Heat Pump vs Air Conditioner prices

Brody

So I had seen a video a while back that explained at length the fact that an AC unit and a Heat Pump are basically the same thing, but when I talked to someone about getting one or the other installed, the price for the heat pump was almost double the cost of just the AC. But any time I try and do any research comparing the costs, it just has a bunch of articles that are all copy paste repeats on efficiency, and nothing on actual install costs and why they might vary.

Does anyone have a good understanding of why the cost would be so different?

Aioua

Brody wrote: »

So I had seen a video a while back that explained at length the fact that an AC unit and a Heat Pump are basically the same thing, but when I talked to someone about getting one or the other installed, the price for the heat pump was almost double the cost of just the AC. But any time I try and do any research comparing the costs, it just has a bunch of articles that are all copy paste repeats on efficiency, and nothing on actual install costs and why they might vary.

Does anyone have a good understanding of why the cost would be so different?

Basically US hvac installers have their heads up their asses about the whole thing.

To some extent the modern high efficient heat pumps that work even in freezing temps are a bit more expensive as they have newer more expensive refrigerants.

But a lot of it is "oh these are trendy, charge extra!"

Brody

Sure, I just wasn't expecting to go from ~15,000 to ~25,000-30,000. Especially considering the people I was going through seemed fairly above board on everything.

Cello

Are you looking at geothermal heat pumps? That price is what those tend to go for, especially the cold weather ones from my brief bit of research I've done

The non-geothermal heat pumps are supposed to be in the realm of 6-7k I believe, but they're not the cold weather type (and thus probably wouldn't work for me, so I stopped my research there)

Inquisitor77

Yeah the cost can go up quite a bit depending upon what type. If you're just looking for a modified AC unit, then that shouldn't be much of an addition (although it will likely be more inefficient). If you're doing something like geothermal, then that's going to be a lot more. It sounds like you're dealing with the former, though.

Worst-case scenario just get a second opinion and see what others charge.

Smrtnik

If anything is because AC only cools whole i think heat pumps can cool and heat.iirc their heating is not as "strong" as a oil or gas furnace, so it probably would not be enough if you're located in say Alaska. What the actual practical line is probably varies with your tolerance.

Mugsley

^ This

While AC and Heat Pump are functionally similar, heat pumps are reversible. So they double as a furnace. Add a furnace cost to your AC and you get relevant pricing.

Installers will remove both the AC compressor and the furnace if you install a heat pump.

Also fwiw, I've only ever seen all-electric heat pumps. Furnaces can be gas or electric or oil; so you have to factor in power prices.

Simpsonia

Mugsley wrote: »

^ This

While AC and Heat Pump are functionally similar, heat pumps are reversible. So they double as a furnace. Add a furnace cost to your AC and you get relevant pricing.

Installers will remove both the AC compressor and the furnace if you install a heat pump.

Also fwiw, I've only ever seen all-electric heat pumps. Furnaces can be gas or electric or oil; so you have to factor in power prices.

Add in a global supply chain disruption and unprecedented demand from Europe as they try to extricate themselves from Russian gas dependency, and voila, massive heat pump inflation.

DoctorArch

North Carolina here. When I had to replace my two heat pumps (one for each floor) about 3 years ago the cost was about 10K total for the two of them which included the actual heat pumps and the individual air handler units for upstairs and downstairs.