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Old 09-19-2011, 05:49 PM
 
396 posts, read 664,996 times
Reputation: 330

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Our heat pump went out. Any recommendations?

Looking at Broan or Maytag.
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Old 09-19-2011, 06:05 PM
 
Location: Alabama!
6,048 posts, read 18,423,643 times
Reputation: 4836
I hate heat pumps. They blow cold air.
Get a gas heat with electric A/C.
Live happily ever after.
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Old 09-19-2011, 06:36 PM
 
396 posts, read 664,996 times
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Hi Southlander--no gas where I live
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Old 09-19-2011, 08:57 PM
 
3,465 posts, read 4,839,813 times
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Electric heat pumps are far more cost efficient as long as the outside temperature is around the 30's or above. Below that, the heat strips have to kick on which reduces their efficiency dramatically. Since we don't have a lot of weather below the 30's, heat pumps are the most cost effective. I had gas and switched to heat pump and my heating costs dropped almost in half. I switched when all of the crazy swings in gas prices started several years ago. Sure the warm feel of gas heat coming from the vents felt nice but hundreds in my pocket are pretty nice too. lol

Goodman heat pumps are highly rated and reasonably priced.
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Old 09-19-2011, 09:31 PM
 
Location: Madison, AL
168 posts, read 311,135 times
Reputation: 217
(Many of the) Goodman heat pumps are made just up the road in Fayetteville, TN..... so you got that goin' for ya:

Residential Products


I am a huge fan of mini-splits... but the local HVAC guys haven't really caught on to them yet. You see them EVERYWHERE in SE Asia where the A/C runs 24/7/365.... so they have to be reliable.

Fujitsu has a couple SEER 25+ models that will easily cut the electric bill from a SEER 13 central air system in half:

Wall Mounted 9 - 15,000 BTU Hi SEER - Fujitsu Ductless Mini-Splits
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Old 09-19-2011, 11:07 PM
 
Location: Floribama
18,949 posts, read 43,612,080 times
Reputation: 18760
Most heat pumps are about equal these days. Goodman used to have a bad reputation, but they have improved a lot in the last few years. Rheem has a very good reputation. I just installed a Payne unit about 4 months ago and I have no complaints so far. Payne is the same thing as entry level Bryant/Carrier, but a lower price.

I'd probably avoid Haier, their quality is still kinda unknown. I've heard bad things about Ducane too.
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Old 09-19-2011, 11:27 PM
 
Location: Georgia, USA
37,102 posts, read 41,267,704 times
Reputation: 45136
Quote:
Originally Posted by denofhc View Post
Our heat pump went out. Any recommendations?

Looking at Broan or Maytag.
I don't know what your budget is or how long you plan to stay in your home.

We installed a ground source heat pump (actually two of them) when we built our home 25 years ago. The original equipment is still working fine. Our equipment is indoors. No units outside. No worry about the copper thieves that are damaging or stealing AC units in our neck of the woods.

With ground source, you do get warm air from the vents when it's in heating mode.

The up front cost is higher, but your HVAC people should be able to estimate the time to recoup the additional expense.

I live in NW GA, so we are practically neighbors.
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Old 09-20-2011, 08:36 AM
 
23,600 posts, read 70,412,676 times
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The big variable is installation. All heat pumps are a sealed system, so aside from fan motors and thermostats, everything rides on the installer being anal about the details. You want no splices in the copper, full draw-down and fill to the exact proper level of exactly the right mix of refrigerant and oil, good stable installation that won't move, and tight seals all around to prevent pest damage.

I don't mind the warm air when I see the power bill.
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Old 09-20-2011, 05:31 PM
 
396 posts, read 664,996 times
Reputation: 330
The comments have been very helpful. Thanx to all!

Got several estimates and hope to get at least one more.

Since we will not likely be in the home more than 10 years, we'll probably go with a cheaper heatpump. We are blessed in that we get lots of good shade in the morning (house faces East) and plenty of better shade in the afternoon (large trees and mountain). Our electric bills currently do not go above $300 (except in extreme weather). July was pretty hot and our bill was $295.
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