If you pay 16k for a heat pump you got raped. I replaced our heat pump and air handler 3 years ago. It’s a two stage 21 seer 3 ton unit $7800.. that’s new line set, a new return drop, communicating t-stat, the works. It’s been working fine for these 13 days of below freezing temps here. I do love my Buck though. We keep the t-stat at 67F, burn wood when home.
Interesting thread, I have never had anything but wood heat in this house since it was built in 1980 but at age 66 it's time to install something for backup, heat pumps are not the choice for this far north with the information I have read but have not kept up on the latest information. I believe I am just going with a efficient propane unit of some sort. Any opinions on the subject?
Spark just spend some time on the interweb educating yourself & collecting information. I have 3 sources of heat & 1 of them handles cooling also.
Yep I intend to do some studying on the subject and I have an installer I can trust also, I need a cooling unit too.
Our electric company in VT is pushing heat pumps along with some incentives. I'm tempted to look into it. We have a Rihanna direct propane heater up there which works well. But to have another heat option...and a cool option in the summer is nice. The house is an A-Frame with so-so insulation. I often wonder if it would make more sense to add more insulation and be done with it.
I had 4”of cellulose in attic when we moved into our house. Installed R30 over top. Huge difference! Paid for itself the 1st Winter
We have 2 furnaces and a wood insert. Upstairs we have a gas furnace and downstairs we have a heat pump. On mild days, days in the 30's or above, the heat pump does pretty well at keeping the house warm. Days in the single digits or below the auxiliary heater or emergency heat would kick on and that is just a big electric heating element. If I didn't have the insert our electric bill would be $600-700/month with weather like we are currently experiencing. Also, the heat pump heat is a different kind of heat. The air may be 70* but objects in the rooms feel cold. With the insert we keep our living room and kitchen at 74* and the upstairs bedrooms stay around 68-69*. The leather couches are warm from the radiant heat and we walk around in shorts and t-shirts inside. We are heating ~3400sq ft. and our electric bills are $200-250/month(that includes dhw) and our NG bills are $40-50/month. I burn around 3-4 cord of hardwoods a year. I am considering having my craw space incapsilated and spray foaming the walls. We have added insulation in the attic, and replaced all of our windows. You can feel the cold air coming up from the craw when the weather is as cold as it has been lately.
Double ouch on the electric bill when auxiliaries kick on. So far mine haven't kicked on yet in these single digits.
I love the fact that our heat pump also cools and never needs deliveries of oil/LP/pellets etc. That said, if the power is out you need a big generator to run it. Add a well pump and a refrigerator, now you need something that'll burn enough diesel you're gonna have to have more than a couple jugs on hand for any extended outages.
HP's get pushed because in order to be "efficient" they need to run essentially 24/7. Pushed by the electric companies which provide the service for the unit!!!!! But is great for moderate climates...................not ones with 100*F+ temperature swings during the year. Which never gets told to the consumer...........
Are you in my house? I had to just check mg couch to make sure your weren't sitting in my house!!. A few differences, mg stove does not heat mg kitchen as warm, my bedroom is a bit colder on cold nights, stove room is warmer usually, and I don't have leather couches,and I don't heat as much of my house..but it is about the same size. Haha
Always spend your first dollars on insulation , after that your type of heat source becomes less important and will work and cost less......... forever. Insulation is a science in it self as far as air infiltration, moisture. As much "homework" as one should do deciding on heating upgrades should be done on your insulation.
That's nice u can get that info from ur sys.. I have a newer heat pump. I put in an electric 10000 watt heat backup coil in.. 60 amp. So I keep those home fires burning cause if that backup coil kicks in, it kicks my ads in the wallet... When it gets to -2, the 3 yr old hickory n white oak goes in.. hell, I'm always burning Unless I'm not home to feed er.. but not when it's 50..lol. happy burnin
