Is my 1970s Moraga furnace worth replacing with a heat pump?
If it is original or near it, usually yes. A new heat pump can replace both heating and cooling, and it avoids repairing aging gas equipment.
Residential HVAC · Moraga, CA
Residential HVAC & Heat Pumps in Moraga, CA
Many Moraga homes still run on their original 1960s and 70s furnaces, air conditioners and attic ducts. We replace them with properly sized heat pumps, and we fix the duct problems that made the old system uneven.
Remodels · Retrofits · Heat Pumps · Multi-Zone Systems
Project Inquiry
Inquiry Sent
Thanks — your project details are on their way to 3rdGen. We’ll review them and follow up about the next step.
- 5.0 Google Rating 5.0 out of 5 stars
- Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractor
- C-20 + C-36 Licensed & Bonded
- Serving the Bay Area since 2015
Project fit
What Moraga homeowners ask us to do
Most Moraga projects begin with an old furnace or a room that never gets comfortable. These are the six scopes we are asked about most.
-
Replacement
Replace the original furnace and AC
Take out a worn-out 1960s or 70s gas furnace and AC and install a heat pump sized from a Manual J, with permits and startup.
Replacement & conversion -
Ducts
Fix the ducts at the same time
Leaky attic ducts and undersized returns are common in Moraga. We test, seal and redesign them using Manual D rather than reconnecting the old runs.
Ducted heat pumps -
Problem rooms
Cool the bedrooms over the garage
We add returns, rebalance supplies or add a ductless head so the warmest room in the house finally keeps up.
Solve a hot room -
Remodel
Additions and kitchen-family room remodels
New floor area changes loads. We recalculate and plan duct capacity before drywall goes up.
HVAC for remodels -
Manual J
Load calculation only
Need a load report for a permit, a design team or a second opinion on a quote? We produce standalone Manual J calculations.
Manual J load calculations -
IAQ
Filtration and fresh air
Better filters and balanced ventilation for tightened-up homes and smoky days.
Ventilation & IAQ
An East Bay example
Whole-home heat pump remodel
View project →
High-end residential remodel
Hearst Remodel
This Berkeley remodel shows how we plan and install a whole-home heat pump system. It is not a Moraga job, but the load, routing and coordination steps are the same.
- Home type
- Existing home, remodel for sale
- System
- Fujitsu multi-zone ductless heat pump
- Mechanical scope
-
- · Six indoor wall units
- · Two outdoor units
- · Wall-mounted outdoor brackets
- · Refrigerant routing and field coordination
Challenge
- Existing older home with limited equipment placement options
- Outdoor units required side-yard wall bracket mounting
- Finish-sensitive interior installation
- Coordination with the general contractor’s remodel schedule
3RDGEN scope
- Six-zone ductless heat pump installation
- GC-led remodel coordination
- Permit and inspection support
- Startup as part of the completed remodel scope
Outcome
The six-zone Fujitsu ductless system was installed, permitted, inspected, and completed as part of the home’s remodel-for-sale scope — delivering zoned heating and cooling without a conventional ducted retrofit.
Representative published remodel scope — location, photos, and full details on the project page.
View projectLocal projects
Heat pump & HVAC installs for Moraga homes
Recent installs by the 3rdGen crew that serves Moraga: ducted and ductless heat pumps, air handlers and ductwork.
Why the old system struggles
A 1960s Moraga house usually has duct and insulation problems before it has an equipment problem
Moraga’s housing stock is mostly mid-century to 1980s family homes. Original systems were sized by rule of thumb, with ducts in hot attics and returns that are often too small.
That is why we start with a load calculation, an attic and duct inspection and a look at the panel. It tells us whether the house needs more capacity, better distribution or both.
With design temperatures of 29°F and 90°F, Moraga is a good fit for variable-speed heat pumps. Right-sized equipment runs quietly and holds steady temperatures instead of cycling on and off.
-
Hot attic ducts
Ducts in a Moraga attic can lose a lot of cooling before air reaches the room. Sealing and insulating them often improves comfort as much as new equipment.
-
Garage-top bedrooms
Rooms above the garage are exposed on several sides and tend to run warm. Returns and supply balance matter more than size.
-
Older panels
A 100 or 125 amp panel may not cover a heat pump plus other new loads. We check before design is final.
-
Insulation and window upgrades
Homes that have added insulation or new windows need a fresh load calculation. The old tonnage may now be too large.
Moraga heat pump planning
Moraga is a town of 1960s and 70s family homes, and most of them are ready for a better system
Moraga grew mostly after the late 1950s, with ranches, split-levels and two-story family homes around Rheem Valley, the Moraga Country Club and the Campolindo foothills. Their original furnaces and air conditioners are now at or past end of life, which makes this a good time to rethink the whole system, not just swap boxes.
