Probably the heat pump vs. standard a/c replacement debate was fairly worn
out some time ago in this NG, but the proof in the pudding should always be
happy users. In Dallas, Texas where I live I am having trouble finding them.
You would think anyone selling an upgrade from standard to a heat pump (my
pertinent specs below) would be walking in the door with ten customers to
call who had been on heat pumps at least one season. No so with the five
estimates I got (3 Trane, 1 Lennox, 1 American Standard dealer). Not one
offered references, with only one of those eventually coughing up three in
the "eleventh hour." Worse, in checking *his* references, only one was
actually a heat pump user, but useless as reference since the installation
was only two weeks old. Sorry, but this should not be that difficult an
exercise. (OK, so I picked a sorry time of the year when it's a zillion
degrees and A/C contractors are covered up here, but I had the same issue on
an estimate back in Jan.) Anyway, I'm tempted to conclude from this
"reference reluctance" that heat pumps are not a good return on investment
for this region of Texas, maybe even inappropriate since cooling is a far
bigger factor than heating. The only people I have talked to so far 100% in
support of HPs are the people who sell them! Something is not right. If
you are a sold-on-heat-pump user in *our* area (DFW) or, if you have had a
recent HP installation you regret, I would like to hear from you, either
way.

Thanks,

Mike (just-trying-to-understand) in Dallas

-existing setup, environment:
-all-electric home (no gas available)
-1600 square feet (includes a loft)
-day-nite (step child of Carrier) 4-ton standard ac
-18 years old
-using existing ducts
-return air surface only 638 square inches (I understand this may be
inadequate to get full efficiency from a heat pump)
-prefer a cool house in the winter (hardly ever over 65)
-prefer a cool house mostly at night in summer (typical Dallas summer nights
are a muggy-hot 80+)
-inside vents are noisy (& concerned they may be even more so with a heat
pump.)
-lots of cooking in the kitchen, which is small & heats up very quickly

system we are considering:
-Trane 12 Seer Heat Pump 4-ton
-Variable Speed Air Handler
-Standard Filter (existing closet height won't accomodate 4-inch perfect fit
media filter)
-$5800 installed (add $766 for 10-year warranty)