Furnace+A/C vs. Heat pump/mini-splits in bay area
Amir Fish
5 years ago
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Oaktown
5 years agoDavid Cary
5 years agoRelated Discussions
5 ton vs 4 ton Heat Pump in Log Home
Comments (4)First of all, it is considered poor forum etiquette to start a new thread when you already have an active thread. Questions that you have not answered in earlier thread. What is the brand, model, size, and efficiency of existing propane furnace? What is its blower size rating? This is important if you are considering just adding on a heat pump with matching coil to existing furnace. If you really require a 5 ton, then this would most likely require significant ductwork modifications to handle the additional CFMs. Has any of the dealers mentioned this? Mighty important. What is your cost/gallon for propane? What is cost/KWR for electric? Tell us about existing problems with current system and location of problems? Basements at or partially below grade have low heating and cooling loads. Tell us about your average temp for both summer and winter? And extremes? What are your inside design thermostat setting for heating and cooling? How did existing 4 ton AC perform when it was working correctly as far as meeting your comfort requirements? The finished basement should have its own separate system preferred or at very least a zoning control. Any opportunity for insulation improvement/upgrade to basement area? I would want to see a separate load calculation for basement zone. Have you seen the load calcs in writing so that you can review? On the software letterhead? Post back. IMO...See Moreconfused- heat pump vs. standard A/C
Comments (10)for Speedymonk speedy, I live in Southeast and also have a dual fuel Trane-same as yours, XL14i(R-410a) paired with an XV90 furnace. I really wanted the XL15i but it was just being introduced and only available in R-22 which I did not want. I probably should have gone with the XV80 furnace but kind of hedged as this was my first experience with a HP. I knew though that all was OK since my wife has never complained about the HP since it most likely performs about 90+% of heating chore based on my area's climate and relatively mild winters. I estimate I used about 60-70 therms of nat gas last winter. Savings over 100% nat gas heating vs heat pump heating est at around 35%. No regrets with the HP. Trane though is really falling behind in tax credit qualifying condensors both AC and HPs. IMO...See MorePropane vs. Heat Pump w/PV - SF Bay Area
Comments (12)> The generator is powered by propane? Yes. > You need to see what the KW pull is for a heat pump. At the moment with existing setup, what else does your generator power during an outage? Generator powers nearly everything. (The only things not on the generator are the septic enhanced treatment pumps, the pool equipment, and the hot tub.) > Based on your location/climate, a heat pump would be a logical choice for heating versus propane heating. The last few days have been fairly typical for the "cold" part of the year. In the last 72 hours, minimum temp 35, average temp 41. > Can you be a little more specific on how your tiered electric rate works? Without heating or cooling, what is a good average of KWH usage each month for your home? It is the PG&E E-6 rate plan. http://www.pge.com/tariffs/tm2/pdf/ELEC_SCHEDS_E-6.pdf This past month our net usage was 28.4 kWh/day, but during the summer we generate more than we use. > How large is your home? 2400 square feet. > Have you thought of a dual fuel system? Possibly an 80% eff two stg furnace that could be used for those rare cold snaps and power outages?The backup furnace would eliminate the need for aux heat from heat strips. That's what I'm thinking now. Definitely solves the power outage problem, though the woodstove does that nearly as well. Seems like a low or moderate efficiency furnace is about the same price as a standalone air handler anyway. > How would you characterize the insulation qualities of your home? Home was built in 1972, parts remodelled in 1980 or so... so not the greatest insulation, but we have installed double-pane windows everywhere and upgraded the insulation in some areas. > Ductwork has been inspected? Any hot cold spots in your home? Ductwork will be overhauled at the same time we install the new system. No particular hot or cold spots now though....See MoreMini splits vs central heat/air new build
Comments (24)I'm not sure I understand how advanced you are in your planning, but some input: Ontario Hydro rates are here (may not be exactly right for where you are): http://www.ontario-hydro.com/current-rates Note the peak times change between winter and summer, and nighttime (from seven) to morning (to seven am) and weekends are all off-peak and lowest rate. Peak rate in summer is peak a/c time. So depending what your loads are, 'timing' your usage can make a big difference. Investing in some more sophisticated controls to favour using electricity at off-peak might be worthwhile, and possibly some 'heat storage' (e.g. heat your water at night, and even more complex arrangements). Since you won't have access to natural gas (the cheapest), what really makes sense is to figure out how well insulated you can make the house. The better insulated, the less need you should have for both heating and air conditioning. For southwestern ontario, depending where you are, the a/c season can be pretty short (although this year was exceptionally long), and with judicious use of ceiling fans, shade (in summer) in rooms where you spend most of your time, you may be able to get by with minimal a/c. Hydro's rates may seem pretty high but it's possible that some solar could make sense, if you can 'self-consume' all of your solar (which is always going to be at peak or mid-peak rates). (I don't know anything about feed-in tariff situation in Ontario). One comment, be cautious about putting a fireplace in the basement, draught/draw can be poor unless carefully designed. And if you go for a 'tight' house, they may recommend against wood-burning fireplaces....See Morerobin0919
5 years agoAmir Fish
5 years agoElmer J Fudd
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