Electric furnace?

[Tenacious E]

First, It exceeds Florida building codes. Second, there is a cost/benefit analysis that must be made in every purchase like this. How long will it take to make up the additional cost of the higher SEER units in lower electric bills? I just looked it up. A 20 SEER of the unit I have cost around $3.5k more. It would take quite a while to make up that difference in power bills.

I would also add that you can really never underestimate the depth and breadth of knowlege and expertise on HORT. We probably have every professional degree and skilled trade represented…

 

[Gimmered]

All I know is I don’t know shit about this stuff and have appreciated all of the input and banter. That, I am replacing a 29-year old furnace and expect big improvement in my bills.

You're lucky that that didn't happen sooner. You'll notice a huge different in comfort and fuel bills.

 

[On Iowa]

Looks like I'm a bit late to the party, but the best system you can get right now, even in Iowa, is an air source heat pump coupled with a gas furnace for when temps are too cold for heat pumps. The EEV technology has gotten way better with the introduction of VRF technology to the residential world, which allows air source heating to temps that are WAY colder than the old school heat pumps that would crap out somewhere in the 40's. I got a new system this summer and put in a Daikin Fit package. I currently have my heat pump set to switch over to gas at 25 degrees outside temp, but as gas prices rise, I may lower that a little bit, too. It's too early to tell winter savings yet, but in the summer, the new system saved me about 20% over the 2004 system it replaced.

It is completely feasible to use electric heat as the alternate source to the heat pump, but that meter is going to spin FAST when you switch to resistance. I'd avoid that like the plague.

 

[Joes Place]

First, It exceeds Florida building codes. Second, there is a cost/benefit analysis that must be made in every purchase like this. How long will it take to make up the additional cost of the higher SEER units in lower electric bills? I just looked it up. A 20 SEER of the unit I have cost around $3.5k more. It would take quite a while to make up that difference in power bills.

True; when I bought mine, I got rebates that dropped the cost difference to <$1000