Recently upgraded to a Bosch 20 SEER heat pump from an older Lexington model that had problems. House is 100% electric with small high-velocity ducts, so we had to go with Unico brand air handler (electric backup furnace is part of this).
In winter, the system works best when you don’t have a huge swing in your temperature settings (meaning it will have to work really hard if you want it 70 during the day and 60 at night). Heat pumps remove heat from the house in summer, and move heat from the outside to inside in winter- so if it’s really cold it’s not as efficient. But it still works.
It came with an ecobee thermostat which is fairly smart and shows all the data of what equipment is running over time (since there are variable stages in both indoor and outdoor units).
One benefit is that it also dehumidifies- which makes it much more comfortable in the summer.
Big complaint is that MassSave does not offer any rebates for the small duct high velocity systems, which are common for retrofitting old homes around here. Be sure to pick a set of indoor/outdoor units from the MassSave list, which is updated every year. Your installer takes care of the paperwork for any rebates. There are some requirements, like getting a heat pump to replace oil/gas. Not sure if that applies for new construction.
mirihn t1_j4irdr6 wrote
Reply to Let’s talk heat pumps by Dmurphy2016
Recently upgraded to a Bosch 20 SEER heat pump from an older Lexington model that had problems. House is 100% electric with small high-velocity ducts, so we had to go with Unico brand air handler (electric backup furnace is part of this).
In winter, the system works best when you don’t have a huge swing in your temperature settings (meaning it will have to work really hard if you want it 70 during the day and 60 at night). Heat pumps remove heat from the house in summer, and move heat from the outside to inside in winter- so if it’s really cold it’s not as efficient. But it still works.
It came with an ecobee thermostat which is fairly smart and shows all the data of what equipment is running over time (since there are variable stages in both indoor and outdoor units).
One benefit is that it also dehumidifies- which makes it much more comfortable in the summer.
Big complaint is that MassSave does not offer any rebates for the small duct high velocity systems, which are common for retrofitting old homes around here. Be sure to pick a set of indoor/outdoor units from the MassSave list, which is updated every year. Your installer takes care of the paperwork for any rebates. There are some requirements, like getting a heat pump to replace oil/gas. Not sure if that applies for new construction.