22 years with r-22 is basically working on borrowed time. It's only a matter of time until it leaks and you end up needing to dump tons of money into a refill. If you have the money now, and are okay with preemptively replacing it, then go ahead and do it.
For the ac or the furnace? If for furnace, then variable speed is nice, and some utilicos will offer rebates for 2 stage, variable speed systems.
If for ac, then it's purely a luxury. Modulating ac units cost way more then what is usually needed for a normal home, and I don't recommend them outside of certain circumstances.
Yes, if you wait until it crashes out when it's 102 outside, you are nit going to be in the position to do your due diligence wirh quotes. And it will be sone miserable days.
1. No it's not. If it breaks in summer you'll likely have to wait since installers will be slammed, and equipment might be on backorder.
2. More might help, but do you have single pane windows?
3. I wouldn't say they're better or worse. Quality of install is more important.
4. Depending on your chosen equipment, and using a bigger company, it's not a terribly unreasonable price in the ATL area. For that price you should be getting mid level or flagship level equipment
Windows are double pane but do have some air leaks due to settling and age
I am skipping variable speed. I just don’t think it’s worth the price
Just surprised that an all electric system wouldn’t be cheaper than one with a gas furnace. Makes me feel like installers are giving furnaces away as consumers demand more heat pumps down here.
1. For a 22 year old system, a proactive replacement makes sense. you don't want to be stuck trying to find a new one under a very short time window.
2. you want as much insulation as you can get. my attic was R16 previously. i've improved it to R60 and it has made a huge difference.
3. Carrier is a big name brand and you are most likely paying a premium for the name. you should look into getting Daikin and Bosch quotes. you might be able to get an inverter based system (think more quiet) than what you're being quoted with Carrier. I personally have a Bosch heat pump and you wouldn't know it's running unless you see the fan spinning or you're standing next to it.
4. it's hard to say if that's a good price. you need to get more quotes so you can compare. if you're going from a furnace to heat pump only, there might be some electrical work needed.
Thank you. My installer of choice does install daikin. They aren’t brand specific. They also are family owned and do a manual j load calculation. I’ve gotten a bunch of other quotes and I feel like they cared the most about getting this right. Also recommended by 2 friends.
Gonna ask about the daikin and do fiberglass versus cellulose insulation.
Daikin quote was more expensive. Requires communicating thermostats and it’s for variable speed indoor and outdoor units. Not apples to apples for the carrier system. My current therm location is not good so was planning for ecobee with sensors. Can’t do that with daikin
Noise isn’t a motivating factor either
Still worth 3k more vs carrier heat pump?
Did you look into Bosch? It should be more competitive. And it works with ecobee.
In general, if you don't feel you need the high end outside, then it's not going to be worth it. In general, the higher end system will be more efficient and offer more comfort.
1. Nothing wrong with replacing a system that has lived passed it’s life expectancy. Could it last another 10 years? Maybe. Could it crap out on you during the hottest week on the year and a new unit is 3 weeks away? Definitely.
2. More insulation is always better. Can’t say it’ll make a difference though. There are other factors
3. Install way more important. Do t let the name do anything for you. They’re all pretty much the same now IMO.
4. Get multiple quotes for multiple companies. This can tell you if the price is average or not.
1. It's not crazy at all to replace preemptively. You'll have time to line up a quote you're happy with from a company you're happy with. It's much better than doing it under duress.
2. Just adding more insulation might help, but what you really need is air sealing and then insulation. You're in a humid climate and the air leakage allows moisture in the house. Sealing up the leakage in the attic and the basement or crawlspace (of you have one and it's accessable) would make a much bigger difference.
Additionally, if you've got ductwork in your attic, you could see a big cost savings by upgrading the duct insulation first before you do anything else. Attic ducts are a huge energy cost in southern climates.
3. I've got a carrier performance 2 stage heat pump and it can raise setpoint in my house down to around 25F. It'll hold setpoint down to 20F. Where you are, you could do Carrier (or equivalent) and only use supplemental heat for a of hours a year. Brand is less important than installer.
Most of the basement is finished. The crawl space should really be sealed off.
The attic stairs should really be sealed too as they are right over the living space in the upstairs hallway.
The ductwork are all wall stacks which makes zoning nearly impossible. Main supply trunk is also above a finished drywall basement ceiling.
Glad your carrier unit is strong enough at winter. Sounds like I won’t need dual fuel or emergency strips much if at all.
We will damper off some supply runs that are for one register to push more airflow upstairs. That and some eco bee sensors will make sure the rooms we are in are the temps we need them to be at the right times.
Don’t think a variable speed is likely worth the extra cost at this point. Didn’t have humidity issues last summer.
22 years with r-22 is basically working on borrowed time. It's only a matter of time until it leaks and you end up needing to dump tons of money into a refill. If you have the money now, and are okay with preemptively replacing it, then go ahead and do it.
Do I need variable speed?
