Just moved into a new home in NH and have been exploring the replacement of the current HVAC system. I’ve done a lot of reading and research to educate myself on the numerous options involving hydronic air handlers and dual fuel capabilities with heat pumps.
The current system installed is 22 years old and has two HydroPac hydronic air handlers and two American Standard condensers (3 ton and 4 ton) which covers roughly 4600 sq ft. One of the condensers is seized so I need to make a decision in the very near future. I have brought in numerous HVAC contractors in my area and 3 of them have offered a similar setup which involves First Co air handlers (VHBXB-HW series) and either an Amana or American Standard 18 SEER VARIABLE SPEED HEAT PUMP. I have also been quoted for Comfort-Aire and ADP hydronic air handlers, but I’ve been told by multiple contractors that the First Company air handlers are the best and have better part supply in my region. Like many others, I’m not entirely
confident that a variable condenser vs a two stage is really worth the money because the system configurations quoted above would be non-communicating systems and a bunch of the “magic”
would be done between the variable condenser invoking outdoor temperature sensors and the First Co air handler. This basically means my indoor thermostat is doing very little for the system efficiency.
I read an earlier post on this forum that was asking for advice on very similar setup in NY and they were quoted a similar system that involved First Co air handlers which seem to be the most popular option for hydronic. I’m sold on the heat pump dual fuel concept to take pressure off my boiler during the colder months and provide an alternative heating source with electric. In NE, I basically end up using AC 10 weeks out of the year so introducing a heat pump option allows me to maximize the system investment in the condenser.
Reading about hydronic air handlers, I have come to realize that my options to get an “optimized system” with a matching air handler and condenser by the same manufacturer is challenging. The reason this is desirable to me is to optimize the efficiency of the system because First Co air handlers aren’t rated above 15 SEER, so when matching with a higher SEER condenser from a different manufacturer, the overall system efficiency is in a grey area (from what I understand). The only optimal solution for hydronic air systems appear to be Lennox CBWMV series air handler or a Bosch system. I’m leaning towards a Bosch IDS 2.0 system where the IDS air handler would be retrofitted with a hot water coil to maintain the hydronic heating in the dead of winter where temperatures stay below freezing to provide a dual fuel scenario. The IDS system is also desirable because the overall amp draw from the IDS condensers appears to significantly lower compared to other manufacturers heat pump condensers which should result in hundreds of dollars in saving per year because electric in NH is not cheap.
I’d love to get feedback in this forum to challenge my thinking or provide insights into areas that I may not be considering in this decision. Overall, this decision is a sizable investment for our family but we intend to be in the house for many years to come.
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The current system installed is 22 years old and has two HydroPac hydronic air handlers and two American Standard condensers (3 ton and 4 ton) which covers roughly 4600 sq ft. One of the condensers is seized so I need to make a decision in the very near future. I have brought in numerous HVAC contractors in my area and 3 of them have offered a similar setup which involves First Co air handlers (VHBXB-HW series) and either an Amana or American Standard 18 SEER VARIABLE SPEED HEAT PUMP. I have also been quoted for Comfort-Aire and ADP hydronic air handlers, but I’ve been told by multiple contractors that the First Company air handlers are the best and have better part supply in my region. Like many others, I’m not entirely
confident that a variable condenser vs a two stage is really worth the money because the system configurations quoted above would be non-communicating systems and a bunch of the “magic”
would be done between the variable condenser invoking outdoor temperature sensors and the First Co air handler. This basically means my indoor thermostat is doing very little for the system efficiency.
I read an earlier post on this forum that was asking for advice on very similar setup in NY and they were quoted a similar system that involved First Co air handlers which seem to be the most popular option for hydronic. I’m sold on the heat pump dual fuel concept to take pressure off my boiler during the colder months and provide an alternative heating source with electric. In NE, I basically end up using AC 10 weeks out of the year so introducing a heat pump option allows me to maximize the system investment in the condenser.
Reading about hydronic air handlers, I have come to realize that my options to get an “optimized system” with a matching air handler and condenser by the same manufacturer is challenging. The reason this is desirable to me is to optimize the efficiency of the system because First Co air handlers aren’t rated above 15 SEER, so when matching with a higher SEER condenser from a different manufacturer, the overall system efficiency is in a grey area (from what I understand). The only optimal solution for hydronic air systems appear to be Lennox CBWMV series air handler or a Bosch system. I’m leaning towards a Bosch IDS 2.0 system where the IDS air handler would be retrofitted with a hot water coil to maintain the hydronic heating in the dead of winter where temperatures stay below freezing to provide a dual fuel scenario. The IDS system is also desirable because the overall amp draw from the IDS condensers appears to significantly lower compared to other manufacturers heat pump condensers which should result in hundreds of dollars in saving per year because electric in NH is not cheap.
I’d love to get feedback in this forum to challenge my thinking or provide insights into areas that I may not be considering in this decision. Overall, this decision is a sizable investment for our family but we intend to be in the house for many years to come.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
source https://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?2224217-Replacement-AC-Hydronic-Air-Handler-system-including-heat-pump-for-dual-fuel-option&goto=newpost
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