# What happens during a heat pump installation, step by step? > The heat pump installation process in Sacramento: assessment, load calculation, permit, removal, line set work, commissioning, ECC-Rater testing and the final. URL: https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-installation-process/ Learn The order a ducted heat pump job follows from the first look at the house to the final inspection, what each step depends on, and where Title 24 testing and the permit fit in. A ducted heat pump installation follows a fixed order: assess the house, size and select the system, pull the permit, remove the old equipment, set the new indoor and outdoor units, run and test the refrigerant lines, wire and commission the system, then pass Title 24 verification and the final inspection. Each step depends on the one before it, and skipping ahead is how jobs go wrong. [Tule Sacramento Heat Pump](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/) manages ducted heat pump installations across the Sacramento region, with licensed and insured contractors performing the work. The steps below are the standard trade sequence; the proposal for a specific house sets out its own scope and schedule. Key takeaways - The load calculation, duct test and panel check come first because they decide the equipment - Every installation needs a building permit; the office depends on the parcel - Refrigerant lines are brazed, pressure-tested and evacuated before any refrigerant is released into them - Commissioning sets airflow, charge, defrost and backup heat controls - An ECC-Rater verifies duct leakage, charge and airflow before the final inspection ## Before any equipment is chosen ### The site assessment The first visit gathers what the design needs: - room measurements, windows, insulation and orientation for the load calculation - the duct system: where it runs, its condition, return sizes and, ideally, a static pressure reading - the electrical panel and service size, and room for a new circuit - the outdoor location, clearances and drainage - the line-set route, condensate route and thermostat wiring ### Load calculation, then selection The load calculation sets the capacity; the capacity and the duct assessment together decide the equipment. Pick a heat pump before testing the ducts, and you can end up with one the ducts cannot feed. The [sizing guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-sizing/) explains how the calculation works. ### The proposal A complete proposal names the matched outdoor unit and indoor coil or air handler, the duct work, the electrical work, the permit and the Title 24 verification. Where SMUD’s rebate applies, it covers qualifying equipment installed by a participating contractor in the SMUD Contractor Network; rebate-qualified installations are available on request. The [quote comparison guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/how-to-compare-heat-pump-quotes/) lists what to look for. ## The permit The permit is applied for before work starts, along with the Title 24 compliance form (CF1R-ALT) that describes the alteration. | Area | How the permit is issued | | --- | --- | | City of Sacramento | Online minor permit for one- and two-family homes | | Unincorporated Sacramento County | Online application, issued automatically once paid | | Elk Grove | Online residential mechanical permit with separate HVAC replacement types | | Roseville | OPS Portal pre-application with the CF1R-ALT HVAC form; stamped plans for a new attic or roof unit | | El Dorado County | Email permit program for licensed contractors | A panel upgrade or new circuit has its own electrical permit. The [permit and Title 24 guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-permit-title-24/) covers every office. ## Removing the old system ### Refrigerant recovery The refrigerant in the old system is recovered into a cylinder with a recovery machine, never vented. Then the outdoor unit, indoor coil or air handler come out. ### In a conversion When a gas furnace is being retired, the gas supply to it is shut off and capped and the old flue opening is closed. The furnace cabinet leaves with the old coil. The [conversion service page](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/gas-furnace-to-heat-pump-conversion/) covers that scope in detail. ## Setting the new equipment ### Outdoor unit The unit goes on a level pad with the manufacturer’s clearances and drainage for defrost water. The [placement guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-placement-noise/) covers location choices. ### Indoor unit The air handler goes in the attic, garage or closet, connected to the supply plenum and return with sealed transitions. The condensate drain is run with the slope and trap it needs, and overflow protection is added where the unit sits above a finished ceiling. ## The refrigerant lines This is where an installation’s long-term reliability is decided. 1. **Run or reuse the line set.** New lines are run, or existing lines are checked for size, condition and cleanliness before reuse. 2. **Braze with nitrogen flowing.** Nitrogen inside the pipe while brazing keeps scale from forming on the inside of the joints. 3. **Pressure test.** The lines and coil are pressurized with nitrogen and checked for leaks. 4. **Evacuate.** A vacuum pump pulls air and moisture out, confirmed on a micron gauge, so no moisture is left to form acids later. 5. **Release and charge.