Pinole Project: Asbestos Duct Removal + Carrier Heat Pump Installation

The Situation: A Furnace at the End of Its Life

When a Pinole homeowner called Galaxy, they already knew they were facing a major project. Their gas furnace was decades old — well past the typical 20-year service life — and had been showing signs of failure for two seasons. What they didn't anticipate was what we found during our inspection.

The duct system running through the crawlspace under the house and up into the attic was wrapped in original duct insulation from the era when asbestos was a standard building material. For homes in Pinole and across West Contra Costa County built before 1980, this is not unusual — asbestos was widely used in duct insulation, pipe wrap, and floor tiles throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

The ductwork itself was in poor condition. The supply and return plenums — the main distribution boxes that connect the air handler to all the branch ducts — were visibly rusted and deteriorating. Even if we could have worked around the asbestos issue, the structural condition of the plenums made the entire duct system a liability.

This homeowner faced a clear choice: patch a failing system around a hazardous material, or do it right. They chose right.

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Step One: Licensed Asbestos Abatement

Galaxy does not perform asbestos abatement, and neither should any HVAC contractor.

Disturbing asbestos-containing material without proper containment, protective equipment, and disposal protocols is illegal and dangerous. We referred the homeowner to a licensed California asbestos abatement contractor who handled the removal under strict regulatory compliance:

• Full containment of the work areas (crawlspace and attic)
• Negative air pressure with HEPA filtration
• Wet removal methods to suppress fiber release
• Proper bagging, labeling, and disposal at a licensed facility
• Air clearance testing before releasing the space

Once the abatement contractor issued the all-clear, our crew was authorized to begin the HVAC work. This handoff — from abatement clearance to HVAC installation — is the correct sequence, and it's non-negotiable for the safety of everyone involved, including our technicians.

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Step Two: Full Duct System Replacement

With the old asbestos-wrapped ducts gone and the space cleared, Galaxy installed a complete new duct system. The scope:

• 13 new duct runs — supply and return branches serving all rooms in the home
• New supply plenum — fabricated to match the new air handler dimensions and airflow requirements
• New return plenum — sized for proper static pressure and balanced return air
• All new duct connections, boots, and registers

The Crawlspace Challenge

The ducts under the house ran through a tight crawlspace — the kind where technicians work on their backs, moving inch by inch, fighting limited visibility and confined quarters. This is not glamorous work, but it is critical. Poorly installed crawlspace ducts are one of the most common causes of HVAC inefficiency: leaky duct connections in an unconditioned crawlspace can waste 20-30% of your heating and cooling before air ever reaches a room.

Our crew sealed every connection with mastic sealant and metal tape, tested for leaks, and insulated all new runs to current California Title 24 standards. Every duct terminating in the crawlspace is now properly supported, sealed, and thermally protected.

The Attic Work

The attic duct runs presented a different challenge: high summer temperatures in a tight space, combined with the need to carefully navigate around roof trusses and existing insulation. We installed R-8 insulated flex duct throughout the attic runs and secured all connections to prevent the vibration-related loosening that degrades system performance over time.

New Plenums

The original plenums were fabricated sheet metal that had been in service for decades. Rust and physical deterioration had compromised their structural integrity and allowed unconditioned air to bypass the filter and circulate through the system. We fabricated and installed new galvanized steel supply and return plenums, properly sized for the Carrier equipment and sealed at every joint.

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Step Three: Carrier 37MUHAQ48AA3 Heat Pump Installation

With a full, clean duct system in place, we installed the new heating and cooling equipment.

Carrier 37MUHAQ48AA3 — Outdoor Unit

The Carrier 37MUHAQ48AA3 is a 4-ton (48,000 BTU) variable-speed inverter heat pump from Carrier's Crossover series — one of the most capable residential heat pump platforms available.

Key specifications:

• Capacity: 4 tons / 48,000 BTU
• Refrigerant: R-454B (Puron Advance) — 75% lower global warming potential than R-410A
• Compressor: Variable-speed inverter — continuously adjusts output from partial to full capacity to match exact load conditions
• Efficiency: High SEER2 rating for cooling; strong HSPF2 for heating
• Cold-weather performance: Maintains effective heating output at low ambient temperatures — well below anything Pinole's climate demands
• Sound levels: Engineered for quiet operation — notably quieter than conventional single-speed units at part load

For this Pinole home's square footage and climate profile, the 4-ton capacity was the correct Manual J load calculation result. Oversizing a heat pump in a mild coastal climate causes short-cycling, humidity problems, and premature wear — we always size to the load, not to the maximum the homeowner will allow.

