We installed a variable speed system in 2021. Many HVAC companies don't want to sell them. Their older techs don't have the upgraded skills to service them. They require keeping more costly parts on the trucks. They typically can't use cheaper, third party replacement parts. For example, you'll basically never get away with a simple starter capacitor replacement on a VS system. That was bread & butter business for old line HVAC companies.
I heard one tech telling their customer that "a VS system almost never shuts off," as if that's a bad thing.
What you missed on this outting is heat pump water heaters. These hold all the same benefits, but are often easier to deploy. We're planning on moving from a natural gas water heater to a split-heat-pump system that has a COP of 4.2! The hardware is much more expensive, but it uses so very little power that we can continue to run it even when forced onto our 9 kW backup generator after a hurricane.
Great interview, we went through a painful and extensive process trying to find a contractor to replace our entire A/C and furnace with a heat pump based system. As we have natural gas we wanted a dual fuel system. These are quite common up north but almost unheard of in texas. Out of 16 bids we found 2 that understood what we wanted and could supply it. They were both the least expensive by far. So we run the heat pump 98% of the time and the gas furnace provides our supplemental heat. A good compromise of efficiency and cost savings. Since the installation our average utility cost is less than $100. The highest electric bill we had last summer was just over $130. The humidity stays perfectly between 50-55% and having a merv 16 filter and the blower and duct work designed for it our indoor air is exceptional. One can only hope that the contractors get educated on these systems and also stop seeing people in dire situations with a broken A/C or heating system as a high profit opportunity.
We installed a variable speed system in 2021. Many HVAC companies don't want to sell them. Their older techs don't have the upgraded skills to service them. They require keeping more costly parts on the trucks. They typically can't use cheaper, third party replacement parts. For example, you'll basically never get away with a simple starter capacitor replacement on a VS system. That was bread & butter business for old line HVAC companies.
I heard one tech telling their customer that "a VS system almost never shuts off," as if that's a bad thing.
What you missed on this outting is heat pump water heaters. These hold all the same benefits, but are often easier to deploy. We're planning on moving from a natural gas water heater to a split-heat-pump system that has a COP of 4.2! The hardware is much more expensive, but it uses so very little power that we can continue to run it even when forced onto our 9 kW backup generator after a hurricane.
Great interview, we went through a painful and extensive process trying to find a contractor to replace our entire A/C and furnace with a heat pump based system. As we have natural gas we wanted a dual fuel system. These are quite common up north but almost unheard of in texas. Out of 16 bids we found 2 that understood what we wanted and could supply it. They were both the least expensive by far. So we run the heat pump 98% of the time and the gas furnace provides our supplemental heat. A good compromise of efficiency and cost savings. Since the installation our average utility cost is less than $100. The highest electric bill we had last summer was just over $130. The humidity stays perfectly between 50-55% and having a merv 16 filter and the blower and duct work designed for it our indoor air is exceptional. One can only hope that the contractors get educated on these systems and also stop seeing people in dire situations with a broken A/C or heating system as a high profit opportunity.
Very informative interview. Thanks, Doug.