This might be too general, don't know...

Also, PLEASE don't tell me to goggle this... I've done some looking, I'll do more. Would like any advice from those in the know...

Have a ranch with full finished basement, 2000 sqft up, 1000 dn, built 1950's. No 2nd floor to heat/cool. Central AC with forced air gas furnace. Most of the ductwork is 50+ years old. Looking to replace the furnace (about 20 years, not particularly efficient) and probably the ductwork (no dampers, basement freezes, not air tight at some junctions)

Friend who recently did remodel work on a house said a heat pump was the way to go. He lives in Seattle. I live in Iowa. Our winters are cold and our summers are hot. Two years ago the winter was mild and summer as well. This year the winter seemed colder and the summer has been mostly hot like everywhere else (I don't want to hear it, San Diego, OK?? )

1) can a heat pump handle the extreme temps in the midwest, particularly the cold?

2) if I needed a backup for the cold weather, and our winters can run from Oct to April if it's a bad, bad year, will the savings still be there? I've heard that the air-air heat pumps will still give you good savings even if the backup is needed in the harsh days of winter. Not sure we'd want to spend the extra $ on water supplied heat pump... lots of other things to upgrade in the house... so w/ backup in use throughout, say 1/2 of winter is a heat pump a viable option?

3) different friend who remodels homes as self employeed said the old square ductwork is junk and its worth changing it out. True? Let's say I'll live in this home at least 5-10 years... and we bought knowing we could be happy here much longer with remodels, so time to maybe recoup costs... I could also probably live with as is, patch some junctions, etc... thoughts about value of replacing old ductwork.

I can't answer completely, but can offer this bit based on my experience:

Get lots of opinions before buying a system that includes a heat pump in your area. Heat pumps in the midwest are a debatable issue.

My opinion: If you live in an area where the temperature is below 25 degrees Fahrenheit for a large portion of the heating season, then do NOT get a system with a heat pump.

Somewhere where the worst of winter is still above 25 degrees are the perfect places for heat pumps.

Long term, I think you want to install a new, reasonably efficient gas furnace. Anywhere you have real winters requiring real heat, gas has been the cheapest way to go for a long time, and I don't see it going up faster than other things. The 80% efficient may be the best way to go, cheaper initially, and less to go wrong than the higher ones. The one I have is rated at 80% firing at the high rate, but is more efficiency when it is using its low rate in milder weather.

Several years ago when I replaced my furnace and A/C, I went to the contractor that installed my neighbor's heat pump. He convinced me heat pumps can be very efficient in tweener weather, where the heat loss of the house is only slightly greater that the heat gain from various sources. However, the gains there, are eaten up by the heat pump being less efficient than a single purpose A/C. When the temperature drops in winter, and the supplemental resistance heating elements come on, the electric usage goes way up.

If you would like to keep the basement livable in the winter, I would keep the old ducts. Replacing them with modern, insulated air tight ducts would take a chunk of money. Then the basement would be even colder unless you added outlets. The only advantage would be that when you aren't using the basement you could close them.

What I would do is to put the time and money into meticulously sealing the basement and insulating it. The less finished, the better. Caulk starting between the plate and foundation. Work your way up, doing the top and bottom of the band joist. Repair any cracked masonry, and paint the walls with a cement based sealer. Then insulate.

I am on a crawl space, and I got it so tight, the furnace didn't draw right until I added a vent for it. My copper pipes down in the crawl space never have condensate on them. I covered the floor and side walls with builders plastic gluing the seams. I insulated the side walls with fiberglass batts. I have a drain in it, and I am careful about surface water flowing away from the house. The crawl space stays about 60 degrees and dry, year around.

If it hasn't been already, upgrade the attic insulation. Likely the side walls have fiberglass batts. If none, or a blown insulation, have insulation blown in is it has settled. Anything you do to the sidewalls and windows need to aim at tightening and insulation all you can.

Thanks for the info.

Made one mistake on describing the basement. The basement freezes in summer and is comfortable enough in winter. Even with vents closed, the cold air just seems to sink into the basement, which I know is going to be cooler anyway. Normally not a big problem, but daughter's room is down there and when she's home it's a bit too cold for comfort in the summer.

So probably will just try to patch things up and see. Maybe there are dampers I just haven't found yet...

If that is the case, it makes more sense to patch up or replace the old ducts.

... and use good dampers in them if you replace the ducts.

... and be prepared, when shopping around for a system, of salesmen insisting that a heat pump is the way to go for your area. This is still fairly common in my area - where our winters are brutal.

Make calls first, and only go where they seem eager to sell you what's right for you - rather than what they make the most money on.

And one more bit about what you need vs. what they want to sell you: The size and output (Tonnage and BTU) is based on the size of your house, it's layout and the location of the furnace.

The variation of BTU and Tonnage recommendations by any number of HVAC experts should slim to none.