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Speakeasy: ACADIA Heat Pump Update
Acadia Install/Fed Tax Incentive
by taboma - 10/20/09 10:11 PM In reply to: ACADIA Heat Pump Update by tabomaI do hope we all receive a federal tax credit with installing the Acadia.
I have the 3-ton unit and I am not holding my breath for a Federal Tax rebate.
Good luck to Hallowell and all the owners of the Acadia.
-Kevin
Link to a Dealer's Review of the ACADIA ASHP
by NH_lakes - 10/21/09 6:15 AM In reply to: Acadia Install/Fed Tax Incentive by tabomaFor folks researching the Acadia ASHP, here is a link to a review by Bob Dorn from A Polar Bear Air LLC.
"Disclaimer" He is an ACADIA dealer but his writing appears to be a genuine review of the product.
http://www.apolarbearair.com/Hallowell%20Index.htm
Have fun in your search.
-Karl
Link to a Dealer's Review of the ACADIA ASHP
by taboma - 10/21/09 11:18 PM In reply to: Link to a Dealer's Review of the ACADIA ASHP by NH_lakesKarl, This Acadia dealer knows his stuff and has been in touch with the Hallowell engineers which is what it takes.
The Acadia is not a plug and play system.
Seems to be a lot of alternative set-ups for the Acadia.
I sent my installer this email on 10/21/09. Here is an example:
Adam Lannan 10/21/09
Hello Adam,
You wanted me to contact you if my 3-ton Acadia ever went on to strip heat.
I have been on vacation for the last two weeks in Montgomery, AL.
This evening, 10/21/09, I turned on my Acadia. The outside temp was 50 degrees F. My home temp was 54 degrees.
I set the thermostat at two-degree stages each time to reach 60 degrees on stage one.
60-62 the Acadia went to stage 1+2.
62-64 the acadia went to stage 1+2 and blinking. (Stage 3, strip heat.)
64-66 was the same and on strip heat.
Finally after about an hour, my Acadia is maintaining my 66 degrees and is only running on stage 1.
Adam, why did the Acadia run on stage 3 this evening!? This past spring the Acadia ran on stage 1 all season.
Does the system need to be recharged?
I have a brand new Sunbeam 20x25x5” filter installed.
Should I replace that Sunbeam filter with a Trion Air Bear filter? What is the difference between filters?
Please give me a call and figure out what is wrong. I will be home all week.
Thanks,
-Kevin
my acadia unit is a piece of junk too.
by spare-ho - 11/19/09 4:44 PM In reply to: Link to a Dealer's Review of the ACADIA ASHP by tabomawe live in ohio, and have had our 4 ton unit for 11 months now. it is the biggest mistake i have ever made. customer service is horrible they just blame every on the installer. even after adjustments were made it still performs poorly. it is very unreliable. it has broke 4 times on us so far and stopped working because it was a solid block of ice 3 times. our energy bills went from 3000 per year, to 7000 per year during the 11 months its been installed. I am also in the process of seeking legal advice, to get my money back. I have not had good luck getting hallowell to return any of my calls, I think its because they have used all their go to excuses to shift blame off of them.
I read through all the pages of posts and i can agree with everyone that is having problems.
rundown of my issues
-runs stage 3 when its 50-55 degrees outside
-does not shut itself off or very delayed
-it will increase temp in the house 2 degrees in 5-10 minutes. but run for hours at the set temp and not turn off
-very very loud. squeaks rattles, hums, we are on 2 acres and my neighbors have actually said things to us. they can hear it run in the summer when they have their windows open.
-lineset is very loud, hallowell reps came out checked pressures, and said maybe moisture in lines. made installer recharge, and its still loud as hell we can actually hear the lineset noise in our bedroom which is real annoying.
-they blame everything on everyone but themselves. after we fixed everything they recommended the problems continued, hallowell quit returning emails and calls.
-energy bills more than doubled.
