost operation, and airflow. Keeping those visits on the calendar is how a heat pump holds the efficiency rating you paid for.
Do you install heat pumps in Charlestown and the rest of Clark County?
Charlestown is our home base, and we install ducted and ductless systems for homeowners across Clark and Floyd County with no trip charge in our service area. Our heat pump installation in Charlestown page covers the local details, and the town list above shows everywhere else we work.
Ready to Talk About a Heat Pump?
Ducted, ductless, or dual-fuel. We'll come out, run the load calculation, and put the number in writing. Clark County. Floyd County. Southern Indiana.