Air Conditioning - Need advice on A/C Replacement

Our old air conditioner compressor bit the dust. We are trying to decide what to replace it with.

Our old system (8 yrs old) was a Carrier 10 SEER unit but has always seem to have higher than normal cooling costs durring the summer months.

We are debating on whether to replace it with a 13 SEER unit or a Heat Pump.

We live in Kansas City, Missouri. So we have a month or two of temperatures below 30F and can go down to 0F in the winter. Our summer is 3 months of 90%+ Humidity and temps from 85F to 100F.

Is a heat pump and efficent choice for out climate compared to a good 13 SEER conventional Air Conditioner with Gas Heat?

Also, if we replace the existing system, what are the pro's and con's of reusing our existing A Coil from the 10 SEER system we have?

Can we safely reuse the A Coil if we are switching from an R22 system to a 410A system?

What are the Pro's and Cons of replacing out system with an R22 system instead of a 410A system?

Any advice we can get from a nutral party would be appreciated.

You could benifit by using a heat pump with the gas as back-up, utility bill wise. You will get a little more life out of a straight a/c since it wont get as many hours on it as a heatpump.

Never re-use the old A-coil on a replacement. You wont get the upgraded SEER rating or performance, and if you change to 410 you must change the refrigerant lines and the A-coil.

The only potential pro of switching to 410 is that the price of 22 may go up in 5-10 years. The con of switching is that 410 is high now, refrigerant side repairs are expensive, and if the tech/installer isn't carefull they will introduce moisture into the system. 410's oil is very hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture very easily.

Get several quotes "at least 3" and have them each do a load/loss calculation on the home. Don't be afraid of a 410 system but don't let anyone make you believe you're foolish for going with 22 if that's what you choose.

jmagady

First of all, I want to give a little political commentary on nat gas as a heating source. I live in the South and nat gas has always been my fuel choice for heating. Last week, I called the gas utility for my region-PNG- to try to get some information about future pricing and other to say that nat gas supply would be readily available to residential customers, they would not even attempt to say anything about cost.

Because of this and depending upon area of country one lives, I believe that homeowners should give heat pumps a very hard look when considering new HVAC equipment. There have been significant improvements in their operation and comfort over the last few yrs and experts generally agree that electric rates will be a lot more stable than nat gas. The average person probably is unaware that a large amount of natural gas is used for generating electricity in certain areas of the country. I expect the country will see new nuclear power plants built over the next decade because it is clean and relatively cheap-safety is always a concern. Europe relies on nuclear generated electricity heavily compared to the US.

Now to your situation. I would definitely look at high efficient heat pumps with a minimum rated SEER of 13-14 and an HSPF of 9+. I like the idea of a gas furnace backup but I would want to run the numbers($$$) between the cost of operating a heat pump with the appropriate size aux heat strips vs the cost of a high efficient nat gas furnace. I think you will be surprised at the figures. Gas prices are expected to spike this heating season. You may want to check with your utility on both electric and nat gas rates. Some electric utilities offer better rates for homes that heat with electricity.

Now to your questions.
Get a manual J heat/cool load calculation performed on your home for correctly sizing equipment.

Yes, a heat pump's life is not as long as a gas furnace but keep in mind that it performs two jobs-heating and cooling. Like anything, routine maintenance and cleaning should keep it operating for many yrs.

You can not use your old evap coil or air handler with a new high efficient AC condensor or heat pump and expect it to operate properly and provide you the rated efficiency regardless of whether system is R-22 or R-410a. You will need a matching evap coil or air handler along with new refrigerant lineset.

At this time, do not purchase a new system AC or heat pump based on refrigerant. Either will be fine as long as system is installed and charged properly. Just be certain you don't pay more for R-410a(Puron) equipment-not worth it.

I have a new HE heat pump with gas backup less than a yr old. If I had to do anything different, I would have dropped the furnace and just gotten a matching var speed air handler with appropriate aux heat strips for those cold days. Nat gas is no longer a value heating fuel.

An often overlooked area is your home's ductwork. Get it inspected as to condition, size, and insulation.

My opinion.
Good Luck!
:)

Heat Pump will work well, buy a high SEER at least 14 and go with the variable speed furnace and get the humidistat thermostat for excellent humidity control and maximum comfort, all this of course after a qualified contractor performs a load calculation and checks the ductwork system for compatibilty. Money well spent, these new high efficiency units make great topics for dinner parties if you can afford them.