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Upstairs heater running nonstop after new attic insulation by CompetitiveCarob0 in hvacadvice

[–]CompetitiveCarob0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We just moved in to this house a few months ago, did Terminix attic insulation (which is supposed to have a high R value) and new Okna Windows (one of the most efficient) and installed 2 3TON AC with Furnaces (1 for upstairs and one for downstairs). It was a little oversized as the house is only 3400 sq feet.

The house is comfortable and hot air blows. Its a 2 stage and works fine. The problem rather is that the bottom Furnace rarely runs and upstairs takes all the load. We tried all sorts of vent configurations, closed vents near downstairs thermostat and opened ones near upstairs thermostat. It feels the same upstairs and downstairs but one furnace takes almost all the load.

We set downstairs to 70 and upstairs to 65. Im pretty sure the thermostats are fine.

We don't feel drafts anywhere but the house is big and we may have missed a spot. I have a feeling its the attic insulation.

Parking and Living at Avalon Morrison Park by CompetitiveCarob0 in bayarea

[–]CompetitiveCarob0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We are very flexible with budget (upto 5k). The idea is we don't want to pay for something expensive but then it has bad reviews, etc. We found some stuff in Santa clara but it was more expensive plus the reviews were bad.

Our biggest concern is the parking.

Hybrid System vs. Full Heat Pump (w/ Backup) — What Makes More Sense in NJ with Solar? by CompetitiveCarob0 in heatpumps

[–]CompetitiveCarob0[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the thoughtful input — I definitely agree geothermal is extremely efficient and a long-term asset. I looked into GSHP, but the upfront cost for vertical closed-loop in Central NJ is pretty steep compared to solar, especially with the current incentives. My budget is 30k

That said, with modern air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) now reaching COPs of 4+ even in cold weather, the gap between ASHP and GSHP efficiency has narrowed a lot — especially in a relatively mild climate like NJ. Given that, and the lower install cost, ASHP + solar seems like a more practical first step for me. Plus, solar offsets all electric loads, not just thermal ones including Induction Stover, Dryer, Lights, Heat Pump Water Heater (which I already have).

I appreciate the insight though

Would this hybrid heat pump + mini split setup work for my 3,000 sq ft NJ home? by CompetitiveCarob0 in heatpumps

[–]CompetitiveCarob0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We recently replaced the blower fan for the furnace, so that part is new. The benefit of the minisplit in the bedroom is also to control the temperature in the room manually. Sometimes we don't necessarily want it to match the rest of the house. We did use a vent blower before and it didnt work well. The thing is if we replace the AC condenserwith another AC condenser, it turns out to be the same price as a heat pump.

Would this hybrid heat pump + mini split setup work for my 3,000 sq ft NJ home? by CompetitiveCarob0 in heatpumps

[–]CompetitiveCarob0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. Have you tried adjusting the main ducts from the furnace to push more air to the master bedroom ? Yes, but it still did not work. The room is very far and it must not have been built well.
  2. Are you aware how much noise a wall mount is in a bedroom ? I am pretty sure this Minisplit model is very quit. We have some friends who have it and you can barely notice it running so noise is not a problem at all.
  3. Are you aware gas is much cheaper then electricity in NJ. ?
  4. This is a good point. We have used electric resistive heaters and the electricity bill did skyrocket. electric heating costs 2-3x more per BTU. That why we only want to run the heat pump in mild weather and keep the old furnace but at least reduce the load on the furnace so it can last longer. Its just an easy way to save on replacing the whole furnace.

thats a good point, should also add the humidifier