SEER is an efficiency rating, and the higher you can afford, the better. 'Tonnage' is a capacity rating, and too much is not good. Over-capacity leads to short-cycling and higher humidity in the conditioned space. Under-capacity leads to continuous running and higher temperatures in the conditioned space.

Pagardenguy

Weedmeister is dead on with his answer. It sounds that all agree the 3 ton is the size unit you need so stay with that. As for efficiency, do as weed says and go with the highest SEER rating you can afford. I personally would recommend not going with the highest rating available ...more sizzle than steak for the cost in my opinion.

Most manufacturers today offer a "sweet spot" of SEER and price. I would expect that to be at around 14-15 SEER for a heat pump system. 13 SEER is minimum that is made in current new residential equipment.

When you go higher than that 14-15 range, you do so more for comfort than savings.

I also suggest asking if your electrical utility offers any reduced rates or rebates for HPs, and if so do they require a certain SEER level or equipment like an expansion valve (TXV) to be a part of the system.

thank you all for your input....

our goal is to try to reduce our electric bill as much as possible. we have replaced our fridge, clothes washer, we use nothing but CF bulbs, and now there's a 17 year old, 10 seer heat pump just itching to be sent to the retirement home.

therefore, i assume i want to go with the highest seer, or COP, that we can buy... am i wasting the money reaching for the top seer?

juliekcmo.... can you explain your comment about higher seer being more for comfort than savings? are your saying that while you pay more up front for a 19 seer HP vs, say, a 14 seer HP, the savings in electric use between them isn't worth the monetary difference?

here in PA, our electric company does offer small rebates for HP...

maryland irisman... i am in central PA, climate a bit colder than yours, i assume. we have about 6 weeks or so of daytime highs in the teens and low 20's, nights into the low single digits. as for summer, we usually have about 5 days above 100*, several weeks in the 90's. knowing that,if you lived here, would you still not look for the highest seer rating you could afford?

again, thank you for the imput!

gary

highest single stage efficient model is around 15 seer. That would be fine. Keep in mind, with heatpumps your main concern is HSPF. Most 15 seer single stage units achieve an hspf of 8.5 to 9.0. Thats good. The super high efficient 18 seer 2 stage models don't have a much higher hspf.

pagardenguy

I'm about 300 miles or so as the crow flies from State College Pa. I'm from Galitzen. Our weather is pretty much the same. I'll give my opinion to your question to Julie...In my opinion a 19 seer unit isn't worth the extra cost compared to a 15 seer. The unit will have gone through it's expected life cycle before you've had a chance for the extra cost of the unit to match any electrical cost savings. If you get any rebates or incentives that would offset the extra costs, you might consider it then. But I still think you'd be better off putting the savings from the incentives in a savings account. Even with todays low interest rates, you'll still surpass any savings you'd get in energy bills.

I'm also from PA, but I did the opposite. I grabbed a 10 SEER for its simplicity and ease of repair. My A/C adds about $80 per year to my electric bill. Hardly worth thinking about.

pagardenguy

about higher seer being more for comfort than savings? are your saying that while you pay more up front for a 19 seer HP vs, say, a 14 seer HP, the savings in electric use between them isn't worth the monetary difference?

Very well said.

Many manufacturers have a basic, mid-tier, and then ultra level of equipment. I recommend the mid-tier HP with scroll compressor in single stage.

Since the SEER that you will achieve with whatever equipment you select, is dependent on the equipment that the HP is 'attached' to, i.e., the furnace/air-handler and separate evaporator coil (if w/furnace), I hope that you are upgrading the entire system (saw no mention of this).

Higher SEER air handler/evap. coil (larger size) run higher in temperature which will disfavor humidity removal.

A new furnace/air handler with an ECM blower motor usually accounts for 1 SEER point, as opposed to an older model w/multi-speed motor.

Mixing new and old equipment MAY cause you to loose efficiency (SEER).

There is also the issue of POSSIBLE cross-contamination of the oils used in old vs. new equipment.

V

We are replacing the whole system.... so indoor and outdoor units should be paired up well.

I am hoping to get a HP that can keep up on the really cold winter days (temps in the teens).

While one installer is suggesting the 22 seer maytag (you know, the IQ drive one, and my personal favorite), the other fellow suggests a 14 seer climatemaster, our thought is to compromise somewhere in the middle with a 16 or 18 (don't worry, i will keep my eyes on the hspf too).

juliekcmo .... can i assume the scroll compressor is common with a two stage pump? as far as the cost/savings difference, I was wondering if that was what YOU were saying in your post. Energy comparison charts are good, but I am finding them to be all over the map... too many variables. So I guess I have to rely on generalities?!

We just have to make up our minds and go for it.....

Thanks everyone for your input! I appreciate it.

G

for HPS, look at the performance/eff numbers in AHRI DIrectory...

BTUs for cooling
BTUs for heating at 45 and 17 deg
EER
SEER
HSPF-9 or better is the number you want to look for..

tax credit qualification 15 SEER, 12.5 EER, 8.5 HSPF
electronic demand defrost
staged backup heat strip

IMO

the scroll compressors are typical with the mid-SEER and higher heat pumps. You don't need to have a 2 stage unit to get a scroll compressor.

I recommend that you buy a heat pump that is seer 15 and HSPF 8.5, which is just enough to be eligible for the energy star tax credit, and take any extra money that you want to spend on energy improvements and make sure you address any air leakage, ducting and/or insulation issues you might have. Get a good brand HP, installed by a reputable contractor, and focus on other areas to reduce electric use. Going from seer 10 to seer 15 will make a decent dent in your electric bill. If your local electric utility is offering rebates, now is a good time to check into them and see if they make sense for your situation.