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The big issue I have with propane are the swings in the commodity price. I remember getting sticker shocked back in the early 2000's for a period of time.
Yes I agree. Also we currently pay about $150-$200 per month for an old electric heater in an old, poorly-insulated rental house for 4-5 months in the cold part of the year. $1000 in propane for a single winter seems crazy to me - that would be more than we pay now. We're hoping to pay less, not more.
My advice - whatever you go with, don't get sold into the overly complicated setup. Variable speed fan this, computer controlled that, flux this, capacitor that. Make it as simple as humanly possible. On, off, is my opinion. Why am I saying this?
Our neighborhood is approaching 20 years old now. Several owners have replaced their HVAC units over the past 5 years (York Diamonds) for the more "efficient" technology. We have one newer unit from 2006 (American Standard), and one original from 2000 (York Diamond). Admittedly we have one repair to make before next summer - the evaporator coil for the American Standard (previous owner replaced the coil for the York in 2008).
We've been in this house two years now. We've not had a single mechanical problem. We're waiting for the York Diamond to kick the can, but it just keeps on going. My neighbors who have "updated" their units with the latest and greatest, seem to be seeing their repair man quite frequently. Would say bad install here, but we're talking about a 4 different homes and 4 different install companies. One thing they all have in common though, is they're not exactly the "on/off" setup. Variable fan speeds, overly computerized controls, etc. Can't escape all of this new technology, but it's pretty easy to get over-sold on it too.
We had the York looked at a couple of months ago. Quoted $5k for a new Lennox system (AC only). Tough install as the handler is in the attic, compressor outside, and tight spaces. Thought it was a fair quote, but wasn't sold on the Lennox system. My understanding is that if you buy a Lennox, then you're locked into the Lennox parts only down the road, which I understand can take some time to source as they tightly control their suppliers and vendors and there aren't a lot of them (and puts you at their mercy for pricing).
In my own opinion, make it as simple as possible, and make it with a popular brand that can easily be serviced/repaired by the general HVAC tech world, and don't get oversold.
And MAKE SURE they wire up the thermostat with a wire that supports a common wire and has a few extra uneeded wires in the bundle for future expansion (say, humidifier, de-humidifier, etc.). If you want some "tech", the common wire will make it a lot easier for you to consider a smart thermostat. We have two Ecobee 3's in our house, and I simply will never go back to the old school way again!
Sorry, one more thing I forgot to mention, from personal experience. Putting in a UV light into the airflow, is a must-have in my opinion. But, you don't have to pay the $500+ a technician will charge you for one. You can buy a Honeywell UV light online for $150 and install one yourself with a simple cordless drill. I installed one in each of our units over the summer, and the difference in the freshness of our home has been noticeably improved!
Depends on where you live. Propane is $2.62 gallon in Maine
Same around here. It ain't cheap. Normally runs me $700-$800 to fill my 500lb tank, and usually that's only a 70% fill. If it's really cold- it get's filled 2x p/yr.
We've switched to pellets in the basement, but I still run the shop and upstairs fireplace on propane. EXPENSIVE... If I remove the fireplace in the upstairs and put in a pellet stove, more than likely I would use less than 2.5 tons of pellets a year. That's about $500 total.
I'd burn through maybe a total of 5 tons for heating- that's $1,000 in pellets and NO electric use- wouldn't need it with the pellet heat. I'm leaning that way. It'd shave about $500 p/yr in costs. 4.5 year payback on unit cost..
After having lived in a home with a "simple" system and a home with a top of the line carrier infinity "complicated" system, I can promise you that the "complicated" system wins hands down every day of the year in terms of livability.
The multi-speed air handlers are amazing to live with. In the wintertime, I never even heard the heat come on, and this was a house with forced air heat. The blower ran on low 98% of the time. It would only ramp up to medium or high if I requested a large change in temperature, like coming back from a holiday. This was also great for heat distribution- since the system is running most of the time at a low speed, every room in the house had consistent temperatures. It also allowed our humidifier to keep the set point without issue.
This contrasts heavily with the house we lived in that had a single speed air handler. When the heat came on, it blew hard and loud. Some rooms were overpowered and others didn't get enough. Energy bills were lower with the multi-speed too.
In terms of heat pumps, the more complicated the better. An inverter driven heat pump will be efficient to much lower temperatures than one with a one or two speed compressor. Also, since an inverter system can ramp down the compressor, you can oversize the unit without worrying about humidity in the summer- it will adjust itself to maintain both temperature and humidity. Another positive of oversizing the system is that you'll get more heat output from the heat pump at the lower temperature ranges.
You can't oversize a system with a single speed compressor or else you could have too much humidity in the summer.
Advancements in heating and cooling technology are great, no reason to force yourself to remain in the past.
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