Pacific Air Comfort replaced my worn-out Lennox heat pump system with a two and a half ton Payne unit and new Mortex coil for a total of $2,757. How? First of all, $4,000 of the total cost of $6,757 was paid by the Energy Trust of Oregon, which works with Pacific Power to reduce energy usage in Oregon so that they don't have to build additional power plants. Most of the HVAC companies in the area could access this special program for manufactured homes, but the sales people I talked with told me I didn't qualify because I already had a heat pump. Technically, I did, but it was on its very last legs and running almost totally on the backup electric furnace. Salesman James Keil went the extra mile for me and filed for an exemption. Meanwhile, I also talked with three different people at the Energy Trust, because the whole deal sounded too good to be true. It turned out to be totally legit. They had access to the past utility bills from Pacific Power, and could tell something had gone drastically wrong with my old heat pump. They encouraged other companies to file for exemptions too, since they can always turn them down. James just seems to understand this process better than anyone else. My cost was also held down by the fact that Pacific Air had originally converted my forced-air electric furnace into a heat pump system in 2008. This time, they only needed to replace the worn-out units with nearly identical components. It was really just plug-and-play for the two installers. They completed the whole project by early afternoon and cleaned up nicely after themselves. They even spotted a leak in a washing machine valve that I hadn't noticed. The installation definitely rated five stars, and the equipment is working perfectly so far. So why not five stars across the board? Without the $4,000 from the Energy Trust, I thought Pacific Air's bid was a little high. It originally contained a $750 allowance for an electrician, but I was told that wouldn't be charged if an electrician was not needed. Yet, shortly after the installation, they shot a bill out to me that still had the $750 charge in it. James cleared that up for me, but I'd still encourage people to get several bids from the main HVAC companies. For $6,757, I could have had equipment that was a step above the Payne unit, or similarly rated units for a thousand or so dollars less. At $2,757, however, the decision was a no-brainer. This was still quality equipment with very professional installation. Not everyone will qualify, however, and the process of going through the Energy Trust can take time. James first came out with his bid on Feb.13. It was installed on April 19. Part of the delay was that James sells in Roseburg, Eugene and Coquille, making him so busy that at one point he got me mixed up with another customer and thought I had bought from another company. Then everything had to start over. We didn't actually sign a contract until March 20. My advice is to stay patient, and call James about once a week just to touch bases. He usually answers phone calls promptly, but sometimes you have to call the main office just to figure out where he is working that week. Do your homework, don't be impatient, stay on top of things, and you may get a five-star experience from Pacific Air Comfort. read more