“The Comfort plan pays for itself in the two tune-ups alone. Furnace got flagged for a cracked ignitor in October instead of dying in January. That is the whole point.”
Two very different heating stories live in this city. New and newer homes are converting to cold-climate heat pumps, one system that heats and cools with the lowest running cost available. And the brick foursquares and rowhouses of Northside and Church Hill still run the hot water radiators they were built with, which deserve a tech who respects hydronics instead of trying to rip them out.
Kelvin staffs both benches. Tina's team designs and installs heat pump systems with real load math and honest electrical assessments. Marcus's side keeps boilers, circulators, zone valves, and radiators doing what they have done beautifully for eighty years.
Which conversation are we having?
- Electric resistance or oil heat with painful winter bills: heat pump conversation
- AC due for replacement anyway: the marginal cost of a heat pump is small
- Radiators knocking, one zone cold, pressure creeping: boiler service call
- Boiler past 25 years: modern condensing boilers cut gas use by a quarter or more
- Radiant floor dreams in a renovation: hydronics design consult
Conversions with the electrical truth attached
A heat pump proposal from us includes the panel assessment up front, because discovering you need a service upgrade after signing is how conversions go over budget. We size for Richmond's design temperature with the backup strategy named: full-capacity cold-climate unit, or dual fuel keeping your gas furnace for the coldest mornings.
Boiler work runs from same-week repairs (circulators, zone valves, expansion tanks, bleeding and balancing) to full condensing boiler changeouts with outdoor reset dialed in. Radiator systems get treated as the asset they are (all pricing illustrative).
What it costs
| Job | Rate |
|---|---|
| Cold climate heat pump systemLoad calc, panel check, full install | from $10,900 or $199/mo |
| Boiler repair visitDiagnostic waived with repair, as always | $89 + flat rate |
| Condensing boiler changeoutOutdoor reset commissioning included | from $9,800 or $179/mo |
Illustrative demo pricing. Members take 10 to 20 percent off (plan terms on the membership page).
Fair questions
Will a heat pump keep up in January?
Sized correctly, yes. Cold climate models hold capacity far below Richmond's design temperature. The ones that do not keep up are the ones sized off square footage instead of a load calculation.
Can you add AC to a radiator house?
Yes, and without wrecking the plaster: ductless heads or a compact high-velocity system pair with the boiler you keep. It is one of our favorite jobs in the older neighborhoods.
My radiators bang like a drum at 6 am. Fixable?
Almost always: trapped air, a failed vent, or condensate pooling in a steam line pitched wrong. It is a service call, not a demolition order.
Reviews
What the neighbors say
4.9 average across 2,384 reviews. Fictional reviews, illustrative of format.
“New heat pump install came in $400 under the highest quote we got, and they were the only ones who put the math of the monthly payment in writing.”
“Membership reminder texts actually work. I have not thought about my furnace filter in a year and a half, which is the greatest luxury I own.”
Pick a window. We do the rest.
Two hour arrival windows, a tech you can vet before the doorbell, and the price agreed before work starts.