-It heats and cools our house very quickly I will say that, but it seems to run all the wrong stages at teh wrong times, and once again NEVER SHUTS OFF
-I was told it should drop to a lower stage when temp is hit........NOPE
- thermostat is off by 2 degrees
I am calling class action suit whos with me, I have tried to get through to them and now they dont even respond.
Questions
by chplucas - 11/20/09 4:07 AM In reply to: my acadia unit is a piece of junk too. by spare-hoI'm sorry you feel dissatisfied with your system.
You said a Hallowell rep came out to check the system... was this a factory rep or a contractor, and do you remember their name?
Acadia Update
by NH_lakes - 11/20/09 7:30 AM In reply to: Questions by chplucasAll,
American Air Systems out of Conway NH has been here all week installing the 4-Ton system. The two-man crew has been doing a great job with the duct work and we hope to fire off the system late today or early next week. It's been quite a project, but the guys from American Air have been doing a quality job, insulating and installing all the new duct work and installing the vents. The true test will come when the system comes online.
I'm Praying I don't encounter the problems that Spare-Ho is reporting or it will be a very long winter.
-Karl
Acadia Update
by peddler6 - 11/20/09 9:58 AM In reply to: Acadia Update by NH_lakesH Karl, if your installation goes as well as mine did and your unit operates as good as mine, you will be a very happy camper.
Good luck!
Mike
NHEC Rebate for Acadia
by NH_lakes - 11/20/09 10:51 AM In reply to: Acadia Update by peddler6NH Customers,
FYI...You need to submit an application for the rebate with your utility company prior to installing the Acadia System in order to qualify for the rebate. NHEC sent a person (Chris) out to my house to conduct an efficiency audit of the home. This included the blower door test which is a quick way to see where air is entering your home. The Rebate application requires upfront fee of $350, but the energy audit and feedback provided on how to tighten up your house is worth the expense.
-Karl
NHEC Rebate for Acadia
by taboma - 11/20/09 10:00 PM In reply to: NHEC Rebate for Acadia by NH_lakesKarl, the energy audit will save you in the long run.
Here in MA, the Mass Save program is free for an energy audit.
Takes about three months to have an engineer to come to your home.
At the present time there are no rebates from the MA State or Federal rebates available for the Hallowell Acadia.
Hallowell lost their Energy Star Rating this past spring.
Hallowell is fighting that decision. Stay tuned!
-Kevin
Acadia Update
by taboma - 11/20/09 9:33 PM In reply to: Acadia Update by NH_lakesKarl-11/20/09
It sounds like Spare-Ho in Ohio has 4-tons of problems unfortunately.
I was wondering why the Acadia system at his home never shuts off?
If he is using the York Air Handler, maybe the York board is bad. He should have it replaced from his supplier and HVAC Contractor ASAP!
My York, during the initial install, never shut off also and failed to kick into stage 2 with the Acadia.
My heating contractor found the problem board after installation and had it replaced in two days. Also found another problem with the thermostat. The original was not a Hallowell unit. (Different wiring set up.)
I did have a problem running the Acadia during Jan. & Feb. of 2009 also.
Ran on stage 1&2+strip heat.
My HVAC installer worked with Chip Lucas and two other engineers from Hallowell to fine-tune my 3-ton Acadia at that time.
After that, it is extremely efficient for heating and A/C.
Just purring away this evening on the South Shore of MA.
It sounds like the HVAC installer for Spare-Ho in Ohio needs help from Chip Lucas, at Hallowell and not from the distributor.
Furthermore, my Acadia while running is very quiet. If any heat pump rumbles & is noisy it may indicate moisture in the refrigerant lines. My system is charged with R410.
Karl, do you know what refrigerant you have?
Sorry to hear that Spare-Ho has those problems. His HVAC contractor should fix it!
Hallowell will work with his HVAC contractor in order to solve the problem.
Chip Lucas at Hallowell can always be reached as well as their other engineers. If they are busy, the engineers will always call me back quickly.
Hallowell Tel.:1-877-322-2342. Ask for Chip Lucas, X-138.
