OT - Heat pumps

Botch

Earlier this summer my A/C went out.  The repairman who responded was able to cull together two smaller condensers, which replaced my old/obsolete condenser and got the system back up.  He also warned me that my A/C ran on old-style freon, was 22 years old, and should be replaced soon.  He also looked at the coils/furnace interface in my basement, and warned that much of that may have to be changed, also.  
 
Today, got an email from the same (established) company, and they're running a special on heat pumps.  Can use much of the established system, economical, and for utard the recommended system was a heat pump coupled with a small, high efficiency gas furnace (which I already have).  I had been planning on replacing the A/C unit this fall anyway.  And, they offered free groceries, gas cards, tax credits, rebates, small islands close to Italy, etc based on what I bought, my location, shoe size, etc.  
 
Will be doing some "internet research" tomorrow (I hate that term anymore, thanks Green Bay Bun-Boy) and scheduling a free estimate, but wanted to throw this out here: anyone else have a heat pump system, and how is it working for you?  
Thanks in advance.  

nolaegghead

I have some mini split inverters that are heat pumps and they work fine.  I heard the increase in mechanical complexity increases the statistical odds of failure.  If you already have a furnace I don’t think you need that increased complexity.  If the math shows big savings then may want to consider it.

dmchicago

Hold out for free pizza. 

RRP

Thanks, pal, for jumping in on here to JUST MAYBE show that this BBQ forum produces far more value to members then just smoking some cow or yard bird! 

Gulfcoastguy

I have a 17 SEER Trane heat pump with a scroll compressor. Installed in 2016. It replaced a GE dinosaur 🦕 that I figured was original to the 1972 house. It slashed my electric bill drastically. Make sure to get the one that blows in 2 speeds. 

A heat pump’s weakness is heating in very cold weather but you have a gas furnace for that.

HeavyG

Heat pumps are widely used in my area andI've had nothing but heat pumps and have always been happy with them. Our previous Trane ran about 15 years with almost no problems. We replaced it with a higher SEER Trane (old was a 14, new is a 17) a few years ago and haven't had any hiccups. Was surprised by the drop in electricity usage with the newer unit.

Our winters are generally fairly mild and our unit uses electric resistance for the backup heat part. I'm guessing your Utah winters tend to be colder so whether you have gas or electricity for backup heat might be of special interest.

Our unit generally only runs for about 7 months of the year and we're about at the point where the weather will be in the "open the windows til mid-December" point.

Perhaps @ikapigian will chime in.

alaskanassasin

Sounds like a sweet set up @Botch, I would still price check with a few other companies to make sure they are in the ball park.

billt01

Gulfcoastguy said:

I have a 17 SEER Trane heat pump with a scroll compressor. Installed in 2016. It replaced a GE dinosaur 🦕 that I figured was original to the 1972 house. It slashed my electric bill drastically. Make sure to get the one that blows in 2 speeds. 

A heat pump’s weakness is heating in very cold weather but you have a gas furnace for that.

"variable speed compressor"
21 seer Rheem / 5 1/2 ton here..
higher the seer the more money back into your pocket..
spend some to save a lot

Gulfcoastguy

billt01 said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

I have a 17 SEER Trane heat pump with a scroll compressor. Installed in 2016. It replaced a GE dinosaur 🦕 that I figured was original to the 1972 house. It slashed my electric bill drastically. Make sure to get the one that blows in 2 speeds. 

A heat pump’s weakness is heating in very cold weather but you have a gas furnace for that.

"variable speed compressor"
21 seer Rheem / 5 1/2 ton here..
higher the seer the more money back into your pocket..
spend some to save a lot

17 was pretty impressive in 2016. At that time any higher was a calculation between increased price, reduced electric usage, and reduced reliability . We can’t all drive Porsche.

