Anybody have an opinion on brands of heat pump for a fairly standard size townhouse? I’d welcome options either for or against. I’d prefer standard brands rather than custom/local brands.
Ours needs replacing and I’m just looking for experiences/opinions on what brands are reliable, functional, cheaper to buy, cheaper to operate, have known problems, etc. Also what features I should be looking for.
Thanks
Misling
We recently installed two new Lennox systems in our home (one upstairs, one on the main floor).
Both seem to work well and we’ve had no problems. The prior Rheem systems had leaks in both the indoor and outdoor coils and never cooled (or heated) properly.
We’ve seen a decrease in our power bills since the installation of the new systems, and better ambient air temperature throughout the house.
We also installed auto switching programmable thermostats (auto switch between heat or A/C).
You can go to the Lennoxsite and check out their products.
We found that getting the highest SEER rating we could afford (for the size of our house) has been very beneficial. However, sometimes, the difference between maximum SEER rating and actual SEER rating (while the system is in use) was negligible, so we opted to go with a lower SEER and saved about $2K.
We paid about $10K total for both systems, including installation labor.
I’ll try to post later with our system details.
Good luck!
If you live in a climate that sees winter temps under 30F on a regular basis, you might look into a Hallowell. I know only that they have some cred at keeping a higher co-efficient of performance (COP) at temps other heat pumps would have switched to resistance (or other) backup heat.
Thanks for the answers.
A local contractor is pushing Carrier brand.
I searched online and found both people who love theirs and people who hate theirs. Are they considered good in general? is there a site somewhere that rates heat pump? I couldn’t find one.
I am an HVAC contractor and sell and service most (all…) brands.
Many manufacturers sell under different names (think: GM Blazer, Jimmy, Bravada…) so many times the same exact unit is being sold under different badges.
Carrier is owned it ICP (which is owned by United Technologies) and sells systems under several different names. Not all of the are exactly the same; somethimes they are “cousins”, and sometimes identical twins.
IME, Carrier is an excellent brand and also sold [in many cases] as a Bryant. (other ICP products are Arcoaire, Day & Night, Payne, Heil and Tempstar)
Lennox does the same thing and sells Armstrong furnaces. Trane and American Standard are very similar.
Carrier would be an excellent choice. Another consideration is the brand and type of compressor. Many manufacturers use “Copeland” compressors. (Think: “Intel Inside”; many different computers use the same components )
My Experience is this:
The installer is as important as the equipment. A great brand in the hands of an inexperienced or lazy installer is worse than a lesser brand in the hands of an experienced or conscientious installer. Get References, BBB, Angie’s List etc.
The compressor is the heart of the system. The newest technology in compressors is “Scroll Technology” , and Copeland is the Gold Standard for scrolls. I’d be looking for a **Copeland Scroll **using **R410a refrigerant.
**
The brand is important, but compare apples to apples. For example, “Payne” is the budget alternative to Carrier/Bryant. Make sure you’re comparing like for like.
You *do *get what you pay for. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
thanks raindog, that’s all good to know.
Raindog, since you’ve popped in, any comments on the Hallowell?
I’ve heard of them, and I’ve been through their whole web site, but I’ve never worked on one of their units. I’m in Dayton, Ohio and I don’t know any Dealer of theirs around here, and I don’t know if they have any Distributor here either.
I’m guessing they have a low market share in this area. From looking at their specifications and quality of construction, they look like a very good unit.
The big names are all pretty reliable: Carrier, Bryant, Lennox, Trane, American Standard, York, Coleman, Rheem,
Many manufacturers have “second tier” brands that are cheaper, but certainly not junk. Coleman, Payne, Heil, Arcoaire, Tempstar, Ducane, Westinghouse, Ameristar, Luxaire, Moncrief and others are good brands, and there are others.
This is a function of SEER ratings. 13 SEER is the minimum rating. You can go up to 20ish, depending on the configuration. The high SEER ratings can get quite expensive.
IME, stay away from Heier, a Chinese brand with, IME, poor quality construction and performance. Goodman has a well deserved poor reputation, although they have made efforts in recent years to improve. IMO, the jury is still out on that.
13-15 SEER, depending on your budget.
A VisionPro 8000 tstat that allows to configure HP cut out in cold climates.
“Snow Legs” on HP. A plastic preformed pad, or poured concrete, but not a preformed concrete pad.
Not a builders model. (Unless budget is tight, or you’re planning to move in 1-4 years)
New lineset.
R410a Refrigerant
Thanks for your input. I’m guessing that where you are, heat pumps are either rare, or have alternate back up heating, or that electric rates are still competitive-Hallowell appears better known to northern climes.