Heat Pump Options and Opinions

[rustyredvette]

Hello Everyone,
I am having a heat pump and electric furance installed, I have had several estimates from several contractors. However there are soo many opinions I am trying to make sense of them all. I have narrowed down my selections between Rheem and York. I know that I want a variable speed blower however I am not sure if the two stage compressor is worth is. Any ideas on Rheem vs York? I'm leaning more towards york becasue it is slightly cheaper. I am comparing the LX Series 15 seer and the 18 seer affinity. For around 1200 more I can get the 18 seer and affinity. Is this worth it? I live in maryland and have a 1600 sqft house.

[seatonheating]

Hello Everyone,
I am having a heat pump and electric furance installed, I have had several estimates from several contractors. However there are soo many opinions I am trying to make sense of them all. I have narrowed down my selections between Rheem and York. I know that I want a variable speed blower however I am not sure if the two stage compressor is worth is. Any ideas on Rheem vs York? I'm leaning more towards york becasue it is slightly cheaper. I am comparing the LX Series 15 seer and the 18 seer affinity. For around 1200 more I can get the 18 seer and affinity. Is this worth it? I live in maryland and have a 1600 sqft house.


Don't look at the brands being offered, look at the contractor. Either one do a heat loss/gain calculation on the home?

[rustyredvette]

None of them have done a heat loss/gain calculation on the home, I went on rheems website and called there perfered dealers and the same with york, and I also got estimates from companies with good BB and yellow pages reviews. I'm not concerned with contractors they all seem to be on the same levels its just odd that when I call a company from rheem they try and pitch another brand and vice versa.

[SBKold]

We see this line of thinking....time and time again.

A quailty job has little to do with brand of equipment.

Has anyone recommended a Amana or Goodman system yet?

Go to Wall of Pride photo section and check out some seatonheatings installs.

That is what you want your to look like.

Oh one other thing. Dont just take it as face value that all contractors are equal.

[tigerdunes]

rusty

these are my minimum specs for a new HP system. both outside and inside units should be replaced to have a properly matched system.

15 SEER, 12.5+ EER, 9 HSPF
best matching VS air handler
full BTUs in both cooling and heating for your rated size
R-410a refrigerant(same as Puron)
scroll compressor preferred
electronic demand defrost
thermostat with "dehumidify on demand" feature
staged backup heat strips
new and correctly sized refrigerant lineset

you want a thorough inspection of your ductwork system. size, overall condition, supply and return lines, insulation qualities, leak test, etc.

any hot/cold spot issues in your home should be addressed.

I would only use authorized dealers for the various brands that provide quotes. see mfg websites.

I would look at Trane/AmStd,Rheem/Rudd..

I would not have a new HP system without electronic demand defrost and staged backup heat strip..

IMO

[seatonheating]

None of them have done a heat loss/gain calculation on the home, I went on rheems website and called there perfered dealers and the same with york, and I also got estimates from companies with good BB and yellow pages reviews. I'm not concerned with contractors they all seem to be on the same levels its just odd that when I call a company from rheem they try and pitch another brand and vice versa.


Are you going to stand in front of the unit and bask at the greatness of that product??

I'd rather rip the label off of what I'm putting in, it means nothing.

[rustyredvette]

Are you going to stand in front of the unit and bask at the greatness of that product??

I'd rather rip the label off of what I'm putting in, it means nothing.

With all do respect I could'nt dissagree with you more, escecially when it comes to resale value and making the house more desirable to sell later on. I'm not expert on hvac by any means, I'm in the car business so the same concepts apply when it comes to brands, The difference is when you go to resell a car people don't ask you what brand of fuel pump is in your tank etc. On houses they do! But correct me if I'm wrong but 80% of consumers feel that trane and carrier are the best, thus making the house more desirable. So my question to you is if you were installing a unit in your house heat pump backed by electric which would you perfer?

I understand the concept of quality of work... I can by the most expensive unit on the planet have a fly by night company install it and it wont perform thats not my question... :gah:

[seatonheating]

With all do respect I could'nt dissagree with you more, escecially when it comes to resale value and making the house more desirable to sell later on. I'm not expert on hvac by any means, I'm in the car business so the same concepts apply when it comes to brands, The difference is when you go to resell a car people don't ask you what brand of fuel pump is in your tank etc. On houses they do! But correct me if I'm wrong but 80% of consumers feel that trane and carrier are the best, thus making the house more desirable. So my question to you is if you were installing a unit in your house heat pump backed by electric which would you perfer?

I understand the concept of quality of work... I can by the most expensive unit on the planet have a fly by night company install it and it wont perform thats not my question... :gah:


Who is the pro here??

To answer your question, I'd install a Goodman.

[SBKold]

HVAC is nothing like the car buisness.

Imagine this.

All cars were shipped to dealers in pieces and assembled at the dealership.....

I think you would pay more attention to what dealership the car was built - rather than the brand name.

[rustyredvette]

not all parts are created equal.....

[gsxrsquid]

I would go with the 2 stage compressor.

[garya505]

With all do respect I could'nt dissagree with you more, escecially when it comes to resale value and making the house more desirable to sell later on. I'm not expert on hvac by any means, I'm in the car business so the same concepts apply when it comes to brands, The difference is when you go to resell a car people don't ask you what brand of fuel pump is in your tank etc. On houses they do! But correct me if I'm wrong but 80% of consumers feel that trane and carrier are the best, thus making the house more desirable. So my question to you is if you were installing a unit in your house heat pump backed by electric which would you perfer?

I understand the concept of quality of work... I can by the most expensive unit on the planet have a fly by night company install it and it wont perform thats not my question... :gah:

If you are worried about resale, put in something other than Goodman. They have bad reputation, though it's not really the fault of their hardware.

If resale is your main concern, you might want to put in Rheem or whatever has the highest consumer rating on Consumer Reports. I won't necessarily be the best, but people think it is, and perception matters.

[SJProwler]

not all parts are created equal.....

Very few parts beyond the case and cosmetic items are exclusive to 1 brand.