Compliance of heat pump installations to Guidelines for Application and Installation of Heat Pump Systems by approved heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) contractors has been observed for many years in most regions of Alabama. Since 1964, various programs have been implemented to monitor dealer compliance with commonsense criteria to ensure quality heat pump installations that provide for customer comfort, equipment reliability, and economy of operation. Discusses a historical overview of these programs. The primary focus is on the summary for programs implemented in 1995 and 1996 to observe and monitor field problems in application and installation of heat pump equipment. An electronically filed "customer satisfaction survey form" was the basis for the 1995 program. The 1996 program implemented a "dealer complaint form" to track customer complaints regarding the quality and performance of heat pump equipment installations.

KEYWORDS: year 1997, Quality control, domestic, heat pumps, installing, USA, performance, computer programs, history