Heat Pumps and Electric Heating - Is my heat pump a Lemon??

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View Full Version : Is my heat pump a Lemon??


EnergystarIwish
03-24-09, 05:06 PM
I had a Luxaire Acclimate 5T series, 15 seer heat pump installed 15 months ago. My house is 1644 sq feet and the HVAC guy installed a 3 ton system. My home is from 1972 and the windows are orginal. They aren't real drafty but they aren't 100% sealed either. We upgraded the insulation in our attic and our basement is insulated.

My system is using about 3000 kwh per month during the winter months :eek:. Does this sound right to everyone? We converted from electric baseboard when we moved in because we were told that an electric heat pump is supposed to be more efficient but I can't see how 3000 kwh per month is efficient. Our electric bills are double, sometimes triple, of every other person that we know with larger houses and similar heat pumps.

Can anyone give me any ideas or comments about this? I have had my HVAC guy here over and over and he insists that the system is fine and running properly but I just can't live with that. I feel that something somewhere is either faulty or installed incorrectly. I am beginning to think this guy doesn't know what the heck he is doing, so if I had some really good questions to ask...maybe it would make a lightbulb go off in his head and he could fix this problem.:wall:

BTW....Our heat usually comes on and goes off every few minutes. Once it went off and 2 minutes later came back on again...this doesn't seem right to me.

Thanks for any advice, information you can provide.


dac122
03-24-09, 06:46 PM
Just to clarify, are you saying your system typically doesn't stay on for more than 5 minutes at a time? A system that short-cycles will use much more electricity. Did you get a load calc/Manual J to determine if this is the right tonnage for your dwelling?

airman.1994
03-24-09, 06:48 PM
Heat should not come on every couple of minutes. Did he do a heat load on the home? where are you located? Have you had a good company take a look at it?


dun11
03-25-09, 09:57 AM
I would also ask if a load calc was done. Find your local York dealer and see if you can't get the York (they own Luxaire) factory rep out to take a look at it. I agree with you that the guy your dealing with is missing the problem.

dun11
03-25-09, 10:00 AM
I forgot to ask, how does it run in cooling ?