-Kevin
Questions
by taboma - 11/20/09 10:40 PM In reply to: Questions by chplucasChip,
I do not think that Hallowell International is going to send a factory Rep from Bangor, ME all the way to Ohio.
It sounds like a Distributor Rep to me.
When will the Feds give the Energy Star rating back?
Thanks,
-Kevin
my acadia unit is a piece of junk too.
by taboma - 11/20/09 9:27 PM In reply to: my acadia unit is a piece of junk too. by spare-hoSpare-Ho, 11/21/09
Sorry to hear of your problems with the Hallowell Acadia operating in Ohio.
Have you checked with your HVAC installer to see if your circuit board on the air handler is operating OK? That will take your HVAC installer to test it. Is the air handler a York?
Is the Hallowell thermostat wired correctly with the 8-wire?
You mentioned a rep from Hallowell came out. Or was it a rep from your distributor?
Hallowell will not send an engineer from Bangor, Maine to Ohio.
At times, Hallowell will send out an engineer out here in New England
Excessive noise from the compressors comes from moisture in the lines.
It took my HVAC contractor about an hour and a half to make sure the lines had no moisture during initial install.
What is your refrigerant? R410?
Your themostat can be adjusted for temperature settings. I had that done with an instant read devise from my installer.
My Acadia and York air handler did run excessively at first. My HVAC installer worked with Chip Lucas to correct that problem. The problem turned out to be a bad board in the York air handler that did not send a signal for the second stage to kick in.
Kind of ran at stage 1 always and stage 2 was not activated.
Next problem was stage 1&2+ stage 3 (strip heat.)
That problem was solved by my contractor and Chip Lucas from Hallowell.
I really do not understand why the system ran on strip heat last month for about an hour when the outside temp was around 50-55 degrees F. That was really strange at the time.
Everything is running correctly right now.
Took my dealer some time to figure the new system out at first.
He was a new Hallowell installer. It was a learning curve for his company also.
The recent installs by his company this year are very simple and easy for them.
Now I am a happy camper with the Acadia and York!
I understand your frustrations and what you are going through.
The Acadia is not a plug and play unit. Needs a HVAC installer that really knows the Hallowell Acadia.
Spare-Ho,
No, I am not interested in joining your class-action suit against Hallowell.
Call your HVAC dealer and often! Get it straightened out now!
-Kevin
Mixed emotions...
by aldomor - 11/23/09 7:56 PM In reply to: my acadia unit is a piece of junk too. by spare-hoI am not sure I am ready for a class action suit yet - but I certainly have mixed emotions about the Acadia.
I am in Northern NJ and I am experiencing most of the same issues reported on this thread - though some have been resolved. I have two units, a 3 Ton and a 3.5 Ton - which may have been my first mistake. I think I could have achieved better savings had it been just one unit installed instead of two zoned units. I have had the units 2 summers and 1 winter - this is my second winter.
I experienced a very high bill in December, 2008 when temperatures dropped significantly - the units did not stop running. in the end, it appeared that wiring was not connected properly and was causing constant running - which in turn then created lots of defrost cycles and very uncomfortable and very cold periods at night due to the reversal from heating to cooling in order to defrost the units (a serious design flaw - there should be a different solution - instead of discharging the cold air in the home).
Here are my main issues with the units and Hallowell:
-I find the units to be loud and are somewhat disturbing at night. This is something I asked repeatedly about but kept being re-assured by Hallowell that they were silent.
-There is lots of vibrations from the units - which is felt significantly in the house.
-I would like to confirm that the electric usage we are experiencing correlates with what we were expecting and was reported by the company, but it has been difficult to get Hallowell to help in that regard (the comparison chart on their site should indicate that the savings is based on one unit heating the square footage indicated).
-I have found that the Acadia can not raise the temperature of the house in the same manner that our old steam oil boiler did. But hey, they are two different types of heating. I have found that if I raise the temperature one degree / hour, then the electric back up (stage "3") does not engage - thus saving energy and money (I never turn down the thermostat all the way as I used to with the old system).
