Need to replace 2.5 ton heat pump in Va.

3 years ago

Need to replace my 2.5 ton heat pump, it is about 20 years old. Works good cooling, does not keep the house warm when real cold outside, runs all the time, says AUX heat is on but does not blow warm air. Was told better to replace than repairing. Been doing some online reading and just so much out there I am overwhelmed. Talked to a few HVAC companies and they all recommend something different. Looking for any recommendations. Best unit for the money that will hopefully pay for itself on electricity savings if that is possible.

Another question. Can a heat pump really keep a house at 70 degrees when it is 10 degrees outside without using any kind of back up heat like heat strips? TIA

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

sktn77a
3 years ago
At 20 years old it's probably time to start thinking about a new one. The issue is size. Did the heatpump keep temperatures at setpoint without Aux heat when it was newer? If so, stick with the 2.5 ton. If not, you may need a little more, maybe a 3 ton. Newer untis can extract heat at lower temperatures these days but if you're down at 0 degrees,, well, that's what Aux heat is for.
mike_home
3 years ago
If you feel do not warm air when the auxilliary heat is on, then the problem might be the back up electric heat strips. A competent HVAC tech should be able to figure that out. Would not necessarily recommend investing in an expensive repair if you plan to live in this house for several more years.

Some heat pumps perform better than others at low temperatures. But it comes down to the heat loss of your house. If the heat gain provided by the heat pump is less than the house's heat loss, then you will not be able to maintain the house at 70 degrees.

The heating costs will likely be less with new equipment. But it will not be enough to pay for the new equipment.
Related Professionals
Paducah General Contractors · Cumberland General Contractors · Lawrenceburg General Contractors · Albany General Contractors · Erie General Contractors · Lagrange General Contractors · Tuscaloosa Home Remodeling · Gulfport Home Remodeling · Sault Ste. Marie Home Remodeling · Platteville Home Remodeling · Kingman Home Remodeling · Clearlake Home Remodeling · Ithaca Bathroom Remodelers · Lancaster Bathroom Remodelers · Reno Bathroom Remodelers
wdccruise
3 years ago
The auxiliary heat on my old Washington, DC heat pump stopped working twice. The first time was when the heat strip failed and the second time was when the fuse holder in the "disconnect" corroded so no power was reaching the heat strip (I cleaned the fuse holder with emery paper).

In 2021 I replaced the heat pump after it started leaking and had other problems. I recommend a two-stage unit which, when equipped with heat strips and a supporting thermostat, will give you three levels of heating: stage 1, stage 2, and stage 2+Aux. Most of the time it runs in stage 1 which runs the compressor at about 70% capacity and allows a slower blower speed which makes the system virtually silent (i.e., no whooshing). Cool Breeze (coolbreezeplumbingheatac.com) in Gaithersburg installed my unit; I don't know if it services VA. Shop around! I was very specific with my specs and prices varied all over the place. My package heat pump is Carrier but with some exceptions Carrier, Bryant, and ICP products are all the same.
HU-797858378
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanx!