Tacoma Heat Pump Installation: Trane Heat Pump and Air Handler Upgrade

The Challenge

This Tacoma family’s American Standard heat pump and air handler had served the home for more than 20 years. The system still ran, but the indoor unit had started leaking. The homeowner did not want to keep paying for repairs on aging equipment and asked for a long-term solution instead.

Our comfort adviser measured the existing ductwork and completed a heat loss and gain calculation, which shows how much heating and cooling the house actually needs. The family then took a few days to talk it over before deciding. No guesswork. No pressure. Just straightforward solutions.

• Replace the leaking indoor unit and the matching outdoor heat pump at the same time
• Fit the new equipment into the same basement closet and reuse the existing drain route
• Get cleaner air than a basic 1-inch filter could provide
• Upgrade to a thermostat that is simple to use every day
• Use an available Tacoma Power rebate to lower the cost of the upgrade

Our Solution

The original air handler was more than 20 years old and leaking; the new Trane unit fits the same closet.

Pacific replaced both halves of the system with a matched Trane heat pump system. A heat pump heats and cools by moving heat into or out of the house, so one system covers comfort in every season. The new air handler has a variable-speed fan, which means it ramps up and down gently for quieter, more even airflow.

A six-person crew of NATE-certified, background-checked technicians completed the full installation in one day. They added electric backup heat for the coldest days, a new condensate pump with a safety switch that shuts the system off if the drain ever backs up, and a new outdoor disconnect and weatherproof outlet. An Aprilaire air filtration upgrade now traps more dust and allergens.

Pacific coordinated the permits and inspections and registers the new equipment with Trane, so the manufacturer warranty is protected. Whole-house duct cleaning is included with the installation. The homeowner also chose to extend labor coverage from three years to five, and the system comes with two years of heating and cooling tune-ups.

Equipment List

• Heat Pump: Trane Choice Series Heat Pump (5HPL5036), 3-ton low-profile side-discharge unit rated at 15.6 SEER2 and up to 8.1 HSPF2
• Air Handler: Trane TEM6 Air Handler (5TEM6D04), variable-speed motor with an all-aluminum coil, R-454B refrigerant
• Backup Heat: Trane 10 kW electric heat strip (BAYHTR1510BRKC) for supplemental heat on the coldest days
• Air Cleaner: Aprilaire MERV 11 Air Cleaner, 4-inch media filter for improved filtration
• Thermostat: Honeywell ElitePRO S1200 Smart Thermostat with a 5-inch touchscreen and indoor humidity monitoring

Performance and Comfort Benefits

• Dependable heating and cooling from one system, all year long
• Quieter, more even airflow to every room in the house
• No more leaking indoor unit, plus a safety switch that protects the basement if the drain ever clogs
• Cleaner indoor air from a deeper filter that needs changing far less often than a 1-inch filter
• Steady backup heat ready for the coldest winter mornings
• Simple touchscreen control that also shows indoor humidity
• Peace of mind with five years of labor coverage and two years of tune-ups included

Why This Matters for Tacoma Homeowners

A Tacoma heat pump installation makes sense when an older heat pump or air handler is 20 years old or more and starting to leak or need repairs. A new, matched system heats and cools efficiently in Tacoma’s mild, damp climate, and Tacoma Power customers may qualify for rebates that lower the upfront cost.

Tacoma winters are cool and wet rather than bitterly cold, which is the kind of weather heat pumps handle well. Many homes here still run systems installed 20 or more years ago. Replacing the indoor and outdoor units together keeps everything matched, so the system runs the way it was designed to. If you are weighing options, our heat pump buying guide walks through the basics.

Based on our service records, Pacific completed more than 1,000 heat pump system installations across Tacoma and the South Sound over the past two years. Locally and family owned since 1984, with more than 7,000 Google reviews and a 4.9 average rating, we know the homes in this area and the systems that keep them comfortable.