[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Anybody upgrade from a two stage A/C unit to a Variable Speed unit???

Did you notice reduced electric bills??

Did you notice a more comfortable environment??

I had one installed two years ago: a Daikin. In the garage it is the same size as what I had. Outside, it is only a third the size of the original unit.

In the house, it is very quiet and comfortable. The only noise is the sound of air coming out of the grates. In the garage, it is almost silent when working. Outside, the condenser unit is so quiet that I can whisper next to it while it’s working and be heard. If your old heat pump interfered with your outdoor entertainment, this is what you want.

A year after I got it, it stopped cooling. Turned out the Freon was low because of a leak in a valve in the evaporation unit in the garage. It seems it came that way. Rather than try to fix it, the company replaced the entire evaporation unit with its connectors. Took an hour.

These cost a lot more than the lowest cost units that come with our homes. (It’s not the highest efficiency model. That costs even more.) I doubt that it will ever pay for itself except in the pleasure of less noise and more comfort. I’d guess that this saves perhaps 15% of my total electric bill, but that runs between $100 a month and $150, depending on the season, and probably $50 of that is refrigerator, hot water, and electrical use.

[dolphin]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Anybody upgrade from a two stage A/C unit to a Variable Speed unit???

Did you notice reduced electric bills??

Did you notice a more comfortable environment??

Yes, yes

[RoseyRed]

Curious to know the square footage of your home and the price of the variable speed unit. Can you share?

Originally Posted by Happydaz

Upgraded 2 years ago to a Carrier variable speed heat pump. I went from a one speed (100% or off. They call this a two speed unit, but one of the speeds is OFF!) to a 75 speed heat pump. (25% to 100% in 1% increments) The new unit qualified for a $2000 tax credit. We are saving between $30-$35 a month in electricity. On a purely monetary method it would be many years to pay off the difference in the purchase cost between the two units, but it is much, much quieter. The prior unit was outside our bedroom and we would hear it bang and boom all night. The new one we can’t hear most of the time. Since it can operate at lower speeds it is not just quieter but is also much more efficient in dehumidifying the house. The fact that it can operate at such low speeds means it also is quietly running for longer time intervals. This doesn’t add to the electricity cost as I’ve already said it saves us money each month. Since it runs longer the air temperature is more even throughout the house whether it is cooling or heating. No more hot or cold spots. My wife’s sewing room is no longer hot and our glassed in lanai stays near the house temperature. (Sliders open) We rarely turn the mini split on anymore. As you can tell, we love our new unit. I did get a 15 year warranty with it. Let’s see I’ll be 91 when that runs out!

[gorillarick]

I had a high-end unit with variable fan speed in my unit just before I moved here. Fan outside failed, independent tech said you want to spend $1200 to replace that unit, or $350 for a fixed speed unit. 20 years old, it was a no brainer.

He told me the controls (like circuit boards) for these units are much many times more expensive also.
Replaced my TV unit last September. I opted for the highest rated (SEER) single stage, fixed speed unit. Got rebate; but not as much as a higher SEER.

Salesman started by pitching the high SEER units. Smiled when I asked if it would ever pay for itself, and came back to Earth.

[barbnick]

You must be a distributor of variable speed systems

[Rocksnap]

Staying in a house with a single speed system is the exact reason WHY I UPGRADED TO A VARIABLE SPEED SYSTEM.
I hated the single speed room gets hot, room gets cold, and unit was very humid.
Variable is the way to go, for comfort alone. All the other benefits are icing on the cake.

[retiredguy123]

A variable speed system will cost more money initially and to maintain, and you will never recover the extra cost. It will not significantly improve the comfort or quietness of your house or the resale value. But, it will make the HVAC companies more profitable.

[HJBeck]

Yes we did. Our electric bills are normally $80 to $100 per month. Bought a Carrier with SEER of 19, variable speed. But highly recommend you require 10 to 12 year warranty (parts & labor). Munn’s was the only one to agree to this. It has much more complicated electronics, and substantially quieter due to the variable speed nature. Pay back for us is ~5years.

[Sledneck]

Originally Posted by jrref

I just signed up for a Carrier Infinity system, 4 ton, 22 SEER. This system is a little newer and has 80 speed increments. With all the instant rebates from Carrier and Sunshine plus the $2,000 Federal Tax credit the price was reduced by $4,500 and the total cost included 10 year full parts and labor. I could have got the 15 year parts and labor as well. I figure 10 - 15 years from now there will be even newer technology and I can decide to upgrade again. The included labor is important since this system is more complex to get you the efficiency and everything is covered so nothing to worry about. If the compressor goes bad in the 10 year period Carrier gives you a new outdoor condensor unit vs repairing it. They also include the surge protector for the system which is critical in preventing all the failures these systems had in the past. The same was true for the mini splits that everyone is installing. All in writing. With all the discounts the cost of the variable speed unit was very close to the single and 2 stage system where it didn't make sense to go with any of those. Also, checked, and no parts issues anymore with the new variable speed units. Parts are in stock just like with the older systems. And you are right because its a variable speed inverter system no start capacitor to fail every 5 years or so. To get this kind of deal you will have to probably go with a larger HVAC company since the smaller companies may not have the capability to service these variable speed units yet. There are a huge amount of benefits to variable speed systems meaning variable fan and compressor. Significant electric savings. Not enough to recoup the cost but enough to lessen your overall load each month. Very even temperature throughout the home. Very controlled humidity. Since the system stays on longer your air is properly filtered so if you have allergies like I do that will help a lot. Super quiet as well. As far as it running at 100% to cool down your home quickly, it will do that since it runs to keep the temperature constant at whatever speed it needs after learning the specifics of your home. Think of it as instead of having a system that runs like a light switch, On then Off then On and Off again, this system based on the inside and outside temperature and humidity and how long it take to decrease and or increase the temperature based on your specific home will smoothly run at whatever speed it needs to keep the temperature and humidity constant. Another plus is whenever we need heat in the winter. Since the unit is designed to give heat down to I believe -12 degrees F, here in Florida when we get 25 to 35 degree weather for however long these systems are very efficient and the cost to heat your home if you need it will be dramatically less than with the systems that we have now which may turn On the auxillary heat if the heat pump can't keep up. That's 40Amps of power to run the auxillary heat. Not cheap. So at the end of the day, if you can time it to get all the rebates and tax credits for a little more money you can get a variable speed system and enjoy electricity savings and a more comfortable home.

what was the cost?

