Buying a new heat pump

[thefairlaneman]

I am going to buy a new total electric heatpump for the first time in the next couple of days. I know how to buy cars without being ripped off but with being cold I dont want to be played for a sucker. any ideas ,,

 

[MikDee]

Re: Buying a new heat pump

Try a plumbing & heating supply, you may get the best deal there, especially if your handy enough to replace it yourself, or with a knowledgable friend.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Buying a new heat pump

When buying a new unit, keep in mind that the laws are changing again on the freon. R22 is starting to rise in price which means the EPA is wanting it to be phased out. So if you buy one of these units now and in 5 to 7 years it has a compressor go out. You will find that the compressor/freon will either be obsolete or just about as expensive as the total price of the unit you purchased.

The new units that has the R410a is a lot less costly to operate than the R22 units. Of course like anything else that is new on the market it is going to cost more, but in the long run these new units will be paying back in savings over the old style.

My suggestion is to at least get a unit that has the schroll compressor by Copeland. They draw less operating amps which means less power consumption. Plus I find them to be more quiet over the conventional type.

I don't sell or install units, I just repair and maintain HVAC/R commercial grade equipment. Just from my training and talk from other techs is how I base my judgement on recommendations. Good luck and do lots of research.

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Buying a new heat pump

Contact your Utility company (electric). They often offer discounts up to and including FREE heat pumps (yes, I have seen them given away for free by utility companies).

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Buying a new heat pump

as said in the other post, electric heat pumps, are great down to about 40 degrees, then you need the electric heat strips in the air handler, to assist the heat pump. besure you have enough KW's in the heat strip, possibly a secondary strip for the excessive cold nights. i did not do this, 2 years ago, ( i don't need it, i'm in Florida). the last 2 nights the temperature in the house, has dropped 5 degrees during the night, then takes all day to recover.
it was 63 degrees in the house yesterday morning, and 65 this morning. sure wish i had the secondary heat strip.

 

[v1_0]

Re: Buying a new heat pump

Like with any home improvement, get quotes from several hvac companies if you can. Have them break the quotes down into details, rather than just a total. Compare them to make sure you know who is doing more/less than the others, and what you will be getting in terms of manufacturer, warrenty, heating/cooling capacity, etc.

Note that American Standard/Trane are comparable (parent company), and Carrier/Bryant (I think). So things there are similar to in the car world (Ford Probe, Mazda MX6 sort of thing).

If you search the web you can find prices on the units to ballpark your quotes.

-V

 

[KeltonKrew]

Re: Buying a new heat pump

Do your research. I put an American Standard (they make Trane) heat pump in my house a couple of years ago....This year I put the exact same one in my lake house....light bill dropped in 1/2. I had American Standard heat pumps in an old farm house I re-did.

some say they don't heat below 40 degrees....well I can tell you I never turn on my emergency heat at any temp above 32. It always keeps my house warm. Of course they aux heat (strips) will come on if temps require it.

I have the variable air handler which you don't even hear come on or go off...it ramps up slowly and down slowly...awesome system.