Deliver High Performance Heat Pump Retrofits w/ David Richardson

Host Brian Orr introduces David Richardson’s presentation from the 2026 HVACR Training Symposium, which is about delivering high-performance heat-pump retrofits rather than simply installing heat-pump equipment. Richardson says the session is not a step-by-step installation checklist; it is about positioning a company in a changing market. He asks attendees who offers heat pumps, including cold-climate models, and explains that his perspective comes from being a Kentucky contractor’s son who has never lived in a home without a heat pump. He promises five practical tips, audience engagement, and a focus on making the equipment perform as intended.

Richardson opens with Olympic rifle shooter Matt Emmons, who won multiple gold medals in 2004 but finished last in the three-position event despite hitting the bullseye on every shot. Emmons had concentrated so intensely through his scope that he failed to notice he was firing at the bullseye in the neighboring lane. Richardson compares this with HVAC contractors who may perform precise work on the wrong objective. Heat pumps, he argues, should not be treated as the target; the customer’s desired outcome is the target, surrounded by related factors such as ducts, airflow, insulation, equipment placement, noise, safety, and education.

Richardson recalls early WeatherTron heat pumps, which helped create today’s poor reputation because many first-generation systems were installed badly. Marketing in the late 1970s presented heat pumps as almost magical: they could produce heat from cold air, provide cooling in humid weather, save 30–60% on utility bills, and reduce fuel scarcity during the oil embargo and energy crisis. He warns that the industry still uses similar marketing and may repeat the same failure if heat pumps are sold as a cure-all. “Free heat pump” promotions will eventually eliminate heat pumps as a differentiator, so contractors need a broader package of verified design, installation, and service quality.

Richardson distinguishes HVAC equipment from the HVAC system. A heat pump is merely a component that anyone can offer, while the system includes the connected ductwork, building, presentation, installation quality, and customer experience. He cites average installations at roughly 57% performance, with code-approved work adding only about 6%, while a high-performance retrofit aims for 88% or better and can approach 100% when duct location and other conditions allow. Performance depends on design, craftsmanship, communication, and verification. Richardson calls the documented result a “craftsmanship receipt,” using tools such as the TrueFlow grid, MeasureQuick, and connected probes instead of relying only on the equipment’s laboratory efficiency label.

Richardson’s first tip is to identify what the customer is actually trying to accomplish and establish expectations early. A homeowner replacing gas heat may be unfamiliar with heat-pump behavior, including the sound and appearance of a defrost cycle, while someone replacing an existing heat pump has different concerns. Contractors should ask questions rather than assume the reason for the replacement. He also warns against automatically specifying oversized equipment: an oversized inverter can become “the most expensive single-stage equipment you can buy,” and variable capacity does not eliminate the need for accurate load calculations. Comfort complaints may point to ducts or the building rather than insufficient equipment size.

Richardson says contractors should not accept responsibility for a bad duct system merely because they are replacing the heat pump. The starting point is PAT—pressure, airflow, and temperature. Static pressure is the system’s “blood pressure,” but total external static pressure alone can miss disconnected trunks or other defects, so pressure drops across filters, coils, and ducts may also be necessary. Airflow should be measured rather than estimated from fan tables, especially on dirty existing systems; a TrueFlow grid can measure fan or system airflow. Temperature measurements can reveal duct losses, such as a 55-degree furnace rise becoming only 35 degrees in the conditioned space.

Richardson argues that contractors must also avoid inheriting a bad building. He compares the building to a duct system: floors, walls, and ceilings function like ducts; insulation is still insulation; and interior doors act as conditions-based dampers affecting room pressures. A perfect HVAC installation can perform poorly inside a leaky or poorly insulated structure. Contractors can use visual clues, room-pressure measurements, blower doors, and thermal-imaging cameras, but should explain findings in customer-friendly terms rather than opening with technical measurements such as Pascals. He recommends asking questions that help homeowners connect symptoms—such as black streaks under doors or uncomfortable rooms—to airflow and building conditions.

Richardson says contractors should make the homeowner a participant and detective instead of excluding them from the work. A flow hood, thermal camera, or other safe instrument can let customers see that a register is delivering too little air or that a building has leakage. He cautions that “a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention,” so technicians should focus on one concern at a time and translate measurements into familiar comparisons, such as static pressure and blood pressure. MeasureQuick’s color-coded graphs can help convert complex data into understandable results. Once problems are demonstrated, the customer decides whether to accept a basic result or pay for improvements.

Richardson’s fifth tip is to document a company-wide process that can be repeated and scaled, rather than relying on one talented employee. The process begins with a customer discussion, then branches according to factors such as gas-to-electric conversion versus heat-pump replacement. Contractors may offer a basic retrofit with verification or an advanced retrofit involving more extensive duct and building work, but additional testing must be priced as a service. Richardson compares this with medicine: a general physician takes standard measurements, while a specialist and advanced tests cost more. He urges companies to start internally, record mistakes, and make measured performance part of company culture.