[LAMBERT1120]

Do heat pumps make a difference on your electric bill? My house is 2000 sq feet and I currently have a 3 1/2 ton air conditioning unit. Gas heat in the winter. I live in TN and the problem I am having is I usually keep my air on 73 and during the summer months it runs all day and the temperature usually stays at 76. It cools down to the 73 around 7 or 8 at night. I have 11' ceilings in my living room and dining room. 1 bedroom and my kitchen have vaulted ceilings about 10' high. My eletric company says a heat pump might be better for us.

[RichardBondMan]

T am not a trained HVAC tech but here's my experience from owning both a traditional AC Heat system and a Heat pump ---- note that I am in So AL about 50 miles north of the Gulf coast. My heating bill is lower with a heat pump. I understand that a heat pump takes the warmth out of say for example 40 degree temps --- and converts it to home heat while a traditional HVAC heating systen simply uses heat from heated coils. I also understand that heat pumps do not work well in colder winter climates when winter temp fall below about 30 degress and then rely on heated coils to heat.

[Fr_Chuck]

Well I live in TN, and my home is about 2000 sq feet also, and we leave the tep set at about 75 all year round, we have a heat pump and use it all year round. I added a back up gas heater last year just in case electric was ever out more than a few hours in winter. But it is never used just there in case.

And our bills are much lower than friends who don't have heat pumps, and compared to my rental houses, it is a lot cheaper than much smaller rental houses.

[LAMBERT1120]

Thanks for the info. Does the heat pump help with the utility bills in the hot summer months? IT appears it does help during the winter months but what about the summer months? ALso, what size unit would you recommend? We currently have a 3 1/2 ton. THanks for the quick reply.

[hvacservicetech_07]

3.5 ton should do it. If you are having problems with the unit running non stop you may want to have your system checked out by a pro. It may be just a little low on freon or something really simple, this can make a big diffrence in your utility bill. In my opinion heatpumps work well and will save money in the southern states, but in my area, (southern Illinois) they are questionable, they are very popular around here but I think heating with gas is cheaper. If you are looking to install a new system your best bet is to purchase the highest SEER unit you can get for your application.