I'm needing to buy a new heat pump, current one is 16 years old, leaking refrigerant, bad fan relay switch, very dirty blower, rusting insides, gross! So I got a quote this afternoon on a Bryant 2.5 ton, 2 speed for $5880. WOW that's a lot. Does anybody have any opinions on brands that are best and also economical to run/buy? Is this price about in line with what to expect for this size? I'm going to get a couple more quotes tomorrow, but I'd love some advice. thanks

 

Get 3 bid for the job.How long will you stay in the home? if 10 years or more go for a 14 seer or better and a HSPF of 10 or better.Id still stay with the R22 Freon for now.It will be made till 2030. Trane and Rheem Id look at . Trane has a 10 year warranty when its all new inside and outdont know if Rheem has or not yet.

ED

 

Can I ask you why you'd stay with R-22. The sales guy told me that he wouldn't recommend that because the price of Freon will skyrocket, as well as the price for replacement parts. I think the price he quoted me for a R-22 unit was only about $1200 less. I told my hubby I'm never moving again, so I guess we'll be here for a while. I don't want to send good money after bad if you know what I mean, but this whole SEER, tonage, HSPF, freon vs puron, etc is making my head spin..... Thanks for you input. I'll be calling a Trane agent tomorrow....

 

Bryant is good equipment. I would also look at Trane, American Standard, and Rheem. While you don't say what area of country you live,$5880 sounds high. Here are my suggestions.

1.Determine the climate you live. A heat pump is more effective in a moderate climate than a cold frigid climate. What is average daily temperature in the winter months and summer months where you live?

2. Check the cost of various fuels for your area. Here is an energy calculator.

http://www.warmair.com/html/fuel_cost_comparisons.htm

3. Assuming your interest in a high efficient heat pump, have a written Manual J heat/cool load calculation provided by your quoting dealers for properly sizing equipment. You might want to consider an air handler with variable speed-more expensive but if you intend to live in home 10+ yrs well worth it. Also have a thorough inspection of your ductwork system.

4. Only purchase a heat pump system with a rated minimum 14 SEER and an HSPF of 9+.

5. Purchase only from authorized dealers and stay away from budget/builder model equipment.

6.Here is a good primer on heat pumps that I like.

http://energyoutlet.com/res/heatpump/index.html

7.Get a minimum of three quotes or until you find a dealer that spends the proper amount of time with you answering all questions/concerns you have. Costs are all over the place but keep in mind you generally get what you pay for.

8.R-22 Refrigerant is fine. I would not pay extra for Puron/R-410a but probably in a few more yrs,R-410a will become the standard.

9. Some of the equipment manufacturers such as Trane and Carrier offer rebates on their high end equipment. Also check with your electric utility for any special rates/rebates for upgrading to high efficient equipment.

I installed a new high efficient heat pump with variable speed blower in December and was very skeptical. Surprise-I love it! And it saves $$$.

Hope this is helpful. Good Luck!

 

I just had a new Trane XLI 16 heat pump installed. Replaced my 14 year old Trane unit. Did both indoor and outdoor units. Raelly love the new unit. Has a variable indoor blower fan. Went from a 2.5 ton to a 3 ton unit. Used a Trane comfort specialist dealer, and was very happy with the install. My heating bill for April was half of what it was in March. Of course old unit was on last legs. Hope this is a good sign.

C790

 

c790

That Trane XL16i should come with a 10 year warranty and the new Comfort-R for increased dehumidification

Laura1967 Look at the www. here

http://www.epa.gov/docs/ozone/title6/phaseout/hcfc.html

http://www.toad.net/~jsmeenen/freon.html

ED

 

It does come with a 10 year warranty and better dehumidification. Have not had to put it to cooling mode yet. Hopefully will keep upstairs cooler than in years past.

c790