New Heat Pump Forthcoming....

 I can tell you know your stuff pretty well Mike.
 
Bub I recently put in a gas furnace and thats when I heard about the new rules. Not bad necessarily to require a certain efficiency but to get there some of those parts are expensive.

 Here is where I have a problem with anything rated for super high efficiency...... Say heat pump A costs a lot less and is a  14 seer. Heat pump B is an 21 seer but more expensive up front. In a 10 year life span it will save x amount of money over the 14 seer. What they don't tell you is that when the blower motor eventually dies that it costs 5 times more to replace than the motor in the 14 seer unit. The cost difference just ate up double the energy savings. This is true in many cases with the parts in the lesser compared to the parts in the higher efficiency units. Don't get me wrong all of those parts can be expensive and they will  all wear out but when it comes repair time you probably lost your energy advantage in parts. The difference between a high and a lower efficiency unit is usually smaller than you would think anyway.

Geothermal is a great way to go if you happen to personally know a well driller who owes you a favor...otherwise the up front investment isn't worth the payback.

    Some heat pumps will allow you to pick the electric heat package size in your unit on an air exchange unit. This can make a huge difference in your electric bill because heat pumps turn on that electric package to defrost and to make up the difference when the regular heat pump needs help. Some manufacturers allow you to pick anywhere from a 5kw up to a 15 kw. If you live in Tennessee a 5kw might be all you need.

 I am not sure of the electric rate where you are Tony but here rates are going up 20% this is making me reconsider other options.

 Nordyne is one of the better manufacturers of heat pumps in the residential market and they make them for a lot of name brands. 

  A 10 year compressor warranty is a good one. The compressor is the most expensive part in the system. The parts are usually marked way up...those guys need to make a living too I guess. I have been out of the residential end for awhile now and am working in the commercial end of things,although the place I work sometimes has residential equipment to install and service. I have seen things change a lot over time. The equipment is getting more complex but is made of cheaper lighter gauge steel. Many of the parts are not as well made as they once were.

 Once upon a time you could get good parts made in your country, now the parts come from India, China,Korea. Are not made as well ,cost more and when  repair time comes may be more difficult to find.

 My last furnace install was really frustrating because the circuit board in it needed a special plug to tell the board what model and size the furnace was. It was supposed to be shipped with the unit but was missing, so I told the vendor who I believe thought I lost it and billed us to order a new one coming on the slow boat out of China. In the past you hooked it up and it worked.