HVAC Tax Credits The federal government offers tax credits for some residential HVAC systems and products, and deductions for energy savings in commercial buildings. Residential HVAC Credits 25D Tax Credits Current 25D law expires on December 31, 2016. A taxpayer may claim a credit of 30 percent of total investment for a system that serves a dwelling unit located in the United States that is owned and used as a residence by the taxpayer. Expenditures include labor costs for on-site preparation, assembly or original system installation, and for piping or wiring to interconnect a system to the home.
From 2017 to 2021, 25D credits will be available only for certain solar energy technologies. A geothermal heat pump must meet federal criteria that are in effect at the time of the expenditure and includes heating only and cooling only products.
Currently, criteria for geothermal heat pumps are as follows: Water-to-Air Closed Loop: EER = 17.1 and/or COP = 3.6 Water-to-Air Open Loop: EER= 21.1 and/or COP=4.1 Water-to-Water Closed Loop: EER = 16.1 and/or COP=3.1 Water-to-Water Open Loop: EER=20.1 and/or COP=3.5 Direct Expansion: EER= 16 and/or COP = 3.6 Go to either the or directories and select Yes for 'Eligible for Federal Tax Credit' 25C Residential Tax Credits The information below applies to qualified products installed from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2016. Background: On December 18, 2015, President Obama signed H.R. 2029, the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2016, retroactively extending the 25C tax credits, which previously expired at the end of 2014, through December 31, 2016. Tax Credit Details for Homeowners:. The efficiency levels required reflect the highest tier of the CEE High-efficiency Specification for Residential HVAC Systems as of January 1, 2009.
Please note: Equipment listed in the chart below (except water heaters, which only needs to achieve one of the efficiency specifications) must meet all performance specifications for its category. For example, a tax-credit eligible split central air conditioner must have stated performance ratings of 13 EER and 16 SEER. Improvements made in 2015 will be claimed on your 2015 taxes (filed by April 18, 2016); improvements made in 2016 will be claimed on your 2016 taxes. The lifetime credit cap of $500 was reinstated. If you have claimed more than $500 in 25C tax credits since January 1, 2006, you are disqualified from any further credits Product Type Tax Credit Specification Tax Credit Effective Date Find Qualifying Equipment Residential Central A/C Split: EER ≥ 13 and SEER ≥ 16 Packaged: EER ≥ 12 and SEER ≥ 14 The tax credit is for $300 January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2016 Go to: and select Yes for 'Eligible for Federal Tax Credit'. Residential Air-Source Heat Pumps Split: HSPF ≥ 8.5 and EER ≥ 12.5 and SEER ≥ 15 Packaged: HSPF ≥8 and EER ≥ 12 and SEER ≥ 14 The tax credit is for $300 January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2016 Go to: or and select Yes for 'Eligible for Federal Tax Credit'. Residential Gas, Oil, Propane Furnace or Hot Water Boiler Furnaces: Gas ≥ 95% AFUE Oil ≥ 95% AFUE Propane ≥ 95% AFUE Boilers: AFUE ≥ 95% The tax credit is for $150 January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2016 Go to: / and select Yes for Tax Credit Eligible under Advanced Search Advanced Main Air Circulating Fan No more than 2% of furnace total energy use.
Read this IRS Guidance if the fan qualifies, but the furnace does not. Read AHRI Safe Harbor Proposals to IRS.
I recently had a Fujitsu mini-split (AOU15RLS3H with ASU15RLS3) installed in a 24.36 foot room in Vermont. It is working well except that the temperature in the room not far from the unit is usually about 5 degrees below the setting on the remote. I have found two ways to get the temperature to the desired level: (1) Increase the setting on the remote or (2) set the fan not to automatic but to high. Neither of these solutions is ideal. (Note that it is not in 'economy' mode, the people sensor is off and the fan louver is pointing down. It appears to me that the problem is that because the temperature sensor is in the unit itself instead of on the wall, the unit comes on and heats the air near the unit then shuts off or goes into almost an idle stage.
The problem is not insufficient capacity, the problem is that the unit seems to think that the room is warm enough when it is not. One solution might be to install a wired thermostat if the temperature sensor is in the remote. Can I do that? Or is there a better solution? Or am I missing something that should be obvious? And why do they put the thermostat in the unit instead of on the wall as in other heating systems? Is this guy correct?
Thanks for any suggestions, Dave. Is this good advice? Q: Should I set my mini split system to the same temperature that I used to set my old heating system? Think about where the temperature is being measured. Your old thermostat was measuring the temperature about four to five feet off the floor. But, your ductless mini split system will measure the temperature on top of the indoor head which is mostly likely seven or eight feet off the floor. Remember, heat rises so your thermostat will register a slightly warmer temperature because it is higher off the ground.
Most New England homes have a temperature variation from floor to ceiling of three to eight degrees. So, the best way to set the temperature on your mini split system is to ignore the temperature setting and adjust the temperature until you are comfortable. I just installed one of these myself; However, I installed the wired remote thermostat (they're not cheap!). I've found that the unit, even with the remote thermostat had a tendency to overshoot and exhibited a behavior similar to what you described until I set the 'house insulation setting' to high insulation. After that, it tracks very well. As I understand it, the logic implemented in the unit (i.e., the default), assumes that any change in temperature requires drastic measures to compensate; in the high insulation mode, the unit doesn't attempt heroics.
