racer

This is really a new house or just new to you? Any idea of age of the HP system?

At what outside temp was your register reading of 84? Generally, without knowing more information, I would say the 84 reading is on the low side. One other reading would be to take the return temperature at the air handler and the supply temp leaving the air handler. Ductwork may need a thorough inspection for leaks and you should regularly change your return air filter.

You may need a second opinion on the refrigerant charge.

Just a few ideas to kick around.

IMO

Here are indoor temps (at the air handler coil) for a 14 SEER, 3 ton Goodman heat pump based on outdoor temps, and indoor supply temp of 70F, proper fan speed (from Goodman's tech info manual):

Outdoor Temp----Indoor Temp
50F---------------101F
40-----------------97
30-----------------93
20-----------------89
10-----------------86
0------------------82

Your air handler fan speed may be set too high, wrong refrigerant charge, dirty coils.

Hope this helps.

Its a brand new house with a new 14 seer heat pump. The temp right now is 28 and the outlet temp is 86. It has a metal uninsulated trunk in the full length of the basement with flexduct branching off to the outlets. Its a single story ranch style house. All ducts are taped and seem to be well sealed.

Where are you measuring the outlet temp?

What instrument are you using to measure this temp?

Is the basement heated/insulated where the metal ducts come out of the air handler?

Be careful that you are not measuring temps when the heat pump is in defrost (outside fan off, compressor buzzing).

racer,

Have you ever had a home with a heat pump? I would say if your home's inside comfort temp is being maintained with outside temp at 28 degrees and without aux backup heat, then heat pump is doing a pretty good job.

Is your basement heated? What is the building code for ductwork insulation requirements for your area/county? I don't understand why the trunkline is uninsulated and this may be an opportunity to increase your supply output temp. Insulation is relatively cheap compared to energy loss. Keep in mind a heat pump will lose efficiency and BTUs as the outside temp decreases. That's the reason you must have the backup heat strips to make up the difference.

IMO

Ok. we have no codes it is a rural area. The basement is unheated but stays around 40 degrees. I am just sitcking a commercial thermometer into the register of a room furthest from the air handler. The basement is unfinished and uninsulated except for rimjoists which are foamed.
The house is comfortable but aux heat comes on quite often. By looking at the chart garyg posted im not too far off i guess.

The uninsulated ducts in an unheated, uninsulated basement is your biggest problem. You are losing a lot of heat because of this.

Can you check the temp at the air handler? There should be a canvas boot that joins the air handler handler to the first piece of ductwork - you could drill a small hole there to put the thermometer. See what the temp difference is there versus the register.

Note that my temps were based at the air handler and with 70-degree supply air. Your supply air may be colder. 5 degrees colder supply = 5 degrees colder out of the air handler.

Are there returns in that unheated/uninsulated basement?

Good luck.