new heat pump

[rodeosweetheart]

When the people who lived here before were evicted, they trashed the house and stole the heating/air conditioner unit. We've lived this way for 2 years, but now need to install something.

We got a quote today for a 1.5 13 SERE Ruud unit for 4370 dollars. He is going to rewrap and seal the existing ductwork (they did not steal that.)

We have a tiny 800 sq foot house.

Doesn't this quote seem kind of high?

Has anyone had a heat pump put in and what did it run? I see the unit online, or something similar, at 2100 dollars. But this is with installation and duct wrapping. He said it would take 2 days.

[razz]

Sounds good to me.

Living in Canada where everything is generally more expensive, we installed a heat pump into an existing forced air furnace ductwork system for 1400sf home for almost twice that price.
I try to get three quotes if it is possible for a major purchase but ultimately, we chose the contractor that seemed best, not necessarily the lowest price. The heat pump should be based on your house size and heat zone, I believe. It worked well this hot summer but we keep it set at 25C or 77F and the cost was not significant - about $25/month extra compared to previous years without AC.

[rodeosweetheart]

Thanks, Razz, maybe it's a good deal then. . .

[Lainey]

It also sounds reasonable to me. I have a heat pump that's installed on my roof - is yours on your roof or ground-based?
Mine's about 10 years old now and I'll be looking to replace it in a few years. Not looking forward to it but also not going to go without a/c during the 6 months of the year that it's 100 degrees here in AZ.

[rodeosweetheart]

Oh, no, it is in basement. But it is a heat pump. We live in SC. We've been getting by for 2 years with space heaters and window units, but it is not 100 degrees for 6 months.

[Float On]

Ours last fall was either $4800 or $6200 I can't remember which, it was a gift from my MIL (in SC), her's the year before was a similar price. I would get

[Float On]

I can't edit on this laptop. Meant to add that I would get a 2nd estimate if possible.

[ashem37]

We are having a lot of work done to our old house, including a new HVAC system (13 Seer 3 Ton 80% 70K BTU gas furnace and A/C), plus all NEW ductwork and we're paying $5850. Our house is 1300 square feet and we live in Atlanta, so rates should be similar. HOpe that helps!

[rodeosweetheart]

Thank you, Float and Ashem--very helpful. Ashem, I bet it would be very similar.
We got our second estimate today and guess what, the guy turns out to have owned our house and put in the first ductwork, he being an HVAC guy! He spent a happy half and hour reminiscing and quoted us around 3500, so we will probably go with him--he loves the house, so he would do a good job I am sure.

[awakenedsoul]

That's a much better price. It pays to listen to your gut. He sounds ideal.

[Float On]

Wow thats a good deal and someone who knows the house too is a bonus!

[Tussiemussies]

Yes, what a great deal and I think it is Karma that this person lived in your house. As you said I am sure he will do.a good job while reminesing about when he lived there!:)

[rodeosweetheart]

Exactly,his having owned and loved the house is a wonderful thing, and does seem pretty karmic, doesn't it? We will call him today and schedule the work!
Thanks,guys!

[ashem37]

What a coincidence. Sounds meant to be! Wonderful!

[Gregg]

http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/KFHHP18.html

That is a link to one kind of unit that is called a ductless split. They are a type of heat pump that both heats and cools from the one unit. They are somewhat similar to units you see in hotel rooms, but much nicer looking and more efficient than most of those. Our new house is almost the same size as yours rodeosweetheart (a little over 800 sq.ft.). We are using two of this type of unit, a larger one in our living, dining, kitchen and a smaller one in our bedroom. We had a bid for a heat pump with duct work that was also very close to yours, just under $5,000. Our total installed price for the two units will be $2,300. They are extremely efficient for the way we live. We always like our bedroom cool so can turn that one on in the summer for cooling, but only use it minimally for heat in the winter. The reverse is true of the unit in our living area. One of the other benefits is that the furnace in our basement will be removed along with all the duct work. For us that will free up some valuable space in our laundry/utility/storage room. Food for thought.

[Gregg]

Also not trying to throw any water on the guy who previously owned the house, but I'm curious why he didn't wrap and seal all the duct work. All the guys I know that are in the business always seem to put a little extra work into their own houses. That is a simple step that just takes a little time. If it was me I'd definitely ask him why he skipped that step when he lived there.

[rodeosweetheart]

Also not trying to throw any water on the guy who previously owned the house, but I'm curious why he didn't wrap and seal all the duct work. All the guys I know that are in the business always seem to put a little extra work into their own houses. That is a simple step that just takes a little time. If it was me I'd definitely ask him why he skipped that step when he lived there.


Hi Greg, thanks for the link to the ductless split; we will definitely look at this and talk about it.
I must have misspoken if I gave the impression that the ductwork was not wrapped and sealed; it is wrapped and I assume sealed, but I will check.

[spasteur]

All, Please help!!!!!!! Urgent!!!

I am new to this forum. I live in a 800 sq.ft condo (mid-atlantic) and my 10-year old heat pump died. I need to replace it as it is very cold in the condo. I had a contractor look at the heat pump. He said both the h pump and furnace need to be replaced, although the furnace is working well. He quoted $5000 for a Carrier 18.000 BTU, and slightly lesser for a GMC unit. When I searched the internet, I there were words like "seer", "ton", etc. etc. I am very confused as I do not understand what this means and how to decide what is good for my unit. Would someone out there please help me with specific info. I would very much appreciate any and all advice. Btw, the heat pump is on the roof.

[Gregg]

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. You can find the basics of how to calculate it here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEER), but most people get by just knowing the higher the number the more efficient the unit is. A ton is approx. 12,000 BTU/hour and relates more to the cooling power of the unit. The 18,000 BTU unit in your quote would be approx. 1.5 tons. With average insulation and windows that is probably about right for your 800 sq.ft. condo. Check with your utility or the dealer to see if there are any rebates or other incentives available if you upgrade to a more efficient unit. There may also be tax credits available. Good luck!

[spasteur]

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. You can find the basics of how to calculate it here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEER), but most people get by just knowing the higher the number the more efficient the unit is. A ton is approx. 12,000 BTU/hour and relates more to the cooling power of the unit. The 18,000 BTU unit in your quote would be approx. 1.5 tons. With average insulation and windows that is probably about right for your 800 sq.ft. condo. Check with your utility or the dealer to see if there are any rebates or other incentives available if you upgrade to a more efficient unit. There may also be tax credits available. Good luck!

Thank you!

[sweetana3]

And be wary of the significant price increase as you increase the efficiency of the unit. With our furnace it was almost double to get 95% efficiency. We are so careful with our energy usage that our piddly little bill would never recover the cost of the increased efficiency unit. So we had them price out a variety of options and then discussed just what the payback would be for each. I think we agreed with the 90% and our gas bill for stove, water heater and furnace is around $40 per month (1400 above ground with 700 finished basement).

Some people just jump at the highest possible efficiency but in our case, our savings would not have paid back the extra cost. Everyone is different so just giving you info.