Bellavista52

We have a geothermal closed loop system with three heat pumps connected to it. Have had to replace all three unit in the past 20 years, one of them twice.  All I can say is they work great for us but the whole system is very expensive!

lkapigian

Look at doing hybrid heat assuming you are gas fired heat now, eliminates the need for back up heat strips …newer heat pumps extract heat and near zero F temps just fine The COP and HSPF are nearly double from a few years back … for ever $ spent in electricity you can get close to $2.00 worth of heat…my 2 cents 

there are a lot of incentives in my area going heat pump, many areas do not allow Nat Gas in new construction anymore 

billt01

Gulfcoastguy said:

billt01 said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

I have a 17 SEER Trane heat pump with a scroll compressor. Installed in 2016. It replaced a GE dinosaur 🦕 that I figured was original to the 1972 house. It slashed my electric bill drastically. Make sure to get the one that blows in 2 speeds. 

A heat pump’s weakness is heating in very cold weather but you have a gas furnace for that.

"variable speed compressor"
21 seer Rheem / 5 1/2 ton here..
higher the seer the more money back into your pocket..
spend some to save a lot

17 was pretty impressive in 2016. At that time any higher was a calculation between increased price, reduced electric usage, and reduced reliability . We can’t all drive Porsche.

I moved from a 15 to the 21 and cost savings in the dead of winter were more than the summer..due to the heat pump working..

Gas is definitely better to deliver the heat, but dries out the air a lot. 

MotownVol

I just put in a new 16 seer Trane unit this past Monday.  Split system with gas furnace.   I priced 5 different systems and Trane was the most expensive, but not significantly more than the others.  I got 27 years out of my old Trane, so I thought if I can get 20 + years out of this one, I will be gone and the replacement of that unit will be somebody else’s problem.

paqman

If you are getting free pizza, you are paying too much!

I negotiated the price down on mine quite a bit.

Warranty and service are very important so check who will be servicing your unit in case of a problem.

AprèsSki

Botch said:

Earlier this summer my A/C went out.   He also warned me that my A/C ran on old-style freon, was 22 years old, and should be replaced soon.  He also looked at the coils/furnace interface in my basement, and warned that much of that may have to be changed, also.  
 
: anyone else have a heat pump system, and how is it working for you?  
Thanks in advance.  

I was in the exact same situation 5 years ago and was given ~18 months to get a new HVAC system. I'm local to you and got a few estimates,  Just Right Heating and Air coming through with the best options for me. With our dry air a high SEER rating is not very important and won't pay off like it does in the humid south. 

I've had the dual fuel heat pump for 4 years and it is fantastic. Had to learn to stop setting the thermometer back so far at night as heat pumps do not like to make up big temperature swings. The variable velocity fan and the not gas dried air makes the house so comfortable. I had a humidifier before (& now) but the heat pump air just feels much more comfortable. I have my gas set point at 35 which is a good cut off between gas and electric use. The installer told me that he has his at 20 he just can't set it back at night or during the day.

My only regret is that I sized my solar system before having the heat pump installed and I'm now about 10% shy of netzero. Go for it and if you don't have solar I can recommend a great salesman who has the technical background and not just someone selling a financial plan to buy someone else's panels. 

Botch

>BUMP<
 
Thanks for the input, folks.  Like too many other things I procrastinated on this, haven't purchased anything yet.
But, there was an article in the WaPo today about heat pumps, and now I'm glad I did.  This was the very last paragraph of the article:
 

Depending where you live, there may be rebates and incentives available to help defray the cost. The best place to look for those is through your local utility company. At the national level, the Inflation Reduction Act will offer up to $8,000 in rebates for purchasing a heat pump starting in 2023.

Cha-ching!  Even a blind pig finds an acorn, once in awhile!    

Gulfcoastguy

Botch said:

>BUMP<
 
Thanks for the input, folks.  Like too many other things I procrastinated on this, haven't purchased anything yet.
But, there was an article in the WaPo today about heat pumps, and now I'm glad I did.  This was the very last paragraph of the article:
 

Depending where you live, there may be rebates and incentives available to help defray the cost. The best place to look for those is through your local utility company. At the national level, the Inflation Reduction Act will offer up to $8,000 in rebates for purchasing a heat pump starting in 2023.