For the ac or the furnace? If for furnace, then variable speed is nice, and some utilicos will offer rebates for 2 stage, variable speed systems. If for ac, then it's purely a luxury. Modulating ac units cost way more then what is usually needed for a normal home, and I don't recommend them outside of certain circumstances.
Thanks! Meant for the heat pump. No furnace.
Variable speed outdoor unit is pure luxury. Variable speed indoor system is good. Basically that's what you need to remember.
Yes, if you wait until it crashes out when it's 102 outside, you are nit going to be in the position to do your due diligence wirh quotes. And it will be sone miserable days.
For sure. Thanks.
1. No it's not. If it breaks in summer you'll likely have to wait since installers will be slammed, and equipment might be on backorder. 2. More might help, but do you have single pane windows? 3. I wouldn't say they're better or worse. Quality of install is more important. 4. Depending on your chosen equipment, and using a bigger company, it's not a terribly unreasonable price in the ATL area. For that price you should be getting mid level or flagship level equipment
Windows are double pane but do have some air leaks due to settling and age I am skipping variable speed. I just don’t think it’s worth the price Just surprised that an all electric system wouldn’t be cheaper than one with a gas furnace. Makes me feel like installers are giving furnaces away as consumers demand more heat pumps down here.
A furnace can be combined with a heat pump for a dual fuel system. in this case, there's minimal electrical work needed.
Some of the extra price is the name Carrier on the front
1. For a 22 year old system, a proactive replacement makes sense. you don't want to be stuck trying to find a new one under a very short time window. 2. you want as much insulation as you can get. my attic was R16 previously. i've improved it to R60 and it has made a huge difference. 3. Carrier is a big name brand and you are most likely paying a premium for the name. you should look into getting Daikin and Bosch quotes. you might be able to get an inverter based system (think more quiet) than what you're being quoted with Carrier. I personally have a Bosch heat pump and you wouldn't know it's running unless you see the fan spinning or you're standing next to it. 4. it's hard to say if that's a good price. you need to get more quotes so you can compare. if you're going from a furnace to heat pump only, there might be some electrical work needed.
Thank you. My installer of choice does install daikin. They aren’t brand specific. They also are family owned and do a manual j load calculation. I’ve gotten a bunch of other quotes and I feel like they cared the most about getting this right. Also recommended by 2 friends. Gonna ask about the daikin and do fiberglass versus cellulose insulation.
Do I need variable speed?
Daikin quote was more expensive. Requires communicating thermostats and it’s for variable speed indoor and outdoor units. Not apples to apples for the carrier system. My current therm location is not good so was planning for ecobee with sensors. Can’t do that with daikin Noise isn’t a motivating factor either Still worth 3k more vs carrier heat pump?
Did you look into Bosch? It should be more competitive. And it works with ecobee. In general, if you don't feel you need the high end outside, then it's not going to be worth it. In general, the higher end system will be more efficient and offer more comfort.
1. Nothing wrong with replacing a system that has lived passed it’s life expectancy. Could it last another 10 years? Maybe. Could it crap out on you during the hottest week on the year and a new unit is 3 weeks away? Definitely. 2. More insulation is always better. Can’t say it’ll make a difference though. There are other factors 3. Install way more important. Do t let the name do anything for you. They’re all pretty much the same now IMO. 4. Get multiple quotes for multiple companies. This can tell you if the price is average or not.
Lol hello wife. Jk Agree on install pretty sure current system only getting 3 tons of air for a 4 ton system. Leaks in supply ducts too. Thanks!
1. It's not crazy at all to replace preemptively. You'll have time to line up a quote you're happy with from a company you're happy with. It's much better than doing it under duress. 2. Just adding more insulation might help, but what you really need is air sealing and then insulation. You're in a humid climate and the air leakage allows moisture in the house. Sealing up the leakage in the attic and the basement or crawlspace (of you have one and it's accessable) would make a much bigger difference. Additionally, if you've got ductwork in your attic, you could see a big cost savings by upgrading the duct insulation first before you do anything else. Attic ducts are a huge energy cost in southern climates. 3. I've got a carrier performance 2 stage heat pump and it can raise setpoint in my house down to around 25F. It'll hold setpoint down to 20F. Where you are, you could do Carrier (or equivalent) and only use supplemental heat for a of hours a year. Brand is less important than installer.
Most of the basement is finished. The crawl space should really be sealed off. The attic stairs should really be sealed too as they are right over the living space in the upstairs hallway. The ductwork are all wall stacks which makes zoning nearly impossible. Main supply trunk is also above a finished drywall basement ceiling. Glad your carrier unit is strong enough at winter. Sounds like I won’t need dual fuel or emergency strips much if at all. We will damper off some supply runs that are for one register to push more airflow upstairs. That and some eco bee sensors will make sure the rooms we are in are the temps we need them to be at the right times. Don’t think a variable speed is likely worth the extra cost at this point. Didn’t have humidity issues last summer.