What fuel do you use with your furnace? Is it natural gas, propane, or oil? Where in the North East are you located and what are your electric rates. If you natural gas then there may be very little saving using the heat pump if you have cold winters and moderate electric rates. Not using the heat pump would solve the problem in the winter but it is likely to be just as loud running the AC in the summer.

Has this been set up as a dual fuel system and is it operating properly?

Has the installer come back to evaluate the noise? There be an installation or equipment problem.

Thank you very much for your response. We are in the north east (Rochester, ny). The furnace is gas. Electric rates are reasonable. I suspect we would just not use the heat pump. I was just wonder if that would shorten the life of anything. It is odd because the modulating furnace during the winter would just go off and on nicely and quiet. But now with this condenser on the outside of the house the fan for the furnace is running quiet often and not in the short bursts we were used to. That is the thing that is loud.

We will be calling Monday to have them come back out the check everything out.

Again thanks.

If your condenser doesn't have a compressor blanket then it is a bottom of the line unit. They also tend to be noisy. A heat pump should be no noisier than a straight AC so I don't know what the problem is. I don't think you are benefiting from a heat pump if you have natural gas. Do not use emergency heat - you'll regret it when you get the bill!

Talk to them about these points - if this is the case, then consider installing a higher line unit and just an AC condenser.

Thanks much. Actually I looked inside the unit and it does have a blanket already. Now one thing that is confusing to me. If we go to emergency heat isnt that the same thing as just using the furnace to heat the house like we have been for the past 18 years which is gas? I guess I am just wondering how the bill will be higher if we go emergency heat. Isn't it basically the same thing? The unit we had installed is really supposed to be high end.

Basically what my wife is hearing is the furnace fan in the basement running all the time coupled with the condenser outside the house. Perhaps we can go emergency heat through the winter, spring and fall and in the summer turn off the emergency heat.

Again thanks

Depends if your "emergency heat" is the gas furnace or electric elements that arrived with install of the heat pump. If it's the gas furnace then no difference.

I'm wondering how you ended up with a heat pump system without being aware it was happening.

And as others have said, the noise level of the compressor/condensor outside will be the same during summer cooling operation as it is during winter heat pump operation.

Thanks very much. I suspect it was my fault in not understanding what I was getting. It seems like we would be better off with an air conditioning unit instead of a heat pump especially being up in the north east. I really don't see any advantage especially if we will be using the it emergency heat (assuming it is going to the gas furnace (I will need to verify that).

I know the owner of the hvac company and I believe he really wanted to get me the best option. I just hate to ask him if we can return it for an air conditioner. I really don't want to go that route.

Again thanks

The thermostat could be configured so only the furnace is used for heating. The heat pump would only turn on in the summer for cooling.

Hi Mike. Really? How would we do that.? I do not see it in the instructions. The units are Armstrong air furnace and heat pump with a comfort sync thermastat.

Thanks for any input.

You would have to go into the thermostat setup menu. I suggest you have your installer do this for you.

Thanks Mike_Home. Very much appreciated