$16k?

Wow. I just had sticker shock.

You don't mention where you are in the country, the age of your house, the type of house, the kind of heat you currently have (steam, circulated hot water, gravity hot water, hydronic) they type of fuel you currently use, etc., so there's no way that anyone could really give you a decent answer.

southern Illinois. 75 year old 2 story house. circulated hot water. fuel oil. window ac. 2200 sq feet. and the price includes the electrical also.

OK, I know Southern Illinois. I have friends who live in Murphysboro...

It can get really cold, and really hot and humid.

Personally, I'm not so sure I'd go with two heat pumps in that climate in a 75-year old home.

How well insulated and sealed is it?

Forced hot water is one of the most comfortable types of heat there is.

more details. we will be getting a 2 and a 2.5 ton heat pump. 2 trane veriable speed air handlers with electic back up heat. 2 trane thermostats.all duct work etc. advice needed.

What are your electric rates?

Post the model #s of the heat pump and air handler - both parts. Trane tends to undersize the btus of their systems but this is determined by model# of air handler. You need all the btus of those heat pumps that you can get with your rough winters.

What size electric back-up strips?

PARTS AND LABOR warranties?

model # 4twx4024b1000A & 4twx4030b100A and 2 3 4TEE3F3A1000A AND 15 AND 8-KW ELECTRIC HEAT.PARTS 10YR LABOR 1 YR. I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT I'M PAYING. MY CONSUMPTION WAS 2989? AND IT WAS CHARGED AT .049O3OO AND AT .04982. SO I'M ASSUMING .098 A KWH. BUT I'M NOT SURE.

There is a number missing in the air handler model#. I have a match for a 4TEE3F37A and a 4TEE3F39A. The "9" is a better performing air handler.

A 4TWX4024B1 matched with a "9" is 25,000 btu cooling, 15 SEER, 12.5 EER, 9 HSPF, 21,600 btu heating at 47 degrees.

A 4TWX4030B matched with a "9" is 30,400 btu cooling, 12.3 EER, 14.75 SEER, 9 HSPF, 26,600 btu at 47 degrees.

Those are all good numbers.

Your electric rates are cheap.

Your price is OK if it includes running ductwork in the house.

I have a few questions: How is the insulation in the attic and house? New/old windows? What kind of winter temps do you get? How bad are the winters?

The reason I ask is, below 32 degrees (maybe higher in your home), the heat pump will require supplimental heat which in your case will be electric strips. If you have long cold winters, you'll be using back-up a lot. I'm assuming you don't have gas so you can't get a gas back-up furnace in the heat pump air handler for the first floor.

Oil just set another record at $96/barrel.

Best to you.

How did you arrive at one 2-ton system and one 2.5 ton system? Was a heat gain/loss calculation made by the contractor?

winters aren't normally bad. windows are low e replacement, insulation is being improved and we are also going to wrap the house. thanks for the advice.

Do you have natural gas available to the house?

we could have gas installed. but for what ever reason we would be on a waiting list. well it is done. I'm not entirely happy, maybe it's buyers remorse. it seems they did a sloppy job on the ducts.the return in the living room has cracks in the top of the corners at least the should have caulked this area. the return in the dining room is not completly boxed in. we have 24" joist so the used the joist as part of the duct work. this seems like leakage waiting to happen. Am I being to critical?

Call them back immediately if you are not satisfied. You are the customer. All ducts should be properly sealed. Using the joist member as part of the return duct should be OK as long as it is properly sealed.

Best to you.