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by Sledneck

what was the cost?

4 tons, 22 SEER top of the line Carrier Infinity system, $13.5K all in.

[srswans]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Anybody upgrade from a two stage A/C unit to a Variable Speed unit???

Did you notice reduced electric bills??

Did you notice a more comfortable environment??

I upgraded my house up north with a variable speed and it saved me $1000 a year over the original, builder-grade unit.

I also opted for the variable-speed unit when building my TV house and couldn’t be happier with its performance. House is cool and dry.

[RRGuyNJ]

Originally Posted by jrref

You realize those mini split systems that everyone is installing are variable speed units with many of the same "fancy" parts. It's just variable speed main heatpumps are somewhat new and many don't understand the technology.

Those mini split systems initially had a lot of that "fancy" circuit board failures related to power surges. Now everyone comes with a surge protector to fix that issue. Same with newer variable speed heat pumps.

I had a Samsung minisplit in my shop building and after 5 years a circuit board failed. I figured no big deal. I swear I have my doubts if one existed on the planet! My HVAC guy recommended going with a Daikin to replace it and they required a hardwired surge protector at the service disconnect in order to maintain warranty. So far, so good after 3 years.
Variable speed systems do save energy but given the cost upfront, who knows for sure if the savings will catch up.

[jrref]

Originally Posted by gorillarick

I had a high-end unit with variable fan speed in my unit just before I moved here. Fan outside failed, independent tech said you want to spend $1200 to replace that unit, or $350 for a fixed speed unit. 20 years old, it was a no brainer.

He told me the controls (like circuit boards) for these units are much many times more expensive also.
Replaced my TV unit last September. I opted for the highest rated (SEER) single stage, fixed speed unit. Got rebate; but not as much as a higher SEER.

Salesman started by pitching the high SEER units. Smiled when I asked if it would ever pay for itself, and came back to Earth.

When you have to replace an infrastruture device like a HVAC system, refrigerator, washer, dryer, etc., you don't do it to get a return on investment on cost. It's something you have to have so you go out and get it. The question then is do I get the basic or upgraded device? Many are cost driven so they get the cheapest they can find. Others consider the convenience, better user experience, comfort, cost savings, etc., and may decide to get an upgraded unit. It's the same for the HVAC system. All the reliable companies operating here in the Villages always offer you the basic, mid-range and then the top of the line system. All have pros and cons. These companies know there are Villagers who will only want the cheapest replacement for whatever reason and there are those who want the most comfort now that most of us are in the last chapter of our lives which is hopefully a long chapter.
With the newer variable speed systems, when they first came out there were a lot of problems due to power surges and during the pandemic a shortage of chips which lead to a shortage of parts. Same was the case for the mini splits many are installing. They are just a different version of the variable speed heat pump. Now, when the system is installed they also install a surge protector at the outside condensor which has minimized these circuit boards from pre-maturely failing. No more chip shortage so no more part shortage.
Let's now address the new freon refrigerant. So, over the years freon has gone through an evolution getting replaced with new formulations to address the effects on the environment. Whether you agree or not, its just the way it is and has happened many times. As of 1/1/25, there was a new replacement yet again. The result was around a 5% increase in price for the newer systems which is expected to increase about the same amount each year for while for many reasons. But there is a silver lining. On the newer variable speed systems, along with the price increase there has been improvements in cooling and heating efficiencies for heat pumps. So, you pay a little more but may save on electric usage.

You also need to consider what's in our control and what's not. When we talk about efficiency and electric usage, many will downplay this aspect since there is no way to get a return on investment for cost paying for a more expensive machine. But we do know that electric rates continue to rise over time and there is nothing we can do about it so you may be kicking yourself for not getting a more efficient system down the road if rates continue to go up.

There are many reputable installers out there and they will all have their opinions so it's best to do the research, watch some Youtube videos, get educated, decide what you want because you will be living with it for a long time, then research and select the best installer to do the job. As I've mentioned, if you decide on the variable speed inverter system like a Carrier Infinity you may have to go with one of the larger HVAC companies that have the resourses, tools and training to install and maintain these newer systems. Eventually, eventhough they have been out for about 10 years, they will be more common place and all HVAC companies will be installing them. Finally, since these systems should last from 10-15 years you may also consider a company who you feel will still be around in this time frame if you have a labor warranty. Hope this helps.

[mrf6969]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Anybody upgrade from a two stage A/C unit to a Variable Speed unit???

Did you notice reduced electric bills??

Did you notice a more comfortable environment??

Have a Variable speed Trane 4 ton installed 4 years ago. For the month of a very warm May our SECO bill that we just received online was $104.00.
We have a 2100 Square foot home. Back of house is a southern exposer with vaulted ceiling and large windows. We could not be happier that our bills are greatly reduced with this system.

[JRcorvette]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Anybody upgrade from a two stage A/C unit to a Variable Speed unit???

Did you notice reduced electric bills??

Did you notice a more comfortable environment??

Yes we replaced our 3.5 ton AC with a 4 ton dual speed unit. Our electric bill went down and the unit is super quiet.