I am installing a new heatpump system, so I am getting quotes. I
currently have a conventional gas furnace with central air. My living
space is about 1700 sq ft in the NC area.

I have been quoted $9502 for a 3 ton 13 SEER Rheem heat pump with a
92.4 efficiency gas furnace backup.

I am also being quoted $8356 for a 3 ton 15.5 SEER York heatpump system
(YZE03611) with a matched variable speed blower(N1VSB12) and a matched
evap coil(G2FD04617).

My third quote was for $9622 for a 96% variable speed gas furnace, 14.5
seer air conditioning unit, plus coil, lifetime heat exchanger unit
replacement, lifetime compressor, 10 years parts and 10 years labor.

Please reply with any feed back on the various manufacturers, I was
only able to get one of the companies to actually perform a manual J.
That was the company that carried the York. They also carry Trane. I
want quality equipment with dependability. Please provide any feedback

Should I also get the Electronic filters and humidity control?

Sam

The VSDC will save you money and will increase comfort such as humidity
removal by running at real low speed using a Humidistat-Thermostat, but
you Need the 10 yr warranty for the VSDC motor. In your area cooling is
probably your biggest cost so the highest Seer is smart. Ng backup heat
is a good idea.

Electronic air filters cost money to run, and must be kept clean to
filter at their rated efficiency, a good 4" media like the Air bear
seals positivly to the casing, the April Air 2200 Media casing does not.
Get a good large media filter.

If humidity is low in winter April Air has a great unit that is Set
and Forget, it tracks outdoor temps with an outdoor thermometer so it
can be set to never overhumidify you, which leads to water damage and
mold. With continual increasing utility prices put in the highest
efficiency equipment if you can afford.

Be sure a load calculation is done in writing and you get a copy,
oversizing is a common issue and leads to higher humidity, less comfort.
in summer.

The installer is the most important part, pick one with a good
reputation that you think will do the best, the cheapest price means
nothing if a hack uses the wrong equipment and oversizes you. A good
installer will check your ducts for proper sizing, If everything is not
sized right you will never acheive rated efficiencies or maximum
comfort.

I would get an 80% furnace and either save the difference or put it
towards a higher SEER heat pump. It's not like you are going to be
using the furnace much. You may never get the payback for the
efficiency improvement. Plus your basic 80% furnace is going to be
more reliable and easier to install (less parts to break, and if it
breaks you might be able to fix it yourself).

I think that the electronic filters are a waste of money and are
basically a marketing gimmick to sell you more crap that you don't
need. That and they take up space.

wrote:
I would get an 80% furnace and either save the difference or put it
towards a higher SEER heat pump. It's not like you are going to be
using the furnace much. You may never get the payback for the
efficiency improvement. Plus your basic 80% furnace is going to be
more reliable and easier to install (less parts to break, and if it
breaks you might be able to fix it yourself).


All depends on where you live. Heat pumps work great in areas that
only need moderate amounts of heat, i.e, the number of days where the
LOW temp of the day is below 45F can be counted on fingers and toes.
When they have to be supplemented with NG/LP furnace or electric
resistance heat, then the question becomes more complex.

In North Carolina, things are moderate down on the coast, and extreme in
the mountains.

Condensing furnaces do save energy, the difference between 80% and 90+%
efficient is a LOT of gas over the life of the furnace. Plus there is
extra cost in putting in a drain line to the outside of your house for
the condensate to drip into (a crushed marble bed is common)

80% efficient furnaces are cheap to obtain, cheap to install, can be
self-repaired and need no extra plumbing to make them work.

Without more knowledge of what your winters are like, it is difficult to
guide you in an appropriate decision.

The lowest cost system will be governed by factors that are DIFFICULT to
judge over the lifetime of the unit. Electricity cost vs gas costs.
Both are increasing, which will increase faster???

How much do you spend for heat for this house a year NOW, and what sort
of furnace do you have today???

I was assuming that in North Carolina they would not be using much
heat. Obviously if they are very old and have a poorly insulated house
that might not be the case.

wrote:
I was assuming that in North Carolina they would not be using much
heat. Obviously if they are very old and have a poorly insulated house
that might not be the case.


In the mountains of North Carolina or in the foothills, the number of
days where the high temp is below 50F is a non trivial number. There
may be 30-90 days a year depending on exactly where they live in NC when
supplemental heat will be required. Down on the coastline, they still
get 15-30 days a year when high temps are below 50F, and supplemental
heat is needed.

Unlike my application (cooling dominated), they have a more balanced
need for cooling and heating. The recommendations they are getting are
PREMIUM solutions, ones that will have LONG term payback with great
short term payback.

The customer needs to carefully consider 80% efficient vs 90+% efficient
furnaces. The ACEE has a useful calculator on its web site to show how
much difference in energy costs will be saved between the exiting 60-70%
efficient system and a new 80-90-95% efficient furnance. Up in the
mountains, DEFINITELY go with a 90+% efficient furnace, down at the
cost, maybe not. In between, its a good idea to run the model then
assume something about gas prices over the next 10 years. In may indeed
make sense to go with a condensing furnace in almost every case in NC.