When a furnace fails, homeowners are rarely in a position to be patient. The system is down, the house is uncomfortable, and the clock is running. What most people don’t expect in that moment is to have the company owner at their front door the next day, proposals in hand, ready to move.
That’s what one Seattle-area homeowner experienced after contacting Energy Works about a failed furnace, and the project that followed went well beyond a simple replacement.
“The day after we contacted them about the work, Richard Vulliet, the owner, visited our house to make plans and work up proposals. It was apparent that he knew exactly what he was doing. He quickly delivered the proposals and his team was soon in our house making it happen.” — Energy Works customer
From failed furnace to full home comfort – what the project involved
This wasn’t a single-system swap. The homeowner chose to replace a failed furnace with a ductless mini-split system; a heat pump with two indoor wall units and a smart thermostat, while simultaneously replacing an aging tankless water heater. Three separate systems, coordinated across a single project timeline.
For many HVAC companies, a project of this scope would mean multiple site visits, separate subcontractors, and a drawn-out scheduling process. Energy Works completed the full installation: removal of the old equipment, installation of the outdoor heat pump, two indoor wall units, a top-floor smart thermostat, and a new tankless water heater fitted into a very tight mechanical space, in three days.
“Took them only three days to get the old equipment out and the new units installed and running. They got the new hot water heater into a very tight spot with virtually no room to spare.” — Energy Works customer
Why the owner showing up matters on a complex job
Rich Vulliet’s personal involvement at the assessment stage is worth pausing on. In most HVAC companies of any scale, the owner is entirely removed from field operations. Estimates are handled by salespeople, installation by crews, and the owner’s involvement is limited to the back office.
Energy Works operates differently. Multiple customers across years of reviews describe Rich coming out personally for estimates, for quality checks, for emergency calls. On a project involving three systems, tight installation constraints, and a home that needs to be livable throughout, having the owner assess the job in person means the proposals reflect reality, not assumptions.
For the homeowner, that translates to something specific: the person making the plan is the same person accountable for the outcome.
Mini-split systems as a furnace replacement: what Seattle homeowners should know
The decision to replace a failed furnace with a ductless mini-split system is one more Seattle homeowners are making, and for good reason. Mini-split heat pumps provide both heating and cooling from a single system, operate efficiently in the Pacific Northwest’s mild-to-cool climate, and eliminate the need for ductwork that older Seattle homes often don’t have.
A two-zone installation (like the one described in this review, with wall units on separate floors and a smart thermostat) gives homeowners individual room control, which is particularly useful in multi-story homes where heat distribution from a single forced-air system is uneven.
The tradeoff is installation complexity. Positioning the outdoor heat pump, routing refrigerant lines, placing indoor units for optimal airflow, and integrating a smart thermostat across zones requires real planning; which is exactly why the owner’s involvement at the proposal stage made a difference here.
Tankless water heater installation: when space is the challenge
Tankless water heaters are a common addition to whole-home comfort projects, but installation isn’t always straightforward. In many Seattle-area homes (particularly older properties) the mechanical space is constrained, and fitting a tankless unit where a tank once lived requires precise planning and sometimes creative problem-solving.
The detail in this review, that the crew got the new water heater into a very tight spot with virtually no room to spare, is a small thing that signals something larger: a team that doesn’t walk away from difficult installs and doesn’t take shortcuts when the space is awkward.
Serving the greater Seattle area for multi-system HVAC projects
Whether you’re dealing with a failed furnace, an aging water heater, or considering a full transition to a ductless heat pump system, Energy Works handles multi-system projects across Edmonds, Shoreline, and the wider greater Seattle area, with the same owner involvement and crew consistency this homeowner described.
“The entire team was courteous, thoughtful, and easy to work with. We are now living better thanks to Energy Works.” — Energy Works customer
Replacing a furnace, considering a mini-split, or looking at a tankless water heater in the greater Seattle area? Contact Energy Works for a proposal. Richard Vulliet may just show up at your door the next day.