Heat pumps for manufactured and mobile homes: what to know

Why manufactured homes are good heat pump candidates

Many manufactured homes in the region heat with an electric furnace or wall heaters. Those are among the most expensive ways to heat. A heat pump moves heat instead of making it with resistance coils, so it can lower heating bills and add cooling for summer heat waves.

Homes with an older oil or propane furnace can benefit too, both on operating cost and on getting rid of combustion inside a small home.

Ducted: using the ducts in the belly

Most manufactured homes have a main duct trunk running under the floor, inside the insulated belly, with floor registers above. A ducted heat pump can often connect to that system, usually through a manufactured-home-rated air handler or a heat pump paired with the existing furnace cabinet.

The catch is the ductwork itself. Belly ducts can come apart, sag or get damaged by rodents, and the belly wrap can tear. Before recommending a ducted system, we inspect what's under the home and include sealing or repairs where needed.

Ductless: often the simpler path

Ductless mini-splits skip the belly ducts entirely. One or two indoor heads can heat and cool many single-wide and double-wide layouts. They're a strong choice when the belly ducts are in poor shape or when you mostly use a few rooms.

• No reliance on under-floor ductwork.
• Room-by-room control.
• Line sets run along the exterior wall with covers.
• Can be installed one zone at a time.

Electrical and placement

Manufactured homes vary a lot in electrical service. Some have plenty of capacity; others need a new circuit or panel work for the outdoor unit. We check this before quoting.

The outdoor unit needs a stable, level pad or bracket and clearance from skirting, decks and roof runoff. In parks, there may also be community rules about placement, setbacks or exterior changes, so it helps to check with park management early.

Incentives for manufactured homes

PSE has offered enhanced heat pump rebates for manufactured homes; we confirm current amounts. Seattle City Light, Tacoma Power, Peninsula Light and other utilities run their own programs, and eligibility often depends on what the home heats with now. We check what applies and handle the paperwork.

Permits

Most HVAC replacements in the Puget Sound area need a mechanical permit, and many need an electrical permit too. Seattle permits run through the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI); Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond and the other Eastside cities run their own permit desks, and some smaller jurisdictions use Washington's Department of Labor & Industries for electrical. Permit fees and inspection scheduling vary by city, so a quote that skips them isn't really comparable to one that includes them. Manufactured homes may also have specific rules for alterations, which we account for when we pull permits.