emcee

observations and questions...

what size is your home?
what area of country is it located?

I would not recommend an R-22 HP. Go with R-410a.

ductwork is relatively cheap. Flex is OK for supply and return runs but prefer metal galvanized for the main supply and return trunk lines with R8 insulation. This appears to be what has been quoted.

I would have the heat strips staged-install two 5 KWs rather than one 10 KW.

post outside and inside mdl numbers and I will look up the AHRI performance/efficiency numbers for your quoted system.

these are my specs for HPs.

15 SEER, 12 EER, 9 HSPF
best matching var speed air handler
full BTUs in both cooling and heating for your rated size
R 410a refrigerant
scroll compressor
electronic demand defrost
staged backup heat strips
thermostat with dehumidify on demand feature

IMO

Thank you for your response, Tigerdunes. The house is in southern NJ, near Cape May. The square footage is about 1,000.

Forgive me, I do not know what "outside and inside mdl numbers" are.

emcee

emcee

if you are interested in an informed opinion, then find out the model numbers for the outside HP condenser and inside air handler.

IMO

I don't know any equipment that Trane sells that only has a 1-year warranty.

I have a written quote (good for 30 days) that has the following items:

Heatpump (model #T2TWB3030A1000A)
Upflow handler (model #T2TGB3F30A1000A)
Heatstrip (model #TBAYHTR1410BRKB)

I did a google search on the model numbers and couldn't find anything. I don't know what the standard warranty would be in these items. The quote I have says 1 year manufacturer's warranty on the equipment.

Basic 13 SEER system, but not necessarily a bad thing for a summer house. The literature I have on those, published by Trane, specifies a 5-year limited parts warranty.

I wouldn't necessarily go for the best system on the market for a summer house. You probably do want the R-410A refrigerant, though:

4TWB3030A1000A / 4TGB3F30A1000A - same system with R-410A refrigerant

4TWR3030A1000A / 4TEC3F30B1000A - XR series equipment, 10-year compressor warranty, quieter, little more efficient in heating

4TWR3030A1000A / 4TEE3F31B1000A - same as above with variable-speed blower providing 14 SEER -- probably not necessary in YOUR case but still an option for more comfort and efficiency

Thanks, Ryan. I've read some reports of Trane heat pumps not being very reliable. Is the quality decent? Also, I would have otherwise considered a separate propane forced air system and an AC system sahring the ductwork. I don't know if a heat pump is the right way to go here. Are their limitations as to how much (or how little) a heat pump can change the overall tempreture?

emcee

Tranes quality is superb in my opinion--good durable products. Not sure what the reports base their claims on. There are other brands worth considering as well. Trane's XB line is a very basic, builder-grade unit. You may not be looking for anything higher grade, though, for a summer home used for a limited time per year. Other brands worth looking at include Rheem, Lennox, Carrier, York, and others. The most important part is having the system installed correctly. Heat pumps are more designed to maintain temperature than recover large setbacks, which is where the heat strips come into play and add more btu's to bring the temperature up. Are your electric rates reasonable?

Yes. My electric rates are reasonable. But most of the other properties in the area have oil or propane heat. Then they have either central air or window/wall AC units. I've read that some heat pumps have a hard time getting the tempreture to vary greatly (e.g. more than 30 degrees) from the outside temp. Has that been your experience?

How often will you be occupying this house? I'm not sure how to interpret "summer house" because you mention wanting to be comfortable both in the winter and in the summer.

If the rumor about heat pumps not being able to vary temperature more than 30 degrees on the inside and outside were true, then that would mean at 30* out your home would be 60*, and this just isn't the case. Heat pumps will have a very hard time bringing the temperature up many degrees when it is very cold outside (I suggest you get at least one other estimate for the job. Other brands to consider include Lennox, Rheem, York and Carrier. I still think Trane makes high grade equipment, so I'm not steering you away from it, rather encouraging you to pursue other bids for the job.

Frankly, I like to use the place in the winter as well as the summer. That means that I'd be setting the heat to 45 (or so) to prevent the pipes from freezing when I'm not there. But putting the heat up to 70 when I get there. I kinda sounds like a heat pump (regardless of make/model) isn't the best equipment for this use.

I agree. A furnace is likely a better idea if you want to have large setbacks. Some furnaces specify not to set the furnace back to 45*, though, so you'll want to look into that. Some say 50-55*, some less. I think it's an issue with the heat exchanger, but I don't know the reason behind it.

Many thanks, Ryan. It would seem as though regardless of make/model/cost, a heat pump probably isn't the right way to go for my needs. I appreciate your expertise here.

emcee

ryanhughes,

This thread is really informational. I wonder why he doesn't need a variable speed for his case. What is the price difference between the single-speed and the variable-speed.

thanks,
Jon

Jon,

For this particular case a more baseline model was appropriate since the house is secondary and not occupied full-time. If it was a primary residence, I'd absolutely suggest looking into a higher-efficiency (depending on exact location) and variable speed furnace/air handler.

Price difference varies from dealer to dealer and distributor to distributor, so it's hard to give an accurate upgrade cost--best to ask the dealer you might be working with. A reasonable upgrade cost, to me, is around $500, give or take. This may or may not reflect what the dealer pays, which is hard to say exactly.