Location: 10th Ave NW, Shoreline, WA 98177
Call received: March 12, 2026
First visit: March 13, 2026
Project completion: March 14, 2026
Lead technician: Serge Nikolin, co-founder of Product Air Heating, Cooling and Electric, 12 years of HVAC experience
System before: Lennox heat pump (15+ years old), Rheem water heater of the same age
System after: Mitsubishi Electric Smart Multi, relocated air handler, new Rheem water heater, zoning controls
The Context: Our Customer Already Had a Proposal from Another Contractor
When Matthias called Product Air Heating, Cooling and Electric on March 12, he already had a proposal sitting on his desk from the company that had been servicing his home for years. The logical move would have been to accept it. Familiar contractor, familiar terms, familiar service.
But Matthias didn’t call us to compare prices. He called for a second opinion to determine whether the proposal he was holding was actually the right one for his home.
Serge, one of the co-founders of Product Air, came out the very next day.
Three Problems That Were Bothering Our Customer
Before talking about solutions, Serge did what our team always does: the one thing that determines the outcome of every project. He listened carefully.
Matthias shared his concerns and his plans for the future.
The first problem was noise. The old system ran loudly, especially in the evenings. Matthias had put up with that noise for years, and he was so worn out by it that in recent months it had become one of the biggest sources of frustration in his home.
The second was uneven heating. Some rooms were cool, while others were stuffy. The main living area suffered the most from this: at times it was too hot, and at others, too cold. It was impossible to regulate the temperature properly, as the entire system operated as a single zone for the house.
Those were the two problems Matthias wanted solved first.
But on top of that, he mentioned that he and his family were planning to add on to their home in the near future. He needed a system with enough capacity to handle the additional square footage as well.
“I always look ahead, and I always invest with the long view in mind, thinking about what’s coming. So I want new equipment that lets me expand the house, with enough capacity to heat the addition. I don’t want to find myself replacing things again in two years,” Matthias explained.
System Diagnostics and a Look at Supporting Equipment
After the conversation, Serge walked through the home and inspected the existing equipment. The reasons behind the family’s discomfort became clear.
What Serge found in the heating system:
- The Lennox heat pump had been running for over 15 years, well past the heart of its expected service life
- The air handler was installed in a closet right inside the living area, structurally, the main source of noise in the home
- The system ran on a single zone with no zoning, which is why the main living area swung between hot and cold
- The current capacity wouldn’t be enough for the planned addition
As standard practice, when we inspect a system, we also evaluate the electrical work. Product Air Heating, Cooling and Electric holds the necessary electrical licenses, and a complete home walkthrough is part of our operating procedures. We also evaluate the condition of related equipment, including the water heater.
The home’s electrical system was in good shape and properly installed. No issues there.
The Rheem water heater, on the other hand, raised a concern for Serge. Especially once it became clear that, like the heating system, it was already 15 years old.
When that hit Matthias, he asked how much longer the water heater might last. Serge told him the most likely outcome was failure within the next few years. The darkened fittings and visible signs of wear on the housing all pointed to a unit well past its prime.
That’s when Matthias asked the natural follow-up question:
“If we replace the heating system and the water heater at the same time, would that be cheaper than doing them separately?”
Serge said yes, and walked him through the logic:
“When we do everything as one project, it’s one trip out, one setup, fewer team hours. Doing them separately, a year apart, always costs more. Another truck roll, another startup, another scheduling round with you. One project, one price. Two separate projects always cost more than doing it all at once.”
Matthias paused on that and realized that the first company, the one that had been servicing his system and had put together the replacement proposal, hadn’t asked that question at all.
Four Heat Pump Replacement Options Instead of One “Right Answer”
As always, Serge didn’t push a single “right” solution. The way he does it with every customer is by putting together four packages with different scopes, prices, and opportunities of comfort. He walked Matthias through the logic of each one. What’s included, what’s not, the upsides, and the trade-offs.
“My job isn’t to sell the most expensive system. My job is to give the customer the full picture, so they can make their own decision. When someone chooses with their eyes open, they don’t second-guess it later,” Serge said.
Matthias studied all four options and landed on the top-tier package. Because he saw the full picture, he made the best call for his family in 2026. Yes, he could have picked a more budget-friendly option. But those wouldn’t have delivered the level of comfort his home needed, and they wouldn’t have solved the problems he had been living with on the old system.
