Why would someone buy a heat pump air conditioner

[ctbuilder]

In the market for an air system on a home I currently building and was wondering why someone would buy a air condensor with a heat pump?

I saw one post where someone installled a Carrier AirCondensor with a heat pump, a furnance and air handler. If the home needed heat thru a heat pump, then why did they also install a furnance.

I looking for a boiler (LP) and air handlers and condensors. Not sure how a heat pump would benefit. Any help explaining this would be great and maybe for other viewers.

[d_griff]

In the market for an air system on a home I currently building and was wondering why someone would buy a air condensor with a heat pump?

I saw one post where someone installled a Carrier AirCondensor with a heat pump, a furnance and air handler. If the home needed heat thru a heat pump, then why did they also install a furnance.

I looking for a boiler (LP) and air handlers and condensors. Not sure how a heat pump would benefit. Any help explaining this would be great and maybe for other viewers.

are they running the heat pump as priority and the furnace as backup??
mostly every heat pump has a means of supplemental heat, so this may be the case, or as a "dual fuel" type of thing, or they got a deal on a heat pump condenser but only gonna use it as straight a/c, Seen this before as well??

[d_griff]

In the market for an air system on a home I currently building and was wondering why someone would buy a air condensor with a heat pump?

I saw one post where someone installled a Carrier AirCondensor with a heat pump, a furnance and air handler. If the home needed heat thru a heat pump, then why did they also install a furnance.

I looking for a boiler (LP) and air handlers and condensors. Not sure how a heat pump would benefit. Any help explaining this would be great and maybe for other viewers.

basically heat pumps are worthless under 35 degrees IMO.
so you would need the back up heat..
are you going to run the boiler into a coil in the air handler??

[Sam-the-man]

think of the heat pump/furnace combo as being similar to a hybrid car. Heat pump is cheap to run when demand is low, fossil fuel kicks in when demand is great. This type of sytem has a higher upfront cost but is one of the cheapest to operate. I use a heat pump with an oil furnace, after adding the heat pump to the furnace, my annual heating cost dropped by about a thousand bucks, and I'm using a low end system. It does pay back over time, but you need to use the system for a few years to come out ahead dollar-wise. When i replace what i currently have, I will be installing Infinity heat pumps with straight elcetric back-up.

[ctbuilder]

Yes, there will be 3 to 4 air handlers and condesers. The thing I find strange is everyone wants to use Carrier air condensers with First Company Hydro air handlers.

They like the idea the coil is in the unit. I can't help but think some functionality is lost not using a Carier Air handler. Does First Company come variable speed? or just two speed.

Also seeing 2 Stage advertised - are all Carrier Performance and Infinty two stage????
Also, can you have a heat pump work with an air handler that has a coil?

[billygoat22]

You need to make sure the Frist Brand units are an ARI match with the Carriers.

I think the FBs I worked on were kinda cheesy and looked like a pain to fix if something should break. On the other hand, they're supposed to have a low air leakage rate due to the one piece access door.

From what I've read, the northeast has discovered heatpumps, and they're the greatest thing since sliced bread. Oil has risen in cost so much it now makes sense to add a heat pump and use cheaper elec to the breakeven (or selected) point, and get payback on that investment.

Some heat pumps, like Lennox with even heat, will maintain a near constant temp coming out the ducts, so no cold blasts.

Northeastern contractors will have to give up on cieling mounted wall registers that blow straight down. They don't work well here and they sure won't work in a cold climate. Every house I see with them have deflectors on them to keep the drafts off people.

In other words, the cold draft problem with heat pumps is more a register/duct problem than a "heat pumps are cold" problem (down to the break even point anyway).

[The Penguin]

basically heat pumps are worthless under 35 degrees IMO.
so you would need the back up heat..
are you going to run the boiler into a coil in the air handler??



you are incorrect - I recomend you study heat pumps again


I run my hp down to -8°C with absoultly no issues - I intend to try -10° C this winter

[contactor]

Why would someone buy a heat pump air conditioner /
Because they only have electric available, or gas is too high priced to bring in or not cost effective to operate.

[Freezeking2000]

In the market for an air system on a home I currently building and was wondering why someone would buy a air condensor with a heat pump?

I saw one post where someone installled a Carrier AirCondensor with a heat pump, a furnance and air handler. If the home needed heat thru a heat pump, then why did they also install a furnance.

I looking for a boiler (LP) and air handlers and condensors. Not sure how a heat pump would benefit. Any help explaining this would be great and maybe for other viewers.


I would scrap the boiler and install variable speed multi stage heat pumps if you are in southern ct. If you must go dual fuel which is a heat pump that locks out at a certain temperature than the boiler handles the heating.

I believe you would find the heat pumps would carry the load fine especially if you go a little heavy(larger) and use 2 stage units.

[Airmechanical]

you are incorrect-I recomend you study heat pumps againI run my hp down to -8°C with absoultly no issues-I intend to try -10°C this winter

i agree;

my heat pump works without auxillary heat strips until it reaches 15 degrees outside!

then at 15 degrees my t-stat allow the heat strips to be energized via outdoor sensor

but when i set a customers heat strip lockout, i would set the strips to energize at 35 degrees



.

[johnsp]

I'm paying at least 15 cents a KWH during the winter on Long Island. Sure oil and gas went up but so did electrical costs.

[beenthere]

If you have hydro coils, you don't need to lock out the heat pump as you would a hot air furnace.

Many heat pumps can provide enopugh heat at 30 or lower to maintain the stat setpoint. They've come along way since the 70's.