Design climate · Title 24 Climate Zone 12
- Winter design temp
- 29°F
- Summer design temp
- 90°F
Moraga’s design temperatures are 29°F in winter and 90°F in summer, with a daily range near 27 degrees. Hot afternoons and cool nights suit variable-speed heat pumps, which spend most of the year at low output and still hold comfort on the hottest days.
ACCA Manual J design data · Moraga (ACCA micro-climate)
What we find inside Moraga houses
A typical Moraga home from the 1960s or 1970s has a gas furnace in the garage or a closet, an AC coil above it and metal or flex ducts in an attic that gets very hot in summer. Duct leakage and thin attic insulation are frequent culprits behind uneven rooms.
Many two-story houses have bedrooms over the garage, which are the warmest in summer and the hardest to keep comfortable. Cooling those rooms is usually a duct and return problem, not a tonnage problem.
Lots tend to be roomy, so outdoor unit placement is rarely tight. The more common constraint is the electrical panel, particularly where AC, an oven and an EV charger are all on a 100 or 125 amp service.
Why we test the existing ducts first
Before pricing anything, we look at duct leakage, insulation and return sizing. A heat pump on bad ducts delivers less than it should. Sometimes sealing and a larger return costs less than new ducts and solves the comfort problem.
Manual J after the insulation upgrade
If a Moraga homeowner is adding attic insulation or new windows, we calculate loads with the upgrades included. That often drops the required tonnage by half a ton or more compared with the old system.
Bonus rooms and garage-top bedrooms
For a hot room over the garage, we look at dedicated returns, damper balancing or a small ductless head. We compare these options against loads rather than guessing.
Panel capacity with Manual S done first
Right-sizing the equipment first tells us the actual electrical draw. That sometimes avoids a panel upgrade that an oversized system would have required.
-
Furnace and AC replacement
Replace a 20- to 40-year-old gas furnace and AC with a heat pump, tested ducts and a permit.
Replacement & conversion → -
Duct redesign for older homes
New returns, sealed trunks and balanced supplies for houses where the old duct system never worked well.
Ducted heat pumps → -
Manual J for Moraga projects
Load reports for additions, remodels and replacements, including pre- and post-insulation comparisons.
Manual J load calculations → -
Remodel and addition HVAC
Mechanical design for kitchen, family room and second-story additions common in Moraga.
HVAC for remodels → -
Financing a conversion
Ways to spread the cost of a whole-home system over time.
Financing → -
Mitsubishi Diamond Contractor installs
Factory-trained installation and extended coverage on qualifying Mitsubishi systems.
Diamond Contractor →
Permits and power in the Town of Moraga
Moraga is a town, not a city, and permits go through the Town of Moraga’s building services. We prepare the load calculation and equipment documents and show the outdoor unit location on the site plan.
Moraga customers receive generation from MCE Clean Energy, and PG&E delivers it. Federal, state and local heat pump incentives, including TECH Clean California and BayREN, come and go, so we confirm what is available when we scope your job.
Moraga areas we serve
Rheem Valley, the Moraga Center area, Campolindo, the Country Club neighborhood and the hills toward Canyon, plus Lafayette and Orinda.
Homeowner reviews
Trusted by Bay Area Homeowners
5.0
5 out of 5 stars from 207 Google reviews 207 Google reviews
-
Expand
Mitsubishi mini-split installed with outstanding care. Indoor and outdoor units done right. High efficiency meant a meaningful federal tax credit too.
-
Expand
Devin and his crew did a fantastic job installing AC for our whole house. High quality Mitsubishi equipment and a clean installation throughout.
-
Expand
Devin is meticulous, methodical, and knowledgeable. Professional crew and a heat pump install we trust completely.
Photos from the installs above
Read all 207 reviewsOur process for Moraga homes
Six steps from first visit to final inspection
We want you to know what the house needs before you see a price, so the process starts with measurement, not a sales pitch.
01 — Home visit
We inspect the attic, furnace area, ducts, panel and outdoor space, and ask which rooms are uncomfortable.
02 — Manual J
We calculate loads using current insulation and windows, plus what changes if you are upgrading them.
03 — Manual S
Equipment is selected against the load at Moraga’s design temperatures, with part-load efficiency in mind.
04 — Manual D and permit
Duct fixes and returns sized properly, and a permit package submitted to the Town of Moraga.
05 — Installation
Old equipment removed, ducts repaired, new system and electrical installed over a planned schedule.
06 — Commissioning
Airflow, static pressure and refrigerant charge checked, and results explained at handoff.
