Best SEER-Rated Heat Pump for Phoenix (house, construction, live in)

[LagunaMom]

We live in a block house built in '75. It's about 1500 sq. ft., but we don't cool or use every room. Our heat pump was installed in the '90s, and while it's cooling, it's making noise, and it makes more sense to replace it. I was hoping we could wait a few months (we use space heaters during the few months of winter), but the 120-degree temps this year did it in.

Cool Touch quoted $6500 for a 14 SEER and about $9500 for a 16. I'm okay as long as it stays around 78. I'm chemically sensitive, so I can't have a lot of work done, and besides that, we're going to be taking a financial hit at a bad time.

What would be the most appropriate SEER? Is there really a big difference in how cool it keeps your home?
We were told the 14 SEER would save us 10% of our electric bill, and the 16 SEER would save us 30%. Is that true?

Thanks.

[Pink Jazz]

Note that often the difference between a 14 vs. 16 SEER system is that the 16 SEER system will probably have an ECM blower in the air handler, which is inherently more efficient than a conventional PSC blower which the 14 SEER system probably has. This has historically been the 16 SEER upgrade offered by homebuilders.

[Zippyman]

90% of the seer ratings are weighted to temperatures below 90 degrees- all heat pumps draw more amps as the temperatures climb, so short answer, you *won't* save an additional 20% on your bills by switching from 14 to 16 seer.

You could possibly save an additional 20% on your bills by going to a "two stage" heat pump, but the premium charged by most installers is far in excess of any electrical savings.

14 seer & 16 seer units will cool the house to the same temperature- one won't get your house colder than another.

I'd get more quotes as $6500 is Cadillac pricing for a 14 seer heat-pump - for that price I'd expect a premium brand & an extended warranty + every "goodie" they could throw at you - fancy thermostat, premium filter, etc.

If you really want to save money long-term, get your ductwork leak-checked & sealed & then get some extra cellulose blown into the attic. That would cost less than the upgrade & would actually lower your bills & increase the comfort inside the home. You should be able to afford a lower set-point if you tighten the house up.

[Pink Jazz]

Originally Posted by Zippyman

90% of the seer ratings are weighted to temperatures below 90 degrees- all heat pumps draw more amps as the temperatures climb, so short answer, you *won't* save an additional 20% on your bills by switching from 14 to 16 seer.

You could possibly save an additional 20% on your bills by going to a "two stage" heat pump, but the premium charged by most installers is far in excess of any electrical savings.

14 seer & 16 seer units will cool the house to the same temperature- one won't get your house colder than another.

I'd get more quotes as $6500 is Cadillac pricing for a 14 seer heat-pump - for that price I'd expect a premium brand & an extended warranty + every "goodie" they could throw at you - fancy thermostat, premium filter, etc.

If you really want to save money long-term, get your ductwork leak-checked & sealed & then get some extra cellulose blown into the attic. That would cost less than the upgrade & would actually lower your bills & increase the comfort inside the home. You should be able to afford a lower set-point if you tighten the house up.

Remember though that often what sets apart 14 vs. 16 SEER systems are the use of PSC vs. ECM blowers in the air handler, respectively while using the same model of condenser. An ECM blower is inherently more efficient.

[Ponderosa]

I went from a 12 to 16 several years ago. The amp draw by my outdoor unit dropped by 25%. That is quite significant because I am on a demand plan. Eventually APS will force everyone to a demand plan through pricing or regulatory means. Anyhow, I probably did drop my usage quite a bit, but I ate it up again by cranking down the thermostat for greater comfort. So my savings, went into more comfortable temps. FWIW, I paid less than $5K for a 5 ton unit with a ten year parts and labor warranty. It is a Goodman which is a lower price point model, but it has given me absolutely no problems. These days, they all have the same internal parts anyway, with the possible exception of some high end models like Trane that use proprietary stuff that is overpriced and hard to find when replacements are needed.

[Bummer]

OUCH, LagunaMom . . . something is not quite right.

The construction and size of my home is very similar to yours. A little over a year ago I decided to upgrade a 20 something year old Heat Pump rather than having it repaired.

After some fairly boring research, I chose ChasRoberts (no ties / affiliation whatsoever) to install a Carrier 16 SEER unit for about $6k . . . considerably less than your quote.

The new unit cools about the same, is a great deal quieter and definitely much less of an "Electricity Hog" with about a 50% drop in my Summer Air Conditioning bills.

Definitely no Heat Pump / Air Conditioning expert here, however, possibly a little shopping around may lessen the pain. Also, since your unit is still functioning, is it possible waiting a month or two until the demand has subsided will help the price?

Good Luck.

[Potential_Landlord]

I feel for you. We also need to replace our AC this winter, or at least I will do do it anyways. We have an offer for a two-stage AC / heat pump system 3.5 / 5 ton 15 SEER for 6k ("dayandnight" brand). I would get more offers I think you can find a better one. Also, negotiate like there's no tomorrow and the best time as mentioned before is after the cooling period ends. It seems to me that manufacturers give best prices around January, but I'm not an expert.

[autism360]

I have had 3 ac units replaced in the last 2 years

3 ton 3500 14 seer
4 ton 5000 14seer
5 ton 4500 14 seer

[jheidmann1550]

A friend of mine has taken a different and totally drastic approach. He has a 3500 sq. foot home with two a/c units.He also has 2 electric cars and so is on the e car plan - in the summer(here in Phx az., his on peak rates range from 20cents to 26 cents per kw. Terribly expensive. But his off peak rates )11pm to 5am) are under 6 cents a kw. So he pre-cools his house and does not run the a/c's at all during on peak times (1pm to 8pm)
In fact he is only running the larger of the two units as the upstairs unit has died. He has run a supply air line from the downstairs unit to the intake plenum of the upstairs unit and then runs both blowers which directs most of the air to the upstairs area of the house. He is saving about $900 per year on his electric
plan vs the basic plan .

[DougStark]

OP, I would have a good technician find out what's making the noise on your existing heat pump, then consider fixing it.

If you mainly use only one part of the house, consider installing a mini-split heat pump. The better ones are ultra quiet and very energy efficient. I have one in my master bedroom.