My heat pump which is used to both heat and cool my home is 15 years old and will soon need replacement. I would like to know the most reliable and reputable heat pumps brands that are available. I am told that since my system uses freon, that both the outside heat pump, as well as the inside furnace unit which partially uses the heat pump for heating in winter, will need to be completely replaced because it uses freon which already is, or will soon will be, banned for environmental reasons. The inside furnace unit runs on an electric coil strip to add the extra heat which the heat pump cannot supply when it gets too cold outside in the winter. Will the entire set up need to be replaced? And what would be the approximate cost of this total replacement? Thanks...
2007-06-04 16:35:47 · 3 answers · asked by Guy E 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Cost in a given series is based on BTU, the cooling or heating capacity. (Sometimes they use "ton" but I think that's not used now)
Good brands are Carrier, Trane, ..I forgot the rest. You need to find several local reputable dealers and ask for estimates. You probably need duct work re-done or at least the leaks and insulation repaired. The size of your house, the leakiness of your doors and windows and the insulation in your house all have to be considered before the proper size (no. of BTUs) can be selected. NO ONE ON THIS ANSWERS SITE CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS!
2007-06-04 17:16:13 · answer #1 · answered by paulbyr 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hello Guy:
You should be able to get 18 to 22 years out of a residential heat pump if you maintain it properly and have it inspected by a reputable service company each year.
Your system most likely uses refrigerant R-22. The EPA has mandated that this refrigerant be phased out starting now, and no new installs post 2010. Right now, R-22 costs around $12-18 a pound. Post 2010, that price will double, and increase by 20% each year after.
The next generation of refrigerants is Puron R-410a. It has no chlorine in the compound, and is safer for the environment, but it operates at much higher pressures.
If you have natural gas available in your area, go with a Gas furnace and an air conditioner unit. Heat Pumps can operate in cold weather, but their efficiency drops lower than 40 degrees, and you will be using your electric back-up heat, which can become more expensive. For now, natrual gas is less expensive to burn than electricity. If you don't mind the tank, you can also go with propane. Oil furnaces have come a long way in the past few years, and they can burn bio-diesel fuel. You will have to have a tank installed, and some people don't like the looks of them.
When shopping for a system, you will need to know the square footage of your home, the number of ducts and number of returns. You will need to understand the heat load of your home; do you have a lot of windows on the south side of your house that bring in hot summer sun? Do you have lots of windows on the north side of the home that radiate (lose) heat in the winter?
A heating/cooling system is rated by the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating). Currently, new installs have to have a rating of 13 or above, your 15-year-old system (if standard contractor grade) probobly has a rating of 10 or so. A new system will be more efficient. The higher the efficiency rating, the less it costs (and less energy) to run.
Good systems are (in no particular order) Bryant, Carrier, Lennox, Mitsubishi, Trane. Stay away from goodman and janitrol, and the other low-end units they sell at the big-box orange home store. The more you pay up front, the more you will recoup in the long run. If you are staying in your home for more than five years, go with a good system. If you are selling in a few years, you can get away with a cheaper system.
2007-06-04 19:17:30 · answer #2 · answered by OrakTheBold 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Trane,Carrier,Lennox,Ruud and Rheem are all good.I would guess the average cost would be between 3500 and 10k,depending on the type of system you have now and the efficiency rating of the new.If you do go with the new freon(R410A),Make sure the contractor flushes the line set or replaces it,either way is fine.........and pbyrley we may not answer the question with 100% accuracy,but
we can give some insight to help with the decisions that will be made
2007-06-05 00:41:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