I would like to replace a packaged air conditioner with a packaged heat pump for a mobile home. It has a gas furnace that is very expensive to heat. The model of existing ac is Nordyne P3RA-036K. That is a 3 ton unit. I wonder if that is to much for this old trailer. 12x70.
It is for my daughters trailer in Elizabeth City, NC. Last winter it cost $100 a week to heat that trailer. I was hopeing to replace the gas unit and run a heat pump.
Your are limited to the amount of heat produced by the ac out, in this case 36,000 btu. But as the temp drops the so des the heating capacity of the HP.
You'll need electric heat strips added to the pkg unit to make up the difference.
You electric rates are cheaper than your gas rate aren't they?
A heat pump alone is not going to solve your problem. As it gets pretty darn cold there in the winter and the effenicy of a HP will drop as it gets colder. You will need either an electric or gas as second stage heat.
Where others won't tell you I will that you need to keep in mind it's a trailer. These type of homes can be a mess to heat and costly.
It seems that electric is cheaper. Most homes in this area are heated and cooled with heat pumps. Thats why I was thinking about removing the gas furnace and replacing it with a heat pump. The outside AC unit still works fine. It is a 10 seer, so maybe a new model would also help for the summer as well.
It is a separate down flow gas furnace and Package AC unit outside. I have 2 options, replace gas furnace with electric or replace both gas furnace and AC unit with a heat pump. The electric furnace would be a cheaper up front cost. She does keep it kinda warm because she has a baby. Another reason why I would like to remove the gas...
Last winter they used $100 of gas a week. I just dont see a new electric furnace costing more than that. I will make sure all the duct work is in order.
So what is her electric rate, and what is her LP rate.
Did she have the LP company or someone else do a check for a leak.
1,000,000BTUs from electric at 10 cents a KWH is $29.30
Same amount of heat from LP at 2.50 a gallon is $28.60
So at 100 bucks a week, at 2.50 a gallon, she would have been using 40 gallons a week. And if she was getting weekly deliveries, then she has too small of a LP tank.
So find out what her rates are, and if her LP line has a leak.
Or you could end up costing her a lot more money for heat, then she should be paying.
She has a big tank (dont know exactly what size) but she has it filled every month and it cost $400 and it almost makes it through the month. I am also worried about the gas heat in general. You know how fast those trailers go up in flames.
How much will it cost to upgrade her electric service to handle an electric furnace, and possibly an new electric range?
Gas furnaces only start fires if they are neglected. So do electric furnaces.
More fires are caused by electrical problems then gas problems.
Find out her gas and electric rates.
Could be her high heating bill is deu to an inefficient gas furnace.
Or, she keeps the temp in her home that high.
And electric could end up costing her $600.00 a month.
Look at the furnace gas valve and see if it has a PILOT position. If so it is older and inefficient. Nordyne makes a nice higher efficiency 80% unit which may be a easy changover for that one.
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