Tell us about the job
Takes about a minute. No obligation.
A heat pump install in this county is sized against an actual load, not a calendar average. 111 severe weather events were recorded in New Hanover County, North Carolina between 2015 and 2024. At that rate, severe weather is part of the regular operating environment a system enters on day one, and a contractor who ignores that when selecting equipment or specifying the installation will under-build for the conditions. Duct layout, refrigerant line placement, and unit siting all carry consequences here that a lower-exposure county does not force a contractor to confront in the same way.
Ductwork designed for a conventional system and ductwork that performs for a heat pump are two different things, and much of the housing stock here was built before heat pumps were the common choice. Half the homes in New Hanover County, North Carolina were built in 1993 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year). A contractor quoting a heat pump installation will open that ductwork question early, because the runs, sizing, and return layout that the original system called for may not move air the way the new equipment requires. The electrical service gets the same look. Both of those findings shape the scope of the job before the unit itself is ever priced.
What Gets Installed With a New Heat Pump
The outdoor unit is the piece most homeowners see first. It sits on a pad outside the house and holds the compressor and the condenser coil, which together handle the transfer of heat between the refrigerant and the outside air. Inside, the air handler mounts in a utility space, closet, or attic and pushes conditioned air through the home.
A refrigerant line set runs between the two units, carrying refrigerant through insulated copper tubing that passes through the wall. The thermostat goes on an interior wall and gives the homeowner control over the system, while the disconnect box mounts outside near the outdoor unit as a shutoff point for the equipment.
The drawing shows a typical layout, and a licensed contractor determines exactly how each piece is positioned and connected in your home.
Find a contractor in New Hanover CountyNew Hanover County, by the numbers
111 severe weather events were recorded in New Hanover County, North Carolina between 2015 and 2024.
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, bulk CSV export, events 2015-01-01 through 2024-12-31.Half the homes in New Hanover County, North Carolina were built in 1993 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesNew Hanover County, North Carolina holds 120,050 housing units (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesOwners occupy 61.4% of the occupied homes in New Hanover County, North Carolina (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesHeat Pump Installation Rules for New Hanover County, North Carolina2 codes, standards, and licensing rules
What New Hanover County, North Carolina Requires for HVAC Installation
North Carolina issues Class I heating licenses covering all systems in all structures, and Class II licenses covering heating systems in single-family detached residential dwellings.
North Carolina requires a license before any person or firm may engage in, or offer to engage in, the business of heating contracting.
Severe Weather Events in New Hanover County
Local weather puts direct demands on heating and cooling equipment, and those demands shape what a heat pump needs to handle year after year. Sizing and installing for New Hanover County means accounting for what the climate here actually does.
111 severe weather events, 2015–2024. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database.