Live in Connecticut (Zone 5A). Getting quotes for a new heat pump install for our second floor only. House is a 2-story colonial. Current heat is oil boiler/baseboards.
Multiple quotes have come in around $16-18k for 2.5-3 ton units.
As I suspected, these are way oversized for the space. I'll spare the nitty-gritty details of the home as I purchased ACCA approved software and ran a thorough Manual J myself --- 12,600 btu heating and 10,000 cooling needs.
So the question is, do I:
ask techs to install a 1-ton unit which would cover 100% of cooling needs and almost 100% of heating needs with the understanding that I'll probably use some oil on the coldest days as a backup fuel
ask techs to install 1.5 ton unit which would of course cover more than what the space calls for, likely eliminating my need to use oil (outside of hot water heater) entirely, but risking reduced dehumidifying ability in the warmer months (from shorter cycles).
I'd ask the techs this, but none of them cared enough to even size my home appropriately, which seems to be standard practice in this industry, so my trust in their opinion is lacking