tigerdunes, The split system is the one that's down. The packaged unit works - the AC part, not so much, though - but we're planning on replacing everything at one time, including the outside AC on the split system since it started acting up this past summer as well. Our house is complicated - the original part of the house is a 900sq/ft ranch on a crawlspace with 2 bedrooms, den, bathroom and laundry room and that side is serviced by the package unit. The 'newer' side of the house is about 1200 sq/ft on a slab and a 2 story (well, 1 1/2, really) with the kitchen, living room and dining room downstairs and 2 small bedrooms and a bath upstairs. This side has one split system to service both levels. The current unit does (or did) a good job of circulating air both upstair and down, but one of the upstairs bedrooms is my husband's Man Cave and his computer equipment keeps the room hot. He uses a small window air conditioner in the summer just for his room to keep the equipment and himself cool. When both systems are running, we close a door (it's the original solid wood exterior door) between the 2 'wings' of the house so neither system is overworked. I'm scared of future propane prices, too. If money were no object I'd install geothermal, but unfortunately I'm not Bill Gates. :-) One other thing I'm concerned about is having enough electrical oomph to power a heat pump. The house is old and the wiring needs to be replaced anyway and I'm afraid we'd need to bring in an electrician for the heat pump. Or is the 200 amp service mainly for the heat strips in electric back up applications?

Do you know what is bad etiquette bry911, being a know it all. Well then you are going to hate this next part. Most large states just raise prices based on sales for the year. I don’t think anyone needs a lecture on it. Well that is a lot of wrong in one sentence. States don't typically handle property assessments and most don't even collect ad valorem taxes, they simply set a maximum rate. Individual taxing authorities, which is typically counties but it can be multiple small counties or subdivided cities, decide on the local rate (up to the state's maximum rate) and handle assessment in their area. There are two revenue schemes for property taxes in local governments. The less common is a flat rate x the property tax base. The more common is property tax treated as a residual source of revenue. That means property taxes are used to bridge the gap between all non-property tax revenues and budgeted expenditures. Because rates are hard to change and there are state mandated limits, the most common way to make revenue goals is [the amount required from property taxes / tax rate = property tax base]. It is much easier to increase the property tax base than it is to increase the property tax rate and there is much less political fall out. If new sales are sufficient to increase the property tax base, assessors may not do additional assessment. If insufficient they will reassess. Generally, the more expensive your home the more likely they are to revalue the property. I have had two property tax value increases since I purchased my home in May of 2016. Although I study inefficiency in capital, I am an accounting professor. So yes, I happen to know quite a bit about government accounting. I don't know it all and I am willing to learn more about the subject I am a professor of. But Cody found a thread he could join in on. A college kid trying to work his way through college. I was trying to build the kid up. Well let's not worry about someone following advice into financial harm so long as someone feels good. I am one of those old fashioned professors, who marks incorrect answers, wrong. However, in this case I didn't say Cody was wrong, I simply gave a qualification of his answer to check your local area.

Again, Brickeye offers irrelevant straw man arguments to support his untenable positions. He said: "I put those examples forward to show exactly how hard it can be to enforce codes." The reality is that once a new construction or remodeling project has passed an existing code inspection, it does not need to be brought up to future code levels. Code compliance that was required at the time of the inspection is all that is required. No one is debating that. No one suggested otherwise. So your reasoning here is baseless. Brickeye further stated: "I do know of jurisdictions that revoke COs at sale of the property and require a new inspection to grant a new CO each time ownership changes." Then Brickeye does not understand the authority under construction and existing building codes that gives the code official just that power. In fact, it happens more often than you would think. It is VERY common for private home inspectors to spot code violations that were missed after the issuance of a CO on, for example, new construction homes, only to have the CO revoked when a code violation has been found that may have been missed in a previous inspection or when the CO was issued based on fradulent information provided by the owner.. In fact, the building codes require rescining a CO in such circumstances. The current owner is made aware of the problem and required to come into compliance. Happens more often that you think. But all this completely irrelevant to the issue. The issue is, that buildings with previously valid COs can fall into a state of disrepair to the point that they become a hazard to the public well being. When that happens, maintenance codes apply, which can a do allow the government to force owners to take actions to correct them. This can be done with or without the permission of the property owner or by getting an adminstrative "search" warrant to enter the property to make inspection when probable casue has been shown to a presiding judge. Properties can be permanently condemned, temporarily condemned until repairs are made, or civil judgements sought against the building's owner. Commercial Builidng and Fire Codes do not require a warrant to search a privately owned commercial building if they are open to use by the public and are inspected during normal business hours, and Codes mandate that commercial building owners must make their buildings accessible for annual maintenance inspections. So maintenance inspections on private structures are not without precedent nor basis in law. Brickeye further commented: "Last time I looked insurance comanies are private enterprises and seem to look out for themselves pretty well." Insurance companies DO look out for themselves when they insure a property or are made aware of existing maintenance problems....but insurers do not routinely make safety inspections of private homes nor are they made aware of hazardous conditions which violate the terms of the insurance agreement by fradulent homeowners, and that is where the problem lies. If the insurer knows that a property is in a state of disrepair, they will insist that repairs be made or one's insurance coverage revoked. If the homeowner doesn't tell the insurance he is violating the terms of the insurance agreement, how does the insurer know? He doesn't, which is why insurance companies FULLY SUPPORT the use of routine maintenance inspections by Code Departments for private rental and other units. It saves them and their majority policy and stockholders money and protects them from paying out on fradulent claims. Deliquent owners who have no mortgages also are likely not to carry insurance on their structures. This becomes a public problem when, for example, there is a fire or building collpase and it is up to the taxpayer to pay for the cleanup. The cry and clamor that government has no business protecting it's citizens from irresponsible property owners is without merit. Government inspections protect the public, protect insurers, and protect other private owners who properties can be devalued by delapidated and dangerous properties. The anarchy that Brickeye suggests is pie-in-the sky and actually the most irresponsible and absurd position, and why Codes were developed in the first place: to protect the public from those who simply just don't care about anyone else but themselves.

Alright I'm going to try and reply to everyone. sktn77a: I do not have the breakdown of the prices in front of me, but the total cost including installation is approximately $16,000 vs $18,200 vs $19,000. I did not mention that with the first option we are still getting an air conditioner, just not with the heat pump option. jn3344: Thank you for your feedback, this is the exact information I was looking for with this post. What was the temperature like for the $650 month? tigerdunes: Thank you for your opinion. We have had a heat load calculation done. David Cary: Thank you for your feedback. We have not considered solar, as we could only put them on the east side of our roof, our house is in the middle of the woods so a lot of shade, and we have no room to mount them anywhere besides the roof. And yes, the ducts will all be in a conditioned space. armoured: We are doing a tankless hot water system, and as explained above, solar will not work with where we are located. Thanks for your feedback. Springtime Builders: We are going to have propane on site whether we choose a heat pump system or not. Gas stove is a must, as well as a propane generator. "You could have a safer, healthier and more affordable home by replacing those combustion appliances with electric." I do not agree with this at all, but that is for a different conversation on a different day. There's also no hidden costs with gas, I have them all accounted for. We are purchasing our own propane tank and are having it buried. All supply piping is accounted for as well as any ventilation requirements. Thanks for your comments Elmer J Fudd and mike_home.