Categories
- AC Filters
- AC Repair
- Air Conditioner Maintenance
- Air Conditioner Repair
- Air Conditioners
- Air Conditioning Services
- Air Quality
- Cleaning Tips
- Cooling
- Duct System
- Ducted Air Conditioner
- Ductless Air Conditioner
- Emergency Repairs
- Energy Costs
- Expert Help
- Fans
- FAQ
- Filters
- Fireplaces
- Fun
- Furnace Installations
- Furnace Repairs
- Furnaces
- Gas Fireplaces
- Gas Line
- Gas Line Installations
- Heat Pumps
- Heating
- Heating and Cooling
- Heating Contractors
- heating system
- Heating Technicians
- Humidity
- HVAC
- HVAC Contractors
- HVAC experts
- HVAC Noises
- HVAC professionals
- HVAC Repairs
- HVAC Service
- Insulation
- Maintenance
- Natural Gas
- Pestibulum molestieenean
- Saving Money
- Water
- Water Heaters
- Work
[BACK]
Unique heat pump situation, insight appreciated
Posted On: September 25, 2023
I live in a duplex from 1886.
I own it, and live in the second and third levels.
The second level has forced air.
Since the air was added, it has been renovated, and it leaves the majority of duct work in stupid spots.
We also do not have enough ducts to reasonably heat the house.
The system blows almost non stop during the winter, and the house stays cool.
We also have a very inefficient 90s central air unit that can't keep up with cooling at all.
The third floor of our house was created about 20 years ago.
It is run off electric baseboard heat and window AC units.
My bedroom takes hours to cool, as we don't have a suitable window so the previous homeowner made a box to fit the AC into the wall and to blow the exhaust outside.
Finally, the basement is halfway exposed, and while it stays cool in summer it is cold in winter.
The house was clearly designed for wood burning stoves to pump out tons of heat and that's it.
Anyway, I have been looking at quotes to redo this with heat pumps.
The thought right now is to split the house into two, replacing half the rooms and the furnace this year, and then doing the other half next year.
I had one quote that I liked, except when I asked the installer about replacing the gas furnace with a heat pump coil and a heating element for really cold days, he said that was a bad idea because it would cost us way more to run the system in the winter.
I figure it wouldn't be that nuts, and I'm willing to pay a bunch more to get heat where it makes sense.
Oh, and the last oddity, the furnace exhaust is screwed, and it will be the last natural gas thing I have, so if I don't replace it with natural gas, I will save $4k on chimney repairs to exhaust it there, and the natural gas connection fees from the power company all year.
In the last few years, we've only had a few days that would be cold enough to need the backup heat for, and if that happens, that's fine.
Otherwise, we'd be mostly on heat pump, and saving on our rooms that would have the baseboard heat as backups.
With that all.
Is this crazy? Am I looking at bills hundreds of dollars more expensive in winter? Final thing to add - our house is well insulated and has new windows.
I think it's worth it from the standpoint of comfort and the new system will balance costs of the second floor being a bit higher but the third being lower cost to heat, but if I switch and it isn't or I find we're spending hundreds more a year in heating, either way we won't be too happy.
Any insight would be hugely appreciated.
I've been wrestling with this for a month now.
Question from user RevolutionaryAd9302 at heatpumps at reddit.
It sounds like you're facing some unique challenges with heating and cooling in your historic duplex, and your desire to upgrade to heat pumps is a reasonable consideration.
Let's break down some of the key points you mentioned:
Inefficient Ductwork: If your current forced air system has inefficient ductwork and doesn't adequately heat your home, replacing it with a heat pump system can be a good idea.
Heat pumps are highly efficient and can provide both heating and cooling.
High Heating Bills: Your concern about higher winter heating bills with a heat pump system is valid, especially in very cold climates.
Heat pumps are most efficient in moderate climates and may require a backup heating source (like electric heating elements) when temperatures drop significantly.
However, advancements in heat pump technology, including variable-speed compressors and improved insulation, have made them more efficient in colder climates.
Heat Pump with Electric Heating Element: Using a heat pump with a heating element as a backup is a common setup.
It can provide efficient heating most of the time and switch to the heating element during extreme cold.
The efficiency and cost-effectiveness of this setup will depend on your climate, the heat pump's performance, and the cost of electricity compared to natural gas.
Reducing Natural Gas Costs: If you're looking to reduce your reliance on natural gas and save on chimney repairs and connection fees, transitioning to an electric heat pump can be a viable option.
However, you should calculate the potential cost savings and compare them to the cost of electricity in your area.
Well-Insulated House with New Windows: Your well-insulated home with new windows is a significant advantage.
It means your heat pump system will work more efficiently, as it won't have to compensate for heat loss through drafts and poor insulation.
Zoning: When upgrading to a heat pump system, consider zoning your home.
This allows you to control the heating and cooling of different areas independently, optimizing comfort and energy efficiency.
Professional Assessment: It's crucial to have a professional HVAC technician assess your specific situation.
They can perform a heat load calculation to determine the right-sized system for your home and provide you with more accurate cost estimates.
