Confused - Hydronic air handler VS heat pump VS heat pump plus furnance

In PA — the electric is PECO and I'm paying around $2.20 for Propane .. my last look at the electric was around .20kw. In NJ it's PSE&G … about the same electric the last I looked. Not sure about the gas this year .. no way the heat pumps can match price per BTU

The AMANA product has really improved and they are making nice products today … Goodman only mad very basic stuff years ago and now under the new ownership they have nicer stuff …especially with the AMANA nameplate. The warranty is as good as it gets out there.

I went with the Carrier product because of previously using the products and they have the best zoning IMO. I also went with the 5 speed product because it fits into what I need and gets me all he rebates. Carrier uses a rotary compressor on the 5 speed and the full VS ..the same type that is in a mini split. My oldest one is now almost 10 years old — gets used for both AC and partial heat. The unit has never been touched.

The nice thing about a fully modulation furnace is comfort (same with heat pump) — the unit matches what is needed be it heat or cooling. I also keep my units on all the time with the fan set on low — this way the units are always moving some air around … I do this even in the houses with radiant floor. That's why I love the zoning … the unit can adjust a colder spot or just make some part of the house warmer when you want.

In the summer the Carrier 5 speed will sit on 1 or 2 most of the time … silently removing humidity. How the zoning works with constant fan … all zones are open and when a zone needs heat or cool the others close. With a VS or 5 speed … you just need to make sure that every zone can take 25% of capacity. That why oversizing is bad