Heat pump condenser (outdoor unit) married to a gas furnace

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

This was a 1st for me in 5 years. New system. Carrier. Any negative consequences to putting a heat pump outdoor unit with a gas fired high efficiency furnace? WHY would someone do that? (Thermostat was for a heat pump. Aux heat strips would not come on )

[Jae Williams]

[quote=jfunderburk;643370]This was a 1st for me in 5 years. New system. Carrier. Any negative consequences to putting a heat pump outdoor unit with a gas fired high efficiency furnace?
No problem provided it's done properly--I've installed a bunch like that, and oil, too.

WHY would someone do that?
Why not???

(Thermostat was for a heat pump. Aux heat strips would not come on
It's a gas furnace--no heat strips.

Refer for a HVAC check-up.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Originally Posted by jfunderburk

Aux heat strips would not come on )

That was a joke, Jae.

[Wayne B. Wilson]

I have that setup here at my home Joe, had no problems. Why well another story . I felt i would benefit ether way if gas went up i have the heat pump if electric goes up i have the gas. for it to work they ussally have to have a control . Fossil fuel something another i am old and i cant remember . about 300 bucks. So when it gets real cold here i switch to gas heat , faster and cheaper than electric coils.

[Jae Williams]

Originally Posted by jfunderburk

That was a joke, Jae.

Oh. OH!!! Oh, O.K.

Well then--chortle, chortle.

[Jae Williams]

Originally Posted by wwilson3

I have that setup here at my home Joe, had no problems. Why well another story . I felt i would benefit ether way if gas went up i have the heat pump if electric goes up i have the gas. for it to work they ussally have to have a control . Fossil fuel something another i am old and i cant remember . about 300 bucks. So when it gets real cold here i switch to gas heat , faster and cheaper than electric coils.

It's a delay mechanism so the furncae can cool before the outdoor unit comes on. Odd, it's only been twenty years ago, but I can't recall the exact name either.

BRYANT Mfg. ran out of them and there were many of those systems to be installed. So I dismantled one and realized I could make the kit for about $25--and did so until the product came out again.

$300??? Man we were paying about $100 back in the good old days.

[Wayne B. Wilson]

Originally Posted by jwilliams4

It's a delay mechanism so the furncae can cool before the outdoor unit comes on. Odd, it's only been twenty years ago, but I can't recall the exact name either.

BRYANT Mfg. ran out of them and there were many of those systems to be installed. So I dismantled one and realized I could make the kit for about $25--and did so until the product came out again.

$300??? Man we were paying about $100 back in the good old days.

I know Jae old age got me , i believe it had fossil fuel something something lolol. yeah they charged 300 bucks . When i got a new heat pump the guy wired it up wrong which i was telling him so, So when he left i called his boss , He came out and i showed him that both systems would run if wired that way. I did finally tell him i also did heat and air back in Canada.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Originally Posted by jwilliams4

Why not???

If it's such a great idea, why doesn't everyone do it?

[Jae Williams]

Originally Posted by jfunderburk

If it's such a great idea, why doesn't everyone do it?

It's not necessarily a great idea, but it's not a bad idea, either. It's just an idea--some folks like and some folks don't.

Kinda like the old Hudson, y'know?

[Wayne B. Wilson]

Originally Posted by jfunderburk

If it's such a great idea, why doesn't everyone do it?

Price is the big reason , Using a gas appliance is more to install.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Originally Posted by wwilson3

Price is the big reason , Using a gas appliance is more to install.

I mean why don't installers match a heat pump condenser to every gas furnace? There has to be a good reason this is the 1st time I've seen it in over 1000 inspections.

[Wayne B. Wilson]

Joe it comes down to price i think, heat unit is about 800 more, and with gas they do not think it is worth it.

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

In my area Heat Pump outside and gas furnace inside as back-up is norm.

We don't hardly ever use electric furnces EXCEPT out in the sticks where they can't get gas.

In Dallas I see it just reversed - Heat Pump outside / Electric Heat Inside.

[Stephen W. Stanczyk]

Dual fuel systems are getting more common up here and are advertised heavily.

You have to remember that with fossil fuels, those are just friends that Jae hasn't seen in a while.......

[David A. Andersen]

They don't put them together because additional controls are required on top of the added heat pump price.

It can be done. It costs. That's all that matters to these contractors.

Heat pumps loose capacity when it gets cold. If gas is cheaper than electricity, dual-fuel is an option.

In most cases, heat pumps are not used if gas is available. A heat pump costs more than an A/C.

Heat Pumps w/o gas available requires LP, which can be a PIA to some.
Is LP cheaper than electricity? Not around here...