Answer from user at heatpumps at reddit.
[BACK]
See What Our Customers Are Saying:
Aug 29, 2022
Dealing with Bob and the installation crew was a pleasure. They took the time to explain everything. What would benefit us the most and the price difference. They were in and out in a reasonable time frame and fit us in within a couple days of original meeting. Quality of work is excellent as well.
Aug 28, 2022
A pleasure dealing with Bob ,Spencer and Mitch . They are professional and they also observe the covid 19 precautions . Bob explained the whole process and got the new furnace up the next day . Highly recommend
Aug 27, 2022
Would like to thank TwinTech for their quick response to our furnace repair. We used TwinTech to install a new furnace and AC a few years
back. Our furnace started to have problems early in the evening of extremely cold night. Contacted TwinTech and they were able make a service call later that evening. They got the furnace going and came the next day to replace a part. The part was under warranty and there was
no charge for either service call!
We are extremely happy with their customer service and would highly recommend them.
Gary & Kelly
Aug 26, 2022
This is the second time we have had Twintech to our house. A couple of summers ago they were in for an issue with our air conditioning. This time it was our furnace having an issue. It was shutting off randomly and not coming back on. Greg came right away and took the time to investigate thoroughly and explain what was going with the furnace. Both times I have been thoroughly impressed with their speed, customer service, and quality of work. I HIGHLY recommend Twintech.
Aug 25, 2022
Based on good reviews I hired Twintech to look at a small leak on my 5yr old water heater, they sent an employee to inspect and give a quote to repair which would total about $300. 100 for the initial call/inspection and another $200 for the repair. I agreed to the repair and they showed up on the agreed date to do the repair, it was to replace a dip tube but after removing the old one he couldnt get the new one in. After about half an hour of trying he realized he had gotten the wrong part which he blamed his supplier for. Then told me it would be about a week to get this custom order part and would mean I would have no hot water for a week, so I went from a small insignificant leak to no water heater. I cant believe that an experienced professional didnt know these had custom order parts and basically left with my water heater disassembled and leaking water all over my basement. I would never hire this company for any projects ever again. I ended up having to buy a new water heater and didnt even receive an apology from the company for their incompetence.
Aug 24, 2022
Based on good reviews I hired Twintech to look at a small leak on my 5yr old water heater, they sent an employee to inspect and give a quote to repair which would total about $300. 100 for the initial call/inspection and another $200 for the repair. I agreed to the repair and they showed up on the agreed date to do the repair, it was to replace a dip tube but after removing the old one he couldnt get the new one in. After about half an hour of trying he realized he had gotten the wrong part which he blamed his supplier for. Then told me it would be about a week to get this custom order part and would mean I would have no hot water for a week, so I went from a small insignificant leak to no water heater. I cant believe that an experienced professional didnt know these had custom order parts and basically left with my water heater disassembled and leaking water all over my basement. I would never hire this company for any projects ever again. I ended up having to buy a new water heater and didnt even receive an apology from the company for their incompetence.
Aug 24, 2022
Extremely happy.
So we were in no rush to replace our old units and took the time to do some research and get a number of quotes.
Twintech came in at around the middle of the pack for price but what convinced us to go with them was Bob, the representative that came to our house. Bob was by far the most professional of all the reps that we met with. He took the time to explain everything, what would work best for us and why. He really did seem very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his stuff.
As promised on the day of install the crew showed up on time and got to work with minimal impact on us
..they were professional, clean, tidy and got the system up and running ahead of schedule...they made a couple of adjustments to the system to optimize it for our house.
The crew left the house clean and tidy.
Bob the rep showed up to check in and give us a few tips ..
It's been a week since install and all is good.
Our overall experience with Twintech has been excellent from start to finish and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.
Thank u.
Aug 23, 2022
It was a refreshing experience interacting with the Twintech team. From Bob, the sales consultant, who articulated in layman's terms all the options available and reasons for making any selection. This was done without the prevailing pressure tactics so commonplace today.
Before proceeding Mitch, the technician, at our request conducted a service check on our 30 yr old furnace. His report was positive indicating no urgency to replace it. Again no pressure tactics.
Three days after first meeting with Bob, the installation team of Greg and
Spencer completed the installation within the planned time frame.
A very professional, courteous and transparent team which delivered on their promise. I highly recommend Twintech.
Aug 22, 2022
Initial contact with sales resulted in an immediate response, which led to a timely installation. Both sales and installers were all very professional. I have no hesitation in recommending TWINTECH.
Aug 21, 2022
I had a great experience with TwinTech. The company offered a reasonable quote, and performed a quick and clean installation. The installer Greg was experienced, professional and courteous. He explained the services he performed and gave recommendations on maintain the new furnace.
The salesman Bob was honest
and professional and educated me on how to achieve optimal performance.
All communication from them was quick and they came the following day. I was pleased with the service and would recommend them.
Related Links:
heat pump system cost, 5 ton heat pump, indoor heat pumps, heat pump technology, residential heat pump system, heat pump hvac system, heat pump,