If you aren't familiar with heat pumps, or you have some time to kill, enjoy this iconic Technology Connections video
this post was submitted on 28 Jul 2023
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That's where I learned about heat pumps. I love his channel!
That was great, I don’t know how I’ve never seen that channel before. Thanks!
I hear you. Dual fuel is the way to go up there
And there's nothing wrong with dual fuel. It still uses far less fuel, most of it in extreme cold weather where a heat pump stops working.
I put in a dual fuel heat pump in my Massachusetts house a couple years ago. I'd love to have just a heat pump, but those arctic temperature excursions we get - ironically because of climate change destabilizing the jet stream - combined with our ongoing lack of cheap, sustainable electric generation made me want to keep that gas furnace backup for the worst of the season.
Heat pump means in using my gas furnace about 50% less than I was before the switch. And also, new gas furnace is 96% efficient rather than 80%.
Heat pumps are fantastic, some of the most efficient machines humans have made! Recently upgraded from an old 1950's oil furnace to a heat pump w/ electric backup and I've saved so much money.
If a lot of these are Water Furnace / geo thermal heat pumps, great.
But emergency heat strips leave much to be desired
Not familiar with the weather there, but there are heat pumps out there that work in temps as low as 4 degrees F.
Better than this, I'm in QC (basically same climate as ME) and my heatpump is rated -20C/-4F and yes it works in winter to heat the house. Sometimes the heat pump goes in a "anti frost mode", it's automatic. I set it to 73F in winter and depending of the room it's between 70 and 73, even if it's -4F outside.
In QC, ME, VT, etc it can go down to -22F in winter, not uncommon. I have electric baseboard set to 70F so in case the heatpump stops, the baseboards take the relay.
And the article states that they're working at -60 in Maine. They also aren't geothermal. I'm intrigued.
I think that was -60 windchill. Which is odd, I would think the windchill temp is irrelevant. Marketing and spin I guess.
-60⁰ F windchill. You always want to install the heat pump exchanger where it's not getting battered by wind anyway, so it's probably not feeling temps that low
Geothermo is great if you have it, but it takes a lot of money to install for the few days you need backup heat. A regular gas furnace is a better backup.
isn't geothermo the primary?
If you have geothermo sized right for your house and climate you don't need a backup at all. However at the expensive of installing it you can get a modern air source heat pump for a lot less $$$, and so overall that is the better plan for most people even though in many climates you will need some other backup heat source for the days that it gets too cold for the air source heat pump.
Ok I think I see what your saying. All the same I would love geothermal with heat pump but I can't even afford a stand alone property to begin with.
This is interesting. I thought heat pumps were only used to supplement another system not to replace it.
Heat pump are also great for water heating!
What’s people’s thoughts on these for a new build that won’t connect to the gas grid. Electric underfloor heating is almost 100% efficient, cheap, doesn’t need plumbing or radiators, and incredibly easy to zone rooms. But these are 300-400% efficient
As long as your insulation is up to it, heat pump is best. So with a new build it's ideal.