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I am building a 2600 sq. ft. colonial in central MD and am trying to choose my HVAC system. There’s no natural gas available, so I am looking at a 2 zone propane system with a heat pump upstairs and a propane furnace downstairs.
My question: For the downstairs, should I get a heat pump or a central A/C unit? With the heat pump, I’d be able to save some money on heating bills in the fall and spring, right? But heat pumps don’t last as long as A/C units and they don’t put out very hot air.
So, what do ya’ll think?
TIA,
Mike Buckley
Replies
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Look into the prices of propane, electricity and oil in your area. even with the higher annual cleaning cost of oil it may be less expensive. Of course insulate and seal your house well and the cost of fuel will become much less important.
*More on heat pumpts !!! What are do you mean by a heat pump ? Is it an energy recovery unit that is being referred to here ?
*I read a book a few years back called "Forget the Furnace". Seems this contractor builds houses in Western Canada that use only a few dollars a year in heating. He built one with 12" thick walls and 2 feet of insulation in the attic and a careful vapor barrier and it used 89 cents worth of electric heat to heat it for the entire season. Mostly the heat from appliances and the body heat of the occupants kept the house warm. They had a few guests over for a SuperBowl Party and they had to open several windows cause the temperature soared to over 80 degrees in a short time-- even though it was 10 degrees outside.
*The heat pump to which I was referring would be a 12 SEER Bryant air to air heat pump. That is the extent of my knowledge of the unit. I have investigated the prices of oil vs. propane in my area and the cost to heat with oil would be cheaper than propane. However, with oil, I wouldn't be able to use gas appliances and a gas fireplace. Plus, I would have to create a chase through the floorplan to accomodate the flue for an oil furnace. This wouldn't be easy with our open floorplan. I am torn over the longevity benifits of central A/C vs the fall and spring energy savings of a heat pump. Mike
*These are heat recovery units that capture the BTU's in the stream of mechanically exhausted interior air (latent heat) and return that heat to the building via a ductwork system. Some of these systems can also manage humidity levels and can be reversed on a season to season basis: capture heat in cold weather and dehumidify in hot weather. They are not AC systems in the sense that they don't cool and recirculate the interior air. Those with the dehumidifying function will dry the incomming, fresh humid summer air but not lower its temperature. If your building is super-insulated and super-airtight, you will need to ventilate it mechanically. This would be the condition underwhich an energy/heat recovery system would be beneficial although you have to do cost-benefit calculation to determine loads and costs verses energy savings. Search the web for Heat Recovery Ventilators and Energy Recovery Vetilators for different product spec's. There are a few different technologies and many ranges in cost. Properly installed, the ducting is as expensive and complex as central heating and A/C.
*Mike,No discussion of the best choice of HVAC systems would be complete without considering a geothermal system. You get all the benefits of a heat pump, but year round. A/C is built in, not an add-on. Entire unit is housed indoors, and is quieter than your fridge. Ground loops (the closed-circuit water loops that pick up ground heat and reject heat into the ground in the summer) can either be in trenches or "bore" holes. I recommend finding a driller and doing the holes to minimize yard landscaping afterwards. The "warm" air thing is a myth; the new systems put out a very comfortable air temp. I have personal experience with an 8000 sq. ft. house where the average monthly electric is around $100. My parents pay that for gas in their 50's ranch. Good luck.
*I am finishing up a 2,200 sq ft house that is heated and cooled with a ground linked (so called "geothermal") heat pump. 2,000 feet of 1" tubing in 750 of 6' to 7' deep trench. The unit puts out warm air and is very economical. My vendor is Hydro-Temp in Pocahontas, AR. They have been making and installing these units for 20 years. They sell through dealers around the country. Check their web site at [http:www.hydro-temp.com].
*Aaron...my heat pump and 1750 sq ft home uses 500 to 1000 dollars of electricity during the worst winter months....the air output is cold and drafty...please email me your location and a copy of one of your January electric bills....near the stream,aj
*tedd?How's it going up your way these days?Jeff
*Mike, go with a heat pump with gas as second stage heat. Very energy efficient and comfortable. So far as the life of heat pump vs. central ac; we are talking the same peice of equipment with a reversing valve that reverses the function of the indoor and outdoor coil. Differenc in life expectancy is due to the actual running time ie; all year vs. summer only! New units are very dependable. You should buy the highest SEER(sesonal energy efficiency ratio) model that is affordable to you, the payback in cost savings is very
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I am building a 2600 sq. ft. colonial in central MD and am trying to choose my HVAC system. There's no natural gas available, so I am looking at a 2 zone propane system with a heat pump upstairs and a propane furnace downstairs.
My question: For the downstairs, should I get a heat pump or a central A/C unit? With the heat pump, I'd be able to save some money on heating bills in the fall and spring, right? But heat pumps don't last as long as A/C units and they don't put out very hot air.
So, what do ya'll think?
TIA,
Mike Buckley