Fix or replace washer and dryer?

[tvguy]

Heat pumps also have condensate drains, and the blower and coil are most definitely inside your house.

Even if you have mini split heat pumps, the blower and coil are inside.

I will have to ask next time I have it serviced. I have had the heat pump replaced twice in the 42 years I have lived here, and the blower replaced once, and it has been serviced twice a year and nobody has ever gone in the attic. The service guys all comment that everything is outside. All I know is it is an "over/under heat pump" Here is a photo after the old one was replace, and before the new one was installed. No refrigerant lines into the house, just the 220 electrical line, and the low voltage line for the thermostat. And a duct into the house and out of the house. My mini split DOES have a refrigerant line, a drain line, and a power line to the inside head unit.

 

[kdonnel]

I will have to ask next time I have it serviced. I have had the heat pump replaced twice in the 42 years I have lived here, and the blower replaced once, and it has been serviced twice a year and nobody has ever gone in the attic. The service guys all comment that everything is outside. All I know is it is an "over/under heat pump" Here is a photo after the old one was replace, and before the new one was installed. No refrigerant lines into the house, just the 220 electrical line, and the low voltage line for the thermostat. And a duct into the house and out of the house. My mini split DOES have a refrigerant line, a drain line, and a power line to the inside head unit.

That looks nothing like any central HVAC I have seen. Is it servicing just a single room?

 

[tvguy]

That looks nothing like any central HVAC I have seen. Is it servicing just a single room?

2010 square foot, 4 bedroom, 3 bath single story house. 3 1/2 ton Trane heat pump. Here is what it looks like with the unit in place. The black line running over the top of the air box is for our drip irrigation system, not the HVAC.

EDIT: The term I could not think of that all the techs use is that this is a PACKAGED heat pump. Here is what a packaged heat pump is: A packaged heat pump is an all-in-one HVAC unit that contains all major components—including the condenser, evaporator coil, air filter, and fan—in a single cabinet, typically located outdoors on a roof or on a concrete slab. It provides both heating and cooling by transferring heat between the outside and inside of a building, circulating conditioned air through ductwork connected to the building. This design simplifies installation and is a space-saving solution, but the outdoor placement can make the system more vulnerable to weather and animal damage

 

[White Cat]

Juggling what to do as we have some IRA investments that we can draw now for the rest of our lives, only impact would be to reduce our kids inheritance. Of course when RMDs hit, our hand will be forced.

There are certain things you can do but yes the RMD. I’m a bit away from that and hopefully they may kick the age back some. There is certainly a responsibility and takes some foresight in handling money.

That looks nothing like any central HVAC I have seen. Is it servicing just a single room?

Very common and normal.

 

[kdonnel]

There are certain things you can do but yes the RMD. I’m a bit away from that and hopefully they may kick the age back some. There is certainly a responsibility and takes some foresight in handling money.

Very common and normal.

I guess it is regional, perhaps?

I don't think it is very common in any area I have lived, split systems have been all I have known.

 

[tvguy]

I guess it is regional, perhaps?

I don't think it is very common in any area I have lived, split systems have been all I have known.

Well, seems to be something every HVAC company makes. Google seems to indicate they are more popular for large commercial buildings. I guess they are more expensive. Makes sense since everything is in one unit. Houses in my subdivision were built 1976 to 1979 and all have these units. However, some, like mine, are on the ground, others are on the roof. Neighbor across the street has the same floor plan, but his HVAC unit is on the roof, and his ductwork is all in the attic. Mine ductwork is all in the crawl space. No idea why the builder did things differently as the houses were built concurrently. I think my ductwork replacement was more expensive. But when he replaced his HVAC, he has to pay $500 extra to have a crane place the new HVAC on the roof, mine they rolled in the back yard on a cart. And he has to pay $50 extra to have it services as HVAC companies charge more for climbing on the roof.

 

[kdonnel]

Well, seems to be something every HVAC company makes. Google seems to indicate they are more popular for large commercial buildings. I guess they are more expensive. Makes sense since everything is in one unit. Houses in my subdivision were built 1976 to 1979 and all have these units. However, some, like mine, are on the ground, others are on the roof. Neighbor across the street has the same floor plan, but his HVAC unit is on the roof, and his ductwork is all in the attic. Mine ductwork is all in the crawl space. No idea why the builder did things differently as the houses were built concurrently. I think my ductwork replacement was more expensive. But when he replaced his HVAC, he has to pay $500 extra to have a crane place the new HVAC on the roof, mine they rolled in the back yard on a cart. And he has to pay $50 extra to have it services as HVAC companies charge more for climbing on the roof.

Like I said, I have never seen a home with a packaged hvac in any areas I have lived.

I would have thought they were more efficient considering no need for a long refrigerant line but apparently they are less efficient but have caught up recently and are now nearly as efficient as a split system.

Maybe the difference in efficiency is why they don’t appear to be common in my area?

Could be a regional risk of animals getting in the coil/blower side?

Or just simply that hvac companies have a higher profit on one or the other?

Or the construction style here makes a split system work better?

In any event the annual maintenance on the condensate line of a split system is what was being referenced when someone said an hvac system needs to be flushed.

 

[tvguy]

Like I said, I have never seen a home with a packaged hvac in any areas I have lived.

I would have thought they were more efficient considering no need for a long refrigerant line but apparently they are less efficient but have caught up recently and are now nearly as efficient as a split system.

Maybe the difference in efficiency is why they don’t appear to be common in my area?

Could be a regional risk of animals getting in the coil/blower side?

Or just simply that hvac companies have a higher profit on one or the other?

Or the construction style here makes a split system work better?

In any event the annual maintenance on the condensate line of a split system is what was being referenced when someone said an hvac system needs to be flushed.

I think not having to flush a condensation drain would be advantage, especially if the coils are in the attic where condensation water that leaks could do some damage. Peeling the internet onion a bit I see they are allegedly popular in Georgia. At least according to the HVAC contractors websites in Atlanta. But to be honest, I have had one for 42 years and until now had not given it any thought. https://www.estesair.com/blog/packaged-hvac-unit-basics-for-metro-atlanta