Who AI assistants recommend for heat pump installation

1. What people actually asked
2. What your heat pump installation page has to explain
3. What the assistants looked for before recommending anyone
4. Your heat pump installation page checklist
5. Questions owners ask
6. How we got these numbers
7. See it on your own website

What people actually asked

We asked for heat pump installation in three different ways. Here is each one, word for word, with how many of the 288 answers it produced between September 4 and October 12, 2026:

• “Heat pump installation near me — I'm in Dunedin, FL 34698. Who do you recommend?”104 answers
• “I'm looking to get heat pump installation done in 33755 in the next few weeks. Who should I get quotes from?”104 answers, asked with five different timings: next month, in the next few weeks, before the end of the month, sometime this month and in two weeks
• “Who should I call for heat pump installation in Largo, FL 33770?”80 answers

Together, the 288 answers covered eight towns in Pinellas County: Clearwater, Dunedin, Largo, Palm Harbor, Pinellas Park, Seminole, St. Petersburg and Tarpon Springs. Each town came up in 36 answers. By assistant: ChatGPT 112, Claude 104 and Google AI Mode 72.

Customers also call it “heat pump replacement”, “new heat pump installation” or “dual fuel heat pump installation”, so use those words on the page as well.

The question underneath all of them

“What will change if I install a heat pump?” The customer's existing system and proposed installation scope shape the questions the page needs to answer.

What your heat pump installation page has to explain

A heat pump does the work of both the AC and the heater, so assistants told customers to compare both ratings on every quote. They asked for the brand, the model numbers, and the cooling and heating efficiency ratings. Some told customers to ask for the matched-system certificate number. A page that shows what a real heat pump quote lists helps customers compare like with like.

What changes depends on what the home has now. Assistants told customers to ask whether the job is a straight swap of an existing heat pump, or whether ductwork, the electrical panel or the thermostat must change. Many said to ask for a load calculation instead of copying the old unit's size. A completed installation showing the original setup and the confirmed work makes this concrete.

Money questions came up beyond the price. Many answers told customers to ask about utility rebates and federal tax credits, and whether the installer handles the paperwork. Assistants could not confirm which incentives were current, so they sent customers to ask. Some also told customers to ask whether the installer is an authorized dealer, since manufacturer warranties may depend on it.

What the assistants looked for before recommending anyone

We read all 288 answers to see what the assistants looked for before naming a company for heat pump installation, what they told the customer to ask, and what they said they couldn’t find.

What the assistants told customers to ask

Most common first:

Does the quote list the equipment and both efficiency ratings?

Most answers told customers to get the brand, model numbers and efficiency ratings in writing. For a heat pump, assistants asked for both the cooling and the heating rating, and some said the ratings decide whether a rebate applies.

61% of the answers (175 of 288) brought this up.

What do the labor and equipment warranties cover?

Assistants told customers to ask about the installer's labor warranty as well as the manufacturer's equipment warranty. Some said to ask whether the installer is an authorized dealer and registers the warranty, since the manufacturer's terms may depend on it.

50% of the answers (143 of 288) brought this up.

Ask about the labor warranty as well as the manufacturer's equipment warranty.

Is the heat pump sized to the house?

Many answers told customers to ask for a load calculation, often called Manual J, before accepting a size. They warned against copying the old unit's size, and some asked for the calculation in writing.

48% of the answers (137 of 288) brought this up.

Ask whether the quote includes a load calculation and a ductwork inspection.

Which ducts, wiring and controls will change?

Assistants told customers to ask whether the quote is a straight swap or needs duct changes, electrical upgrades or a new thermostat. These changes depend on the home's existing system and can add both cost and time.

40% of the answers (114 of 288) brought this up.

Confirm whether the quote is a straight heat pump swap or if ductwork will need modification.

Who pulls the permit and handles the inspection?

Answers told customers to ask whether the permit is in the price and who pulls it and handles the inspection. Customers with a deadline also asked whether permit timing would delay the job.

39% of the answers (112 of 288) brought this up.

Ask who pulls the permit and handles the inspection.

Will the installer help with rebates and tax credits?

Many answers told customers to ask about utility rebates and federal tax credits for heat pumps. Assistants could not confirm which were available now, so they told customers to ask each installer and whether it handles the paperwork.

35% of the answers (102 of 288) brought this up.

Ask about utility rebates and federal tax credits.

What the assistants couldn’t find

In 41 of the 288 answers, the assistant said it couldn’t find or confirm something it needed about a company. By assistant: Claude in 40 of its 104, ChatGPT in 1 of its 112 and Google AI Mode in 0 of its 72. As we asked it, Claude usually says what it couldn’t confirm; ChatGPT and Google AI Mode seldom do, so these counts mostly show what Claude couldn’t find. Most often:

• A phone number or other way to reach the company: 32 answers
• When the company could do the work: 4 answers
• Whether the company serves the customer’s town or ZIP code: 3 answers
• Reviews it could check: 3 answers

Phone numbers were by far what assistants most often could not find for this job, and some could not confirm a company installs heat pumps at all. A page that names heat pump installation and gives a working number answers both.

