Old Carrier heat pump questions

[Badfish740]

I'm putting an offer in on a house today and assuming all goes well we'll be going forward with inspections, etc...soon. Home is just over 2,000 SF, built in 1972 and has a heat pump. I've honestly never seen one in a house in NJ-I thought they were only really used in more moderate to warm climates? Anyway, it looks to be original to the home. The outside unit looks like this:



Inside unit looks similar to the average gas furnace. The AC function seemed to work as we were there on a hot day and the house was comfortable inside, but I wonder about the heat. In any event, I plan on bringing my Englander 28-3500 furnace with us and tying it into the existing ductwork, so I'm hoping that if the heat end doesn't work so well that it won't matter. We barely use the oil furnace in our current house as it is. Regardless, the offer we're submitting takes into account the fact that the system is at least 30-35 years old and that it is beyond its service life. Just looking for any insight on these things because I know almost nothing about them.

 

[begreen]

It may be younger than 35 yrs old. Get the model number and do some research on its specs, age and efficiency. In NJ this could work nice for shoulder season heating when outside temps are 45-50F and above even if it's an older unit. For the Englander install, check for flue location relative to the furnace location. You'll want to tie into the trunk duct close to the furnace.

 

[moey]

Ask for a copy of the electric bill the last two winters. That may tell you a lot.

 

[Lake Girl]

Do they have any other heat source in the house? Wood stove, pellet stove, etc? While the electric bill may provide some clarification, if other heating appliances are present, it may be skewed.

"Have furnace, will travel?"

 

[begreen]

I always pack my heat