** The refrigerant is released and the charge is adjusted to the manufacturer’s specification. New systems use A2L refrigerants such as R-454B or R-32, explained in the [R-454B guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-refrigerant-r454b/). ## Electrical and controls The outdoor unit gets its 240-volt circuit and a disconnect within sight of the unit. The air handler and any backup strips are wired, and the thermostat is connected. Title 24 requires a digital setback thermostat when refrigerant components are replaced; SMUD’s rebate requires a Wi-Fi seven-day programmable connected thermostat. See the full scope before work starts Assessment, sizing, permit and testing are set out in writing, so each step of the installation is known in advance. ## Commissioning Commissioning proves the system runs as designed. Airflow comes first, because charge readings depend on it. - **Airflow setup.** Blower speed set for the system’s capacity and the duct system, checked against static pressure, with at least 300 cfm per ton for Title 24’s charge check. - **Refrigerant charge.** Verified against the manufacturer’s method once airflow is right. - **Heating, cooling and defrost.** Both modes run and the defrost control checked. - **Backup heat.** Strip staging set and the outdoor lockout configured so strips run only when needed, as the [aux heat guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-aux-heat-defrost/) explains. - **Condensate.** Drain tested for flow. - **Thermostat.** Schedule, setback and fan settings set up and explained. ## Duct sealing and ECC-Rater verification Under Title 24, the installer seals the ducts connected to the new equipment, and an independent ECC-Rater tests duct leakage, refrigerant charge and airflow. The duct target is 10% total leakage or 7% to the outside. A failed test means more sealing and a retest. Passing results are recorded on the CF3R, which SMUD’s rebate also requires. [Heat pump ductwork](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/heat-pump-ductwork/) covers what happens when the ducts need more than sealing. ## The final inspection The building inspector checks the installation against the permit. On City of Sacramento change-outs, the permit notes that carbon monoxide and smoke alarms are required, so test them beforehand. Under SB 222, cities and counties must offer asynchronous inspections from July 1, 2027, which can change how this step is scheduled. ## Handover The walkthrough covers how the system heats, cools and defrosts, what the thermostat settings do, where the filter is and how often to change it, and what normal sounds and frost look like. Manufacturer warranty registration has its own terms, and on a SMUD rebate-qualified installation the program has the participating contractor submit the rebate. The [Sacramento cost guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-installation-cost-sacramento/) shows what each step adds to the price. To plan an installation for your house, call (916) 516-1454 or [request an estimate](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/contact/). ## Questions about this guide ### Does someone need to be home during a heat pump installation? Someone needs to give access at the start, when the old equipment comes out and indoor work begins, and again for the ECC-Rater's verification and the inspector's final, since both need to reach the air handler, ducts and outdoor unit. Heating and cooling are off for part of the work, so plan around very hot or cold days. The proposal should say when each visit is expected. ### What does commissioning a heat pump involve? Commissioning is the startup check that proves the system works as designed. It covers airflow and blower settings, refrigerant charge against the manufacturer's specification, operation in heating and cooling, a defrost check, backup heat staging and outdoor lockouts, condensate drainage, and the thermostat setup. Title 24 then has an ECC-Rater verify the charge, airflow and duct leakage independently. ### Why does the ECC-Rater come after the installer has finished? Because the rater verifies the finished result. Title 24 has the installer seal the ducts and set the charge, then requires an independent ECC-Rater to test duct leakage, refrigerant charge and airflow and register the results. A passing CF3R record is needed before the permit can close, and SMUD's rebate depends on it too. Want this answered for your house? Call with your current system, the rooms that bother you and your ZIP code. ## More guides - Learn [What does a heat pump permit in Sacramento involve, and what does Title 24 check?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-permit-title-24/)The permit office for each part of the region, what the City of Sacramento's standard change-out permit allows, every Title 24 test a change-out carries, and how SB 222 reshapes permits from 2027. - Learn [How is a heat pump sized for a Sacramento home?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-sizing/)How a load calculation turns your house, your town's design temperatures and your ducts into a capacity, why the old condenser's tonnage is a poor guide, and what Title 24 and the City permit allow. - Learn [How do you compare heat pump quotes in Sacramento?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/how-to-compare-heat-pump-quotes/)A line-by-line checklist for putting bids side by side, the questions that expose a missing scope, what the SMUD rebate wording should say, and how to use SMUD's published median as a sanity check. - Learn [What does the switch to R-454B refrigerant mean for a heat pump?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-refrigerant-r454b/)Why new heat pumps use A2L refrigerants such as R-454B and R-32, what that changes about coils, line sets and indoor safeguards, and how to think about repairing or replacing an older R-410A system. - Cost Guide [How much does heat pump installation cost in Sacramento?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-installation-cost-sacramento/)Typical Sacramento-area ranges for ducted heat pump jobs, the public figures inside a price, permit fees by jurisdiction, the parts only a site visit can price, and which incentives are still open.