I didn't find their phone numbers or confirm that they install heat pumps, so ask when you call.

Where the assistants sent people

Each answer linked to the pages the assistant relied on. Of the 216 ChatGPT and Claude answers about heat pump installation, this is how many linked at least once to each kind of site:

• A contractor’s own website: 97% (209 answers)
• A directory or review site such as Yelp, Angi or the BBB: 69% (150 answers)
• A manufacturer or home-improvement guide: 37% (79 answers)
• An official license lookup: 12% (26 answers)
• A Google search or Maps page: 1% (3 answers)

A contractor’s own website was the page linked most often, so your site is usually what the customer is sent to read.

Google AI Mode works differently. In 83% of its 72 answers, the links opened Google’s own listing for a business rather than a website. There, your Google Business Profile is the page the customer sees, so it needs the same facts as your site.

The checks behind every recommendation, applied to heat pump installation

Can the customer reach a person?

Phone numbers were what assistants most often could not find. Many left numbers out rather than guess, and sent customers to company listings.

32 of the 288 answers about heat pump installation, 32 of them from Claude, said the assistant couldn’t confirm this. In our July–August study across eight trades, it cost a business its place in 147 of the 290 conversations where it came up.

Can you schedule the job when the customer needs it?

Some customers had a deadline, such as the end of the month. Assistants told them to ask for the earliest install date and whether the right size of equipment is in stock.

4 of the 288 answers about heat pump installation, 3 of them from Claude, said the assistant couldn’t confirm this. In our July–August study across eight trades, it cost a business its place in 185 of the 657 conversations where it came up.

Do you serve the customer’s town or ZIP code?

For an installation, coverage means the company does in-home estimates and installs at the customer's address. Some answers found nothing specific to the customer's ZIP code.

3 of the 288 answers about heat pump installation, 3 of them from Claude, said the assistant couldn’t confirm this. In our July–August study across eight trades, it cost a business its place in 350 of the 554 conversations where it came up.

Source: How we research what AI assistants recommend.

Your heat pump installation page checklist

Work through this list on your heat pump installation page. Each item answers something the assistants looked for above.

1. Use “heat pump installation”, “heat pump replacement” or “new heat pump installation” in the page title, the main heading and the first paragraph.
2. Say which brands you install, and show that every quote lists model numbers and both cooling and heating efficiency ratings.
3. State your labor warranty, whether you register the equipment warranty, and which brands you are authorized to install.
4. Explain how you size a heat pump, and say whether a written load calculation is part of every quote.
5. Say how you assess the existing ducts, electrical panel and thermostat, and list which changes your quotes include.
6. Say that you pull the permit, whether its cost is in the quote, and how long the permit and inspection usually take.
7. Say which rebates and tax credits your heat pumps usually qualify for, and whether you file the paperwork for the customer.
8. Put a working phone number and an estimate request form on the heat pump installation page.
9. Say how soon an estimate can happen and the usual time from signed quote to installation.
10. List the towns and ZIP codes where you do heat pump estimates and installations.

Going further: let assistants see real openings

For planned work like heat pump installation, a useful opening says whether it is for an assessment or the job itself, and whether the customer’s address is covered.

Merchant Context builds custom integrations with scheduling software so customers and AI assistants can read your current availability. Where your system records the job type, service area, duration and crew capacity, the integration can show those details with each opening, so an assistant can match it to the request instead of guessing.

We scope each connection to the software and data you actually have. A displayed opening is not a confirmed booking: the customer still confirms through your normal booking process, and the information is only useful while it is fresh.

Source: Merchant Context: custom integrations in the AEO service · checked 2026-10-14.

Questions owners ask

What changes when I install a heat pump?

It depends on the home's existing system. Assistants told customers to ask whether the job is a straight swap or needs duct changes, electrical upgrades or a new thermostat. The page should explain how the company assesses the existing setup.

Do heat pumps qualify for rebates or tax credits?

Many answers told customers to ask about utility rebates and federal tax credits, but could not confirm which were current. They said to ask each installer what applies and whether it handles the paperwork. The page should say what it helps with.

What should a heat pump installation quote include?

Answers told customers to look for model numbers, cooling and heating efficiency ratings, a load calculation, the permit, duct and electrical changes, and labor and equipment warranties. The page should show what its own quotes list.

Which AI assistants did you test?

ChatGPT, Claude and Google AI Mode. Between September 4 and October 12, 2026, they answered 288 questions about heat pump installation: ChatGPT 112, Claude 104, Google AI Mode 72.

Will these changes guarantee a recommendation?

No. Nobody can promise that. These changes supply what the assistants were looking for in our research. Whether they move recommendations for your business is something to measure after they go live.

See it on your own website

Send us your website address and we’ll make a free preview of your homepage, rewritten so customers and assistants can find your heat pump installation answers. You pay only if you accept it: $2,000 a month, month to month, with no build fee.

Get your free homepage preview

Source: Merchant Context: the current website offer · checked 2026-10-14.

Keep reading

• AI search optimization and websites for HVAC companies.
• Which services need their own page on a contractor website?