Subject: Re: heat pump

From: [email-masked] (John Mills)
Date: 3 Aug 1995 23:33:05 GMT

[email-masked] (Dennis Yep) wrote:
>
>       Does it make sense to buy a heat pump for cooling and
>       moderate heating?  I plan to use my regular gas forced air
>       furnace for winter temps below the balance point.
>
>       A new heat pump costs more than a new AC unit, but the
>       salesman claimed that a heat pump would cool was well as a
>       regular AC unit and I would save money by running the unit
>       during the Fall in the heat mode. Of course, I would have
>       to buy a disconnect switch and a new thermostat.
>
>       If heat pumps have a coefficent of performance of around
>       3, ($1 buys you $3 worth of heat), then why would not
>       everyone have one?
>
>       I live in Columbus Ohio, where the winters are moderate
>       and rarely get much below zero degree F.

Depending upon electric rates, heat pumps can be very cheap heat. It may 
pay off to buy a heat pump instead of A/C but think carefully. If your 
utility helps out, then it may be a wise move. The Indy utility pays a 
$150 rebate for high efficiency A/C. It pays $400 for an add on heat pump 
plus gives a better electric rate. A heat pump can be $400-500 more than 
straight cooling unit. The dual-fuel kit (that lets you add the heat pump 
to gas furnace) can be $100-200 depending upon brand and how 
sophisticated it is plus the price of the heat pump thermostat over the 
standard one. Best bet is get a quote both ways and see how much more it 
is. Then remember there is LOTS more to go wrong with HP & dual-fuel 
control so potential for more repairs. Heat pumps are very efficient in 
the 30-50 range but in the 30-45 range spend a lot of time defrosting 
which chews up savings. 

Overall, I'd bet it won't be a good investment unless utility rebates 
pays for most of the extra over the A/C. We find that most people with 
both when they lose the HP don't replace it with another HP, but straight 
A/C.