Reply to Switching from HVAC system to heat pump

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We used Hecox to replace our AC with a heat pump and replace our old gas furnace (we wanted dual fuel for a variety of reasons). We had a great experience with them.

Cold Comfort HVAC is another contractor we got competitive quotes from for a heat pump.[/quote]

I am the above PP. Adding some considerations about heat pumps:

1. As the PPs have said the math often doesn't work in your favor when compared to natural gas. You can get a very expensive very efficient heat pump that depending on your house (insulation, quality of ductwork) may work well and not generate super costly bills in the winter. But it can just as easily increase your utility bills. I definitely recommend listening to the contractors about what they recommend for your specific home.
2. Sizing matters.  In the mid Atlantic, heating loads are much higher than cooling loads. That means you need a larger capacity to heat your home than to cool it. However, as you know summers are very hot and humid so you want good AC. If you want a heat pump that will serve as your heating and AC, you will need to oversize it for summer in order to properly size it for winter. If you have an oversized system in the summer, that will make your house less comfortable and more humid than it would otherwise be.  This is because in the summer it shut on and off a lot instead of running for longer. This issue can be minimized by getting a variable stage heat pump which can run at different levels (so it doesn't always have to go full blast), but even so it will still be less efficient and less comfortable in the summer than the same system but properly sized. So you'll be paying for a more expensive variable stage system but not getting all the benefits of it in the summer. This is less of an issue in places like Maine where the summers are not quite as oppressive.
3. Your gas furnace has a blower motor that circulates the air in your house. The blower motor works in the winter and the summer, serving as the air handler for your AC in the summer. If you decide to convert fully to a heat pump and not have a furnace, you have to get a dedicated air handler for the heat pump (that will be included in the quotes the contractors give you). You may also need to get electrical work done to make the heat pump work without the furnace (not sure I understand why but this is what was explained to me). For these reasons the up front costs of switching to a heat pump will very possibly be higher than getting a heat pump and a new furnace.[/quote]

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