I also have a very high ceiling in the room where I've installed the unit with a loft space; it is very much warmer as you go up the stairs compared to where the remote thermostat is installed. I am not sure about the advice to just set it higher. In my experience, if I set the set point to say 75F, in order to achieve 70F on cold days, it means that it will actually reach 75F on more mild days. Obviously, you do not want to have to keep tinkering with the set point, depending on the outside temp. You should be able to set it and forget it.
I'm thinking a remote thermostat is a must for these units, unless they are placed low to the ground. A newer Fujitsu 15RLS3H in Vermont here. I'm going to e-mail our installer to see about the remote thermostat. How do we set the insulation mode?? I don't see it mentioned in the owner manual. David- do the wired thermostats have the energy saving feature that the remotes have? When set, it senses a lack of movement in the room and lowers the set temperature by several degrees, boosting the temp when someone moves around.
If the place is vacant, you might end up in the low 50s, with a set temp of 60. I'd check with Fujitsu.
Your problem with the location probably being too close to the ceiling seems pretty common. The manufacturer is sort of stuck, in that locating the indoor unit a foot lower would put it at an awkward height in many homes. Even an additional 6' lower would place the bottom of the unit at about 6' above the floor in a house with 8' ceilings, creating a head bonking hazard in some locations. I wish the manufacturers would address the issue in their installation manuals, because most house do have some potential locations where the lower height would work. One of my units, 9RLS3H, is only about 6' from a ceiling, but the ceiling is sloped, so I don't seem to have the problem you do.
The room stays pretty much right at the set point on the remote. The other unit, 12RLS3H, is about 18-20 inches below a sloped ceiling and also keeps right at the remote set point.
Try playing around with the temp setting, the fan setting and the vane setting and see if you can get to an acceptable result. You are right, moving the indoor unit would not be easy. By default, the RVNUM remote leaves the temperature sensor in the wall unit. However, there is a setting that changes the sensor to the remote. Part of the problem at Fujitsu is that documentation is weak and that installers often do not know the details. The website indicated that another remote did not have the 'minimum temperature' function but was silent on the RVNUM.
Only after I bought the remote and saw the manual was it apparent that the RVNUM also lacked this function. It was also unfortunate that my installer was unaware of difficulties that could arise from mounting the unit close to the ceiling. Is there any way you could point me to where it might say that you can set the RVNUM 'remote' to act as a local thermostat? The fan idea may be simpler. I'm not sure if it wouldn't make just more sense for me to just put an efficient Panasonic bath fan in the wall, ducting cold air up from the floor level to the top of the unit.?
Also, Dana D. Has mentioned that the unit will actually be more efficient, the lower the Delta T between the head input air temp and outside air temp. So might even improve efficiency and provide some helpful air mixing this way, too.
Patrick- Unfortunately I was not able to find the manual for the RVNUM online. If I had, then I would not have ordered it and then returned it. And now I wish I had scanned the manual before I returned it. However, I do remember that the manual included instructions for selecting which temperature sensor should be used, the one in the remote or the one in the wall unit. It might have been a dip switch that needed to be changed, as the default was to continue using the the sensor in the wall unit. As you can tell, I am very frustrated by Fujitsu's inability to answer questions about this remote - I wasted many hours trying to get answers. Perhaps a Fujitsu representative can answer the questions.
Hi David, This has become a concern with many of our clients who typically characterize the problem as 'cold blow'. The indoor unit will determine that less heat is needed and idle down, with the compressor cycling off and the indoor fan going to low speed. The impact is that the occupants will feel a draft. Last years model which was actually available for the last 3 years was the RLS2; a fantastic unit that did not have this operating profile. The S3 has different logic and operates much differently. The most effective solution that we have found through several experiments and under advisement of our very qualified and supportive distributor, Master Group Inc., is to change function setting #95.
It is a setting that relates to the insulation factor for the home; high or standard. Standard will result in a unit that cycles much more while high will make the unit respond more slowly and run the compressor longer, resulting in a more constant state of operation: and slow steady heat. Your installer can make the change very easily. Dale Comeau Comeau Refrigeration Ltd Fujitsu Elite Dealer.
I have the same unit, 15RLS3H. My unit is short cycling so I changed that setting #95, and I do see it being a bit more steady - good result.But, I also want to use the remote sensor to really get it right.
I have contacted Fujitsu and gotten some ambiguous, but clear-enough information that no remote sensor is available for the 15RLS3H. The only option, he said, was to buy a remote thermostat. They do call it a a 'controller' but it appears to be a full thermostat so it would meet my needs.I also need an interface and the Fujitsu person gave me two different part numbers, both of which were incorrect. ' Then I contact about 3 'certified' Fujitsu installers plus the one who installed mine, and not a single one contacted me back in a week.
I see the parts online for about $335 total, and I'm starting to wonder if I might just install the thing myself. It seems pretty straight forward. Anyone know how difficult the install is?