What is included
A Moraga replacement is more than an equipment swap
A full replacement usually takes in the furnace, coil, condenser, thermostat, some duct work and sometimes electrical. We handle those as one scope.
Before we leave, we confirm the system performs as designed.
Tell us about the project-
Out with the old
Furnace, coil and condenser removed and gas safely capped.
-
Duct fixes
Leaks sealed, returns improved, runs replaced where testing showed need.
-
Electrical
Dedicated circuit and disconnect added, with any panel work.
-
Verify
Airflow and refrigerant charge measured and documented.
Cost
What a Moraga system replacement costs and why it varies
For a typical Moraga home, price depends mostly on duct condition, whether there is one system or two, the panel, and how hard the attic or crawlspace is to work in. Equipment tier matters, but it is rarely the largest swing.
Scope Typical 3rdGen Project Range What drives it
Ducted heat pump, existing ducts usable $20k–$30k Equipment tier, capacity, controls, condenser location and access
Ducted heat pump + duct repair or resizing $25k–$45k Amount of ductwork replaced, crawlspace or attic access, return-air changes
Ductless multi-zone, 3–4 heads $25k–$40k Head type, line-set length, routing, concealment and finish conditions
Whole-home ducted + ductless combination $40k–$80k+ Multiple systems, zoning, ductwork, filtration, ventilation and architectural coordination
New construction system $20k–$50k+ Building size, system count, Title 24/design requirements and coordination with the build
ADU system $8k–$15k Zone count, head type, line-set routing, and whether the ADU shares the main house or stands alone
Electrical panel upgrade, when required $8k–$10k+ Service size, meter location, utility requirements and site conditions
Complex whole-home and design-build projects can exceed these ranges. Rebates and incentives may reduce your net project cost.
Project inquiry
Replacing a system in Moraga?
Tell us about the house: age, size, current system and which rooms are the problem. Photos of the furnace and panel help us a lot.
- Reviewed by a project lead, not a dispatcher
- We tell you if your scope is not a fit for us
- No high-pressure in-home sales appointment
Project Inquiry
Inquiry Sent
Thanks — your project details are on their way to 3rdGen. We’ll review them and follow up about the next step.
Project teams
Working with the people on your project
For Moraga remodels, we give builders and designers the load calculation and equipment details they need early, so plans account for the system before framing.
We work with builders and architects in Moraga and across Lamorinda, or directly with homeowners.
-
Architects
Mechanical systems coordinated around architecture, ceiling conditions, equipment locations, routing, and finish requirements.
Explore HVAC for architects -
General Contractors & Builders
Clear scope, scheduling, rough-in coordination, submittals, inspections, startup, and project handoff.
Explore HVAC for builders & GCs -
Mechanical Engineers
Field execution, equipment selection, controls coordination, submittals, installation, and commissioning aligned with the mechanical design.
Explore engineering coordination -
Homeowners
Already assembling your own project team? We can take ownership of the mechanical scope and coordinate directly with the other professionals involved.
Start a residential project
Mitsubishi Electric
Proud Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractor
As a Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractor, we design and install ducted, ductless, and multi-zone systems for Bay Area homes, with factory-trained crews and longer warranty options on qualifying residential installs.
Mitsubishi is not automatically the answer to every home. We start with what the project requires and recommend the system that makes sense.
12 Year Parts &
Compressor Warranty
12-year warranty
Extended parts & compressor coverage on qualifying Diamond installations.
Factory-trained crews
Ongoing manufacturer training on the latest hyper-heat systems.
Priority support
Direct factory escalation if anything ever needs attention.
FAQ
Common Questions
What Moraga homeowners ask about furnace replacement, ducts, panels and permits.
Do I need all new ducts?
Not always. We test leakage and airflow first. Many Moraga homes need new returns and some replaced runs, not a full duct system.
Why is the room over my garage always hot?
It has more exposed surface area and often a weak duct feed or no return. We calculate its load separately and fix the airflow or add a ductless head.
Which agency issues the permit in Moraga?
The Town of Moraga handles building permits for residential mechanical work. We provide the load calculation and equipment specs for submittal.
Does Moraga buy power from MCE?
Yes. Moraga is an MCE Clean Energy community, with PG&E handling delivery. Rebate availability varies by program, so we check current offerings.
Will I need a bigger electrical panel?
Sometimes. A right-sized heat pump may fit your current panel. We run the numbers on existing loads before recommending an upgrade.
Can I get a load calculation without replacing the system?
Yes. A standalone Manual J is useful for comparing quotes, permits or remodel planning.
Nearby service areas
Heat pump and HVAC design near Moraga
Project Inquiry
Inquiry Sent
Thanks — your project details are on their way to 3rdGen. We’ll review them and follow up about the next step.