The Solution: Relocating the Air Handler from the Living Area to the Crawl Space and Reducing HVAC Noise in the Home
The package was designed so that every line item in the estimate addressed one of the customer’s stated problems.
| Customer Concern | Technical Solution |
| System noise | Mitsubishi Electric Smart Multi (a quieter, modern system), plus relocating the air handler from the living area to the crawl space |
| Uneven heating in the main living area | Zoning controls, with a dedicated thermostat and adjustment for each zone |
| Future home addition | Mitsubishi Electric Smart Multi system, sized with extra capacity to handle additional square footage |
| Aging water heater | Rheem was replaced as part of the same project, with no second crew callout |
The key engineering move was relocating the air handler. Most contractors, including the one who had given Matthias his original proposal, would have swapped in a new unit in the same closet inside the living area. Serge proposed physically moving it into the crawl space. That meant additional work and additional cost, but it produced a result that a straight equipment swap simply couldn’t deliver.
“We could have set the new air handler in the same spot. It would have been faster and easier. But the customer reported noise. And an air handler in a closet inside the living area is going to be noisy, no matter how quiet the unit is. Moving it to the crawl space takes one more noise source out of the home for good,” Serge said.
Heat Pump Installation in Shoreline, WA: Installed in a Day and a Half on March 13 and 14
Even at the scale of this project, our crew got it done in a day and a half. Here’s what we completed in that time:
- Removed the outdoor unit and the old Lennox air handler from the living area
- Prepped the new install location in the crawl space
- Mounted the new air handler in the crawl space with vibration isolation
- Set the Mitsubishi Electric Smart Multi outdoor unit on vibration isolation pads
- Replaced the Rheem water heater
- Configured and tested the zoning controls
Every step was reviewed with the customer. Final walkthrough on March 14.
How Much Does Mitsubishi Electric Smart Multi Installation with Water Heater Replacement Cost in Western Washington?
A solution comparable to what we built for Matthias — Mitsubishi Electric Smart Multi heat pump installation, air handler relocation, Rheem water heater replacement, and zoning controls — runs Western Washington homeowners between $30,000 and $38,000. The exact number depends on how much our team has to solve on the specific property. Equipment placement, the condition of the existing infrastructure, the home’s layout, and the size of the zoning areas all play a role.
Matthias invested in a complete solution and in raising the quality of life for his family, with a 20+ year service horizon. He got warranties from Product Air and Mitsubishi Electric, and he got a Tech Brother From Another Mother in Serge and the rest of the Product Air team. From here on out, he tells us his electrical and HVAC questions will be handled by Product Air.
“I thought I was just replacing a heat pump. What I got was a system that closes out every question about the house for at least the next twenty years. That’s a completely different conversation,” Matthias said.
Why a Second Opinion from Product Air Matters for Western Washington Homeowners
We’re sharing this story because we want Western Washington homeowners to understand one simple thing. A second opinion from Product Air Heating, Cooling and Electric often reveals that contractors are taking the fast money path, not the path of solving the customer’s problem the right way.
They just want to make the sale.
We treat our customers like family. For us, it isn’t about the money. It’s about solving the problem. Not for a year. For decades.
That’s why Serge asked about the water heater. That’s why he offered four options instead of one. That’s why he relocated the air handler to the crawl space instead of leaving it in the closet. And that’s why Matthias, who already had a proposal from another contractor on his desk, picked us.
Key Takeaways for Homeowners in Seattle and Western Washington
- If your HVAC system is 15+ years old, check the age of your water heater at the same time. They’re almost always installed together.
- Uneven heating is more often a zoning problem than a capacity problem.
- System noise isn’t something you have to live with. It comes down to choosing the right equipment and placing it correctly.
- Replacing several pieces of equipment as one project is cheaper than replacing them one at a time over a year or two.
- If a contractor only offers one option without walking you through alternatives, call Product Air Heating, Cooling and Electric for a second opinion.
Product Air Heating, Cooling and Electric. HVAC and electrical service in Seattle and Western Washington. We don’t sell equipment. We solve problems for the whole home, the way a Tech Brother From Another Mother would.