Manufactured homes are built with supply ductwork running the
length of the home with registers installed through the floor. The furnace is
usually located in a closet in the home without a ducted return air system. Manufactured homes (new and older models) usually have a forced
air heating system (electric or gas). A heat pump can be a significant
efficiency improvement and they're easy to install. Some manufactured homes may
be uncomfortable in the summer without air conditioning. A heat pump provides
comfortable cooling in the summer as well as efficient heating in the winter. Packaged heat pumps have a condenser coil, compressor, and fan in
one unit. They can be installed in manufactured housing as an alternative to
the split-system. Most packaged units are located outside the home, but a
recent development in heat pumps is a self-contained indoor heating and cooling
unit. All of the components for heating and cooling are in a single unit
occupying the same floor space as most standard furnaces. A WORD OF WARNING: If your crawlspace skirting is not
animal-proof, stray cats or other animals can rip open the "cross-over duct"
that connects the heating system between the two sides of a double-wide home,
allowing heat to escape underneath your home. The flexible duct is commonly
just a big coil of wire with two thin layers of plastic and a bit of insulation
wrapped around it, so it is very vulnerable to animals looking for warmth.