Carrier 45MUHA — Air Handler

The Carrier 45MUHA air handler is the indoor counterpart to the 37MUHAQ outdoor unit. Variable-speed ECM motor technology allows the air handler to operate at the airflow rate the system demands — not just "on" or "off" — which dramatically improves both comfort and efficiency.

Key capabilities:

• Variable-speed ECM motor for precise airflow control
• Compatible with the 37MUHAQ outdoor unit for matched system performance
• Designed for installation in multiple orientations — critical for this project's layout
• Quiet operation at low speeds (most of the time, for most of the day)
• Integrated controls communicate with the outdoor unit for optimized efficiency

The air handler was installed in the mechanical area of the home, connected to the new supply and return plenums. Refrigerant lines were run and charged to factory specifications by our EPA 608-certified technicians.

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The 4-Day Project Timeline

Day 1 — Abatement (licensed contractor) The abatement company contained, removed, and disposed of all asbestos-containing duct materials from the crawlspace and attic. Air clearance testing confirmed the all-clear by end of day.

Day 2 — Crawlspace Ductwork Our crew spent a full day in the crawlspace installing the primary duct runs under the house — sealed, insulated, and supported properly. New return plenum fabricated and installed.

Day 3 — Attic Ductwork + Plenums Attic duct runs completed. Supply plenum installed. All duct connections sealed and tested. Rough-in work for equipment mounting completed.

Day 4 — Equipment Installation + Commissioning Carrier outdoor unit set on new pad. Air handler installed and connected to plenums. Refrigerant lines run and charged. Electrical connections made. System commissioned, airflow verified at each register, and homeowner walkthrough completed.

Four days from first crew arrival to a fully operational, permitted heat pump system with brand-new ductwork throughout the home.

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Financing Made This Project Happen

Projects of this scope — asbestos abatement, full duct replacement, and new heat pump — represent a significant investment. This homeowner, like many, chose to use financing to make it manageable.

Galaxy works with GoGreen Financing and other programs that offer qualifying homeowners flexible payment options, often at competitive rates. The homeowner's monthly payment replaced what they had been spending on gas, repairs, and the lingering cost of an inefficient system — and in many cases the payment is comparable to or lower than those combined costs.

If the price of a necessary project is the barrier, ask us about financing when you call. It doesn't change the quality of the work or the equipment — it just changes when you pay.

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Why This Project Matters Beyond One Home

This Pinole installation represents something larger than one family's new heating system. Homes built before 1980 across Contra Costa County, Alameda County, and throughout the Bay Area contain asbestos in ducts, pipe insulation, floor tiles, and other materials. Many of those homes still have their original HVAC systems — or systems that were installed after partial updates that left the underlying duct infrastructure untouched.

If you're in a pre-1980 home and haven't had your duct system professionally evaluated, you may not know what's there. A proper inspection includes looking at the physical condition of ductwork, insulation type, plenum integrity, and static pressure — not just whether the furnace turns on.

We're not in the business of alarming homeowners. But we are in the business of telling people what we find, honestly, and helping them make good decisions with complete information.

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About the Equipment

Carrier 37MUHAQ48AA3 — 4-ton variable-speed inverter heat pump, R-454B refrigerant, Carrier Crossover series. Engineered for year-round comfort in climates exactly like the Bay Area's: mild enough for heat pump efficiency in winter, warm enough to require reliable cooling in summer.

Carrier 45MUHA — Variable-speed ECM air handler, compatible with the Carrier Crossover heat pump system. Multiple installation orientations, quiet operation, precise airflow control.

Both units are covered by Carrier's manufacturer warranty. Galaxy's 5-year labor warranty applies to all work performed on this installation.

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Serving Pinole and West Contra Costa County

Galaxy Heating & Air Conditioning serves Pinole, Hercules, Richmond, San Pablo, El Cerrito, and communities throughout West Contra Costa County. If your home has an aging furnace, deteriorating ducts, or you have any question about what materials might be in your duct system, call us for an honest assessment.

Call (925) 578-3379 or request a free estimate online.

We handle the coordination, the permitting, and the communication — so you don't have to manage multiple contractors on your own.

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Licensed CSLB #1076868 | NATE Certified | EPA 608 Certified