danrjones
Well-known member
Unfortunately labor and parts markup is high. An equivalent SEER system installed was quoted to me at around 15k. I probably spent 5k between the system and misc parts and tools.
But after considering their winter COP data, and considering that even with the DIY Mr. Cool unit, I'd still have to hire an electrician to wire it and still have to hire an HVAC company to purge the line sets, the Fujitsu units actually cost less in the long run.
Kieran973 said:I did a Manual J on our house and based on a whole house heat load at 47F of around 11,000 btu/h, the average COP of this unit is around 5.5. We're on track to use only 3,000 - 3,500 kwh to heat the house during that nine month season. Our 99% outside design temp is 11F.
LeftieBiker said:Update: after being essentially dead for a few weeks, the unit came back to life, over the span of a day or so, and is now working ok again. Neither I nor the tech I was consulting with knows why.
If this unit dies before June, I will get a new one. If it happens after that, I probably will get a better one. I do know that I can no longer install anything like that myself. I'd probably go with one high performance outdoor unit like the Hyper Heat, and two or three room units.
But after considering their winter COP data, and considering that even with the DIY Mr. Cool unit, I'd still have to hire an electrician to wire it and still have to hire an HVAC company to purge the line sets, the Fujitsu units actually cost less in the long run.
The DIY unit does not need to be purged. It is already purged and pressurized. I was able to do the wiring myself.
goldbrick said:Kieran973 said:I did a Manual J on our house and based on a whole house heat load at 47F of around 11,000 btu/h, the average COP of this unit is around 5.5. We're on track to use only 3,000 - 3,500 kwh to heat the house during that nine month season. Our 99% outside design temp is 11F.
Did you use some sort of software package for the Manual J calculations or did you just do it by hand? I'm just getting started on planning my new HVAC and I'm wondering if this is something I can handle myself or if I should contract it out to a pro.
And it certainly showed in their proposals: most of the local companies proposed systems that were obscenely oversized based on the actual heating load. Our heating load for a 99% outdoor design temp of 11F is around 30,000 btu/h, but most of the "elite" and "diamond" Fujitsu and Mitsubishi contractors were trying to sell me on 48,000 - 70,000 btu/h systems.
I've been trying to talk my housemate into getting a good air source heat pump that will provide enough heat down to 0F or so. It would probably have to have a backup furnace for her peace of mind,
dmacarthur said:And it certainly showed in their proposals: most of the local companies proposed systems that were obscenely oversized based on the actual heating load. Our heating load for a 99% outdoor design temp of 11F is around 30,000 btu/h, but most of the "elite" and "diamond" Fujitsu and Mitsubishi contractors were trying to sell me on 48,000 - 70,000 btu/h systems.
Agree with this- it is time-consuming but productive to do your own heat loss calculations because it is my suspicion that contractors do a quick run-through and then multiply by about 2 to be sure. So do your own, carefully, and stick with it, adding maybe 20%.....
We run heat pumps in one rental unit which have reliably heated with no backup for 3 years in Vermont- it is a Fujitsu unit but others are probably by now able to provide heat at well below zero. I know this does not ease the "peace of mind" issue but..... it can work!
LeftieBiker said:It looks like our central A/C unit is dying. It and the furnace are both over 20 years old, IIRC, so I'm reluctant to throw money at it. Can anyone point me to a good, honest, reasonably priced heat pump installer in the Albany - Saratoga Springs NY area? I've been trying to talk my housemate into getting a good air source heat pump that will provide enough heat down to 0F or so. It would probably have to have a backup furnace for her peace of mind, and that furnace would have to be either electric or oil -she's terrified of gas. I'm willing to put in $5k, so it would have to be in the $15k range, installed. I am no longer able to do this kind of work.
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