heat pump packaged units

[greenbean]

Seeking advice on packaged heat pumps. Have a small 1000 sq ft. block house on my desert stead. Looking at packaged heat pumps to both heat & cool it. I can put the unit on the roof and run ducts. looks easy. There are several around like Goodman: http://www.goodmanmfg.com/Home/Produ...4/Default.aspx

Rheem, Trane, Ruud etc. all make them, but I have no experience with these. They are not too expensive, around $2000.00. I could run the duct in the attic & Have electric done by a pro. But The noise concerns me. My neighbors had a Sears "split" system And it sounded like a train wreck. Sears came out & said they all sound like that! I found that difficult to accept.

Could I please ask you experienced folks about , do these packaged units do a good job? Which ones are the quietest, and am I correct they are easy to install?

Thanks

[agmantoo]

Greenbean,
I am going to deviate on your question as I am aware of something similar that will do the task cheaper and easier. There is an older device that was called a PTAC and that is what you used to see in hotel and motels under the window and through the wall. That device has been outdated and now there is a replacement that is head and shoulders above the old unit with none of its problems. The device is a PTAC-HP. It mounts like the old unit into an industry standardized sleeve. It is easy and cheap to install and is efficient. I have several of them running in rentals and the tenants are thrilled with them. The controls are digital, the units are quiet and the cost of operation is 1/3 of what the tenants were paying with a ducted AC and electric furnace. I like them because should one break I can change it out and repair it at my convenience without a service call. None have broken since installation last year. It cost me about $200 to get a licensed electrician to run the service to the unit, I installed the sleeve and set the unit in place which took about 2 hours. The purchase price including delivery of about 400 miles was around $700. Two friends and I bought a pallet load so that held the delivery fee low. These were Amana units. If you will Google PTAC it will lead you to the source. This is a unitized unit containing AC & Heat via a heatpump plus emergency Strip heat. If this interests you and you cannot find the information let me know

[Harry Chickpea]

Agmantoo is on to something. I had to deal with the big commercial package units for years. They require the hole in the roof, proper flashing, ductwork, etc.. If they are properly mounted on a pad, the noise isn't too bad other than the start-up whummp.

The problems:
Roof leaks. Even if you don't have rain, the condensate can leak. I suppose you could save the condensate for watering plants, if you have enough.
Mold issues from the condensate. It can clog a drain or damage a roof membrane.
Repair. Climbing on the roof with a tool kit and a replacement compressor isn't great fun.
Birds. Pigeons in particular love to nest around these things. If you've ever seen a pigeon rookery, you'll think garbage heaps are more clean.
Replacement takes a crane or special equipment.
High winds. These can blow units completely off the pads.

On the plus side, they do a good job with circulating air conditioned air. With heated air, often ceiling fans are needed.

Swamp coolers are still less expensive to run, if they can cool enough for you and the air is dry enough and water is available.

[Windy in Kansas]

Are these units also called mini split heat pumps? Sounds very similar if they are not the same. I helped a neighbor install one in an enclosed patio room and we have both been very impressed with the unit.

The through the wall unit was easy to install, the piping to the pump unit easy to hook up, and of course the pump unit easy to set and wire. An HVAC company had to pull vacuum and install refrigerant as this unit was not pre-charged.

Upon first starting the unit we didn't think it was working as we couldn't hear the pump even when standing beside it. Only through slight vibration and closer listening could we detect its operation.

With mini splits not being able to support several room units for zoning purposes I would certainly look into those for my own use should I decide to switch to something else.

Neighbor's unit is very energy efficient.

[agmantoo]

mini splits cost as much as 4 times what the heatpump PTACs cost and the mini's are harder to install and much harder to service and more prone to leak freon.

[tyusclan]

The units that agmantoo suggested are a very good option.

Do NOT put in a mini-split. They are okay for certain limited applications. I would not recommend one for a home.

If you should decide to go with a regular packaged heat pump, DO NOT mount it on the roof. A roof-mount requires specialized curbing and ducting, and will require diligence on your part to prevent leaks. Set it on the ground and run the ducts under the floor or in the attic.

Do NOT buy a Goodman. They are cheap units of mediocre quality at best. If you buy a package unit, buy a Rheem. They are by far the best value for the money. Every part in a Rheem can be purchased off the shelf at any A/C supply house.

Trane and American Standard are the same company. Those and Lennox are good units, but you will pay out the nose when you need service. Everything in them is proprietary, and they are almost impossible to repair with standard stock parts.

[Windy in Kansas]

Thanks for the information. I'll look further into the PTAC-HC units instead of the mini splits. The one we installed was a very easy installation and though it has been installed quite a number of years ago there has been no problems with it at all.

I never did know what the mini split cost as i don't pry into neighbors affairs. Checked into some on Ebay to learn of cost but wasn't in the market so didn't get serious about a purchase.

[mtnest]

I'm not sure what a "mini" is but I do know we have the split system in our house and it is aweful! If it wasn't brand new and didn't come with the house...it would be out of here so fast! The "warm" always feels cold blowing out of the ducts and constantly running. A good thing about it though - it's quiet

[CGUARDSMAN]

We have a rheem heatpump unit and have been very happy with it although if i were to do it over i would put in all electric with my woodstove for backup.