However, I have found it necessary in a couple of occasions to increase the thermostat by more than 3 degrees, and the temp goes up using stage "3" and then turns to the regular 1 / 1+2 stage when it maintains it. The price one pays for ultra comfort.
-The units sometimes keep running even if the temp on the thermostat has reached the call. And sometimes the temp goes beyond the call by one or two degrees before the units shuts off.
- Last winter the units struggled to bring the interior temp to 70 degrees. Waiting to find out if this is a unit problem, thermostat problem or something else.
--
My verdict is still out. But there is room for improvement. The problem is that it is all extra out of pocket beyond installation and all seems to be outside of warranty. If there is anyone that has had vibration issues, I would welcome your suggestions.
Problem Resolution
by Altener01 - 11/24/09 5:40 AM In reply to: Mixed emotions... by aldomorI am a happy Acadia customer and am interested in what has been done to try to address some of the issues you mention.
How big is your house and how well insulated? Do you know how much fuel you were burning with your boiler (oil?). How many KWH did you use last winter to heat? I have two 3 ton units each zoned for one floor and they are replacing about 700 gallons of heating oil in MA. I ask because if the house is large and the units are undersized, that will explain your issues last December and the struggle to reach 70F. I have a 2,500 sf house with only R-13 walls and poor quality double pane windows from the 80s that should be replaced. I can maintain 70F with my 3 ton downstairs unit down to about -5F with no electric resistance heat (I turned it completely off).
Is your ductwork very well insulated? This is so important especially if it is in an unconditioned space. I realized about a 35% reduction in energy usage by improving my ductwork insulation.
The defrost cycles are a fact of life with all heat pumps. Proper sizing helps since they do not run as much and do not defrost as much. Oversizing too much is not helpful since it shortens compressor cycles reducing efficiency. (You will notice each time your heat kicks on it starts blowing lukewarm and slowly heats to a constant warmer temperature over a couple of minutes).
Your heat continues to blow after reaching temperature to maximize the highly efficient period. It is rounding error on your t-stat for a 1.2F increase. If you do not like this, you can adjust your thermostat so that it only increases the temperature by .6F instead of the 1.2F that it is probably set at. Personally, I wish there was a 2.4F setting so that efficiency could be increased further.
I had vibration issues too. The cause was that my refrigerant lines were too tightly mounted on my attic support joists creating a sounding board. This was fixed on day 5 by my installer and now there is no noise at all. I also had some noise from the air handlers at the returns. I fixed this by adjusting the airflow settings in the handlers to what is now the Acadia spec. Except for one area of one room of my house where there is a window right near the outside units, I would not know they are even there.
Charge level is very important too. I am assuming by now this has been checked. This problem really only becomes noticable in the cold.
-Nick
Problem Resolution
by taboma - 11/25/09 12:33 AM In reply to: Problem Resolution by Altener01Nick, Nice ACCURATE post.
I can remember when you and I first started with the Acadia in Aug. 2008.
As you mentioned, home insulation and duct insulation is a key to keep energy/operating charges down. I installed a new insulated cellar door below the bulkhead cellar opening, which helped significantly to prevent the cold air returns loosing a 6-degree heat loss back to the York air handler (last year.) This new heating season is costing me less.
I feel sorry for anyone running the Hallowell/Acadia that has continuing problems.
The installer should be responsible for the Acadia to run correctly.
It is the installer that should be talking to the engineers at Hallowell in order to solve any problem that exists, not the homeowner.
Most of the problems with the Acadia seems to be with not having dry lines, correct refrigerant, correct thermostat and how it is programmed and wired, along with a contractor that cares to excel!
I am happy with the performance of the Acadia presently.
I have to thank my installer for that.
(My installer worked his butt off for many weeks contacting Chip Lucas at Hallowell.)
Nick, you and I both know the key to success is to have an experienced installer.
My 3-ton unit is just humming along today and saving me energy costs daily.
Glad to hear your system is running as well for you this new season.
Sure beats the cost of home heating oil.
-Kevin
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