Replace A/C with Heat Pump?

[rfh1957]

Sorry for posting this question as part of an existing thread...

We live in Springfield, IL, and have a relatively new (going into 3rd season) 80% efficient Rheem gas furnace. It's paired with a 13 year old Lennox scroll compressor a/c only unit using R22. I think its SEER rating is about 11 or 12. With natural gas prices expected to significantly rise, I wonder if it makes sense to replace the outdoor unit with a heat pump. We plan to live in this house for probably 6 or 7 years, possibly longer. I don't want my natural gas bills to go out of control, but don't want to be investing in an expensive upgrade and not have it pay for itself by energy savings during the time we still live here. I have a friend who works for our power company who is encouraging me to buy a heat pump, but I'm reluctant to spend the money and endure the inconvenience of installation, which would entail replacement of the copper tubing to handle r410a, and a new A-coil. Advice or posts to direct me to? My winter gas and electric bills combined averaged about $200 per month last year. Thanks.

[jacob perkins]

you still have a few more years before the planned phase out of r-22.
heatpump would be a an energy saver

is this really part of an existing thread?

[rfh1957]

I had previously posted the same message into another thread and it caused some confusion, so I started it as a new thread.

[wyounger]

Six or seven years is a fairly short time span. You would have a hard time saving enough to pay for the new heat pump based on savings in the heating season alone, but it's likely that a new unit will be more efficient in cooling season, too. It's probably close enough that it wouldn't be a huge difference either way.

One thing to consider, though, is where you will be in six or seven years. If the payback is somewhere near break-even, the difference is whether the AC you're selling with the house is seven years old and dual fuel or 20 years old and cooling only.

Please dig up the model numbers from your air conditioner and the indoor coil that goes with it. The pros on the board can look up the exact SEER rating for the pairing you have now.

[rfh1957]

The outdoor A/C unit, a Lennox, is model HS22-411U-3P. The coil, also a Lennox, is model C22-41-1. Thanks.

[rfh1957]

Anyone know what the SEER on the Lennox equipment listed above is? I have a brochure on the equipment from when we purchased it, but it just says "up to 13.5 SEER." Thanks.

[jacob perkins]

Originally posted by rfh1957
Anyone know what the SEER on the Lennox equipment listed above is? I have a brochure on the equipment from when we purchased it, but it just says "up to 13.5 SEER." Thanks.

No I dont.You can look here though:
http://www.ariprimenet.org

[river_t]

Well,

I am only 1 hr north of you (peoria) and I'm removing a less than 10 year old 10 SEER Carrier AC, with a variable speed carrier 90+ furnace - existing system - decent equip, but previous owner hired a hack to put it in.

Anyway, Im removing this system and repalcing it with a Trane XL16i heat pump, dual fuel with XV 90 furnace.

Don't know if I'll be here more than 7 years myself, but I ran the payback numbers and it should come close to paying for itself in that time.

Of course that is my home, and every home is definately different. Any good contractor should have software that will show some ROI (return on ivestment) to see if it will pay for itself your time frame.

We are putting in a lot of dual fuel heat pumps around here this year. Only work well if DONE RIGHT!!! In my opinion - go for it - I did.

[rfh1957]

Is the outside condensor on a Trane unit hard to clean (must be done with chemicals by a professional?) Our neighbor has a cottonwood tree that sheds fuzz for about a month straight mid-June through mid-July, and we have to hose off the condensor every day. I know the Tranes have a spine fin coil design and a cover which makes access a little more difficult than some other manufacturer's.

[jacob perkins]

Oops,I misread 13 year old lennx,not 3 year old.Dont think prime net will have hs22.sorry.

I would guess that you are close to 13 ,but that is just a guess.

[rfh1957]

Right, I couldn't find the SEER on Primenet for those units. Someone else thought maybe in the 12 range.

[river_t]

Originally posted by rfh1957
Is the outside condensor on a Trane unit hard to clean (must be done with chemicals by a professional?) Our neighbor has a cottonwood tree that sheds fuzz for about a month straight mid-June through mid-July, and we have to hose off the condensor every day. I know the Tranes have a spine fin coil design and a cover which makes access a little more difficult than some other manufacturer's.

Well, cottonwood is trouble for any A/C unit. Fortunately, the spine fin "depth loads" as opposed to the surface loading that all traditional plate fin coils do. Good thing with the spine fin and depth loading is that your leading edge does not load nearly as fast as the plate fin. (And of course that is where the bulk of your heat transfer takes place - the leading edge).

Now, I personally think that the spine fins aren't really that hard to clean, and access to the coils have gotten easier via Trane's new cabinet design. BUT, like I said, cottonwood is a royal PIA!!!.... There are ways to clean it though: See some of Mark's comments on this thread - I agree with him 100%
http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?threadid=87862