Getting a more efficient heat pump

Geez.... 25 years old, replace that old energy hog!

Na... you're doing just fine!

This is for cooling only, but you can approximate the heating.

Maybe, need a load study by a qualified HVAC person.

You used nothing in November? where do you live, Key West.

I was faced with the decision about 18 months ago when the compressor in my 16 year old unit went out. New compressor or new unit. HVAC guy talked me into new unit. Said savings would be significant. I'm glad I listened to him. I'm all electric and have a 5 ton packaged unit and my total usage went down by approximately 20%. I've never had an August as hot as '07 (20 days over 100F, most lows high 70's to low 80's) and my bill was $192. The previous five Augusts averaged about $250. Plus the new unit is far more quiet.

I went from an estimated 7 SEER (I guess that long ago they were not labeled), to a 13 SEER

If you are in the U. S. and pay taxes, you should also go on the gov. energy site and look up the potential tax credits. I believe it is $300 for a heat pump that meets the SEER and EER, and the standard for the heat side, requirements.

In my case the difference between a new compressor and a new unit was $3K. I couldn't qualify for the tax credit, because, low and behold, there was no "packaged" unit in existence that met the Govs standards on the heat side. But there were plenty of splits which are more common. You can get a split up to 19 SEER. I figure I'm saving about $4-500 per year. So six years or so simple payback without the tax credit.

Frank

Replacing it would be uneconomical.

That's not how you should calculate payback. Consider the interest on that $3K if you hadn't sunk it into the AC.

If you read carefully I said "simple" payback, not payback based on discounted cash flow or present value analysis.

So are you suggesting that at the decision point of whether to sink $1000 into a sixteen year old, inefficient heat pump that would require maintenance money put into it each year despite the new compressor, that I should have considered that a reasonable alternative? Maintenance money combined with unit inflation till the time when it would have to be replaced anyway which would be far in excess of the interest earned on the savings? True discounted cash flow considers both the timing and amount of both outlays and income.

If you assign risk appropriately and run all the numbers, the decision is a no brainer

Frank

On the facts you presented, you would have had a new compressor. It's not clear to me why you assume maintenance would be so high.

But my point was just that "simple payback" doesn't tell the whole picture -- if you actually did the full analysis, then good for you.

If you can't understand "16 year old heat pump", a fact that was clearly presented, and can't project what that means, then I can't help you.

Without more, it doesn't mean the parts other than the compressor are about to require lots of maintenance.

Not likely.

You can get more efficient pump, or change energy sources. Can you get natural gas or propane? In NY state, those are much less expensive than electricity.

like you would have a clue

You sure don't.

???

You're talking some real nonsense, boy.

I know a lot more about what it costs to run my AC than you do.

And I question the value of any economic analysis you do _without_ that information.

programmable

Boy, if you see a boy, you must be looking in a mirror.

I know *a lot* more about properly sized units that save on operational costs. Which is what you lack.

A moron would question facts. Why, cause their not smart enough to understand the details.

Having read what you've written, I'm convinced you know squat.

Don't know her, but I do understand that you know very little about HVAC.