Cha-ching!  Even a blind pig finds an acorn, once in awhile!    

I would imagine that the $8000 is for a ground source heat pump. Probably a percentage for air sourced.

stv8r

Botch said:

>BUMP<
 
Thanks for the input, folks.  Like too many other things I procrastinated on this, haven't purchased anything yet.
But, there was an article in the WaPo today about heat pumps, and now I'm glad I did.  This was the very last paragraph of the article:
 

Depending where you live, there may be rebates and incentives available to help defray the cost. The best place to look for those is through your local utility company. At the national level, the Inflation Reduction Act will offer up to $8,000 in rebates for purchasing a heat pump starting in 2023.

Cha-ching!  Even a blind pig finds an acorn, once in awhile!    

Unfortunately no surprise here but there are income limits set but the government to qualify

Ozzie_Isaac

I have a heat pump for my pool.  It doesn't heat up near as fast or as hot as a natural gas/propane heater.  It is significantly less expensive to run though.

BlG_GREEN_DAVE

A air conditioner is a heat pump

in the winter alot of folks take there’s out. 

I just turn mine around

Legume

Ozzie_Isaac said:

I have a heat pump for my pool.  It doesn't heat up near as fast or as hot as a natural gas/propane heater.  It is significantly less expensive to run though.

ahem, you heat your pool?

shtgunal3

Legume said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

I have a heat pump for my pool.  It doesn't heat up near as fast or as hot as a natural gas/propane heater.  It is significantly less expensive to run though.

ahem, you heat your pool?

In the desert?

johnmitchell

Legume said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

I have a heat pump for my pool.  It doesn't heat up near as fast or as hot as a natural gas/propane heater.  It is significantly less expensive to run though.

ahem, you heat your pool?

With all due respect I wouldn’t haven’t expected anything less from Ozzie

Ozzie_Isaac

Legume said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

I have a heat pump for my pool.  It doesn't heat up near as fast or as hot as a natural gas/propane heater.  It is significantly less expensive to run though.

ahem, you heat your pool?

Yup, it gets very cold at night and the radiant heat loss can be pretty significant.  I prefer my pool 88+ degrees.  Extends the pool season a few months either side.

Botch

>BUMP #2<
The guys showed up just before 0800, and finally finished up at 1720 or so.  New Lennox system, the outside box is 3x the size of my old unit, but they had a pre-fab "cement" pad installed under it, perfect slope to shed the rainwater the right direction and adjusted unit feet to keep it level.  Well done.
 
The basement/heat exchanger/small gas furnace, less so.  Two of the pipes jut out a bit too much, clumsy plumbing; but I can live with it.  Air filter is much easier to change.  
 
It took them 3 hours longer than they'd hoped, and they said there were a few room registers that were closed, which made the system go into "panic shutdown mode" and it took a long time to reset; once all the registers were opened it ran fine.  This makes me uncomfortable, if I shut off a room overnight, or open a few windows to let a night-time breeze thru, will this stupid thing shut itself down again?  We'll see for the rest of the summer.  
 
Since my house hit 80˚, the system has been silent, although I stepped out and felt a slightly warm draft from the outdoor unit, the fan was running really slow, just like it was supposed to.  Anxious to see how this new stuff follows temp changes, and changes my electric bill; I may post that info in a month or two.  
 
My checkbook STILL requires an ice-pack, though.  Owch!  
 
EDIT:  Forgot to mention, I did get about $4,000 in tax credits, but it was still an Owch.  

Ozzie_Isaac

Botch said:

>BUMP #2<
The guys showed up just before 0800, and finally finished up at 1720 or so.  New Lennox system, the outside box is 3x the size of my old unit, but they had a pre-fab "cement" pad installed under it, perfect slope to shed the rainwater the right direction and adjusted unit feet to keep it level.  Well done.
 
The basement/heat exchanger/small gas furnace, less so.  Two of the pipes jut out a bit too much, clumsy plumbing; but I can live with it.  Air filter is much easier to change.  
 
It took them 3 hours longer than they'd hoped, and they said there were a few room registers that were closed, which made the system go into "panic shutdown mode" and it took a long time to reset; once all the registers were opened it ran fine.  This makes me uncomfortable, if I shut off a room overnight, or open a few windows to let a night-time breeze thru, will this stupid thing shut itself down again?  We'll see for the rest of the summer.  
 
Since my house hit 80˚, the system has been silent, although I stepped out and felt a slightly warm draft from the outdoor unit, the fan was running really slow, just like it was supposed to.  Anxious to see how this new stuff follows temp changes, and changes my electric bill; I may post that info in a month or two.  
 
My checkbook STILL requires an ice-pack, though.  Owch!  
 
EDIT:  Forgot to mention, I did get about $4,000 in tax credits, but it was still an Owch.  

Looking forward to your long term review.

alaskanassasin

Botch said:

>BUMP #2<
The guys showed up just before 0800, and finally finished up at 1720 or so.  New Lennox system, the outside box is 3x the size of my old unit, but they had a pre-fab "cement" pad installed under it, perfect slope to shed the rainwater the right direction and adjusted unit feet to keep it level.  Well done.
 
The basement/heat exchanger/small gas furnace, less so.  Two of the pipes jut out a bit too much, clumsy plumbing; but I can live with it.  Air filter is much easier to change.  
 
It took them 3 hours longer than they'd hoped, and they said there were a few room registers that were closed, which made the system go into "panic shutdown mode" and it took a long time to reset; once all the registers were opened it ran fine.  This makes me uncomfortable, if I shut off a room overnight, or open a few windows to let a night-time breeze thru, will this stupid thing shut itself down again?  We'll see for the rest of the summer.  
 
Since my house hit 80˚, the system has been silent, although I stepped out and felt a slightly warm draft from the outdoor unit, the fan was running really slow, just like it was supposed to.  Anxious to see how this new stuff follows temp changes, and changes my electric bill; I may post that info in a month or two.  
 
My checkbook STILL requires an ice-pack, though.  Owch!  
 
EDIT:  Forgot to mention, I did get about $4,000 in tax credits, but it was still an Owch.  

really!? Still ouch after 4k assist? I guess I am out of touch on the pricing of that stuff

lkapigian

alaskanassasin said:

Botch said:

>BUMP #2<
The guys showed up just before 0800, and finally finished up at 1720 or so.  New Lennox system, the outside box is 3x the size of my old unit, but they had a pre-fab "cement" pad installed under it, perfect slope to shed the rainwater the right direction and adjusted unit feet to keep it level.  Well done.
 
The basement/heat exchanger/small gas furnace, less so.  Two of the pipes jut out a bit too much, clumsy plumbing; but I can live with it.  Air filter is much easier to change.  
 
It took them 3 hours longer than they'd hoped, and they said there were a few room registers that were closed, which made the system go into "panic shutdown mode" and it took a long time to reset; once all the registers were opened it ran fine.  This makes me uncomfortable, if I shut off a room overnight, or open a few windows to let a night-time breeze thru, will this stupid thing shut itself down again?  We'll see for the rest of the summer.  
 
Since my house hit 80˚, the system has been silent, although I stepped out and felt a slightly warm draft from the outdoor unit, the fan was running really slow, just like it was supposed to.  Anxious to see how this new stuff follows temp changes, and changes my electric bill; I may post that info in a month or two.  
 
My checkbook STILL requires an ice-pack, though.  Owch!  
 
EDIT:  Forgot to mention, I did get about $4,000 in tax credits, but it was still an Owch.  

really!? Still ouch after 4k assist? I guess I am out of touch on the pricing of that stuff

Prices have doubled in the last 2 years , average ticket prices are crazy