Comments on: The Shocking Truth About Heat Pumps

By: David Butler

David Butler — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 06:06:22 +0000

@William, the Hallowell
@William, the Hallowell Acadia was unique in the residential market. It had a booster compressor that provided the extra capacity at lower temps. Your 4-ton model had perhaps as much capacity at cold temps as a six ton conventional heat pump. Too bad Hallowell didn't survive. I never specified one because I thought it was overpriced and also because I tend to steer clients away from new technologies and small manufacturers. Simply too much risk.

There may be other ways to significantly reduce the amount of supplemental heat your system requires. But in terms of other heating options, assuming you don't have access to natural gas, you may want to consider a ducted mini-split. Mini-splits (especially hi-heat models) have significantly more capacity at low temps than their conventional counterparts. They accomplish this with a variable speed compressor that's larger than what the nameplate suggests. Cooling capacity is electronically limited to nameplate in order to qualify for the nameplate AHRI rating, but in heat mode, the inverter driven compressor can open up to maintain capacity at the lower temps.

By: William Steadman

William Steadman — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:10:55 +0000

I had a ACADIA heat and cool
I had a ACADIA heat and cool furnace, N W Pa. 4 ton. worked great for Five Years. Quit defrosting. Dealer said it was junk. Now I have 4 ton Bryant, back up elec. ran almost all winter. Very expensive. So is there a Furnace like the ACADIA on the market now ?

By: Dean

Dean — Sun, 05 Apr 2015 21:10:06 +0000

Solar electric (not a fossil
Solar electric (not a fossil fuel)is getting cheaper every year. Heat pumps get more efficient every year.

~Thus~

Heat pumps will meet solar in the middle. Gas will be left out in the cold

By: geoff hartman

geoff hartman — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 02:16:29 +0000

I see several comments about
I see several comments about NG or LP possibly being less expensive option as suplimental heat source. - Remember that in new construction you could soend several thousand $'s to pipe the gas, and then there is a monthly service/meter fee. Furnace also costs hundreds - if not thousands - extra for equipment, venting, CO sensors throughout home, eetc. It's usually cheaper to build house right abd go all electric HVAC.

Existing homes may still have increased equip. cost,monthly service/meter charge and upgraded venting, and sensor costs.

TO: Gordon - Find someone to fully optimize that Heat pump and you could save 50% to 75%, or more, on heating cost. Friend or not, your heat strips are very expensive option.

By: Allison Bailes

Allison Bailes — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 00:19:21 +0000

Gwen N.:
Gwen N.: You're not an idiot. Using your heat pump with the emergency heat on fulltime is expensive and silly if your supplemental heat source is electric resistance. See these two articles for more info:

A Surprisingly Common Cause for High Energy Bills

How NOT to Use Your Heat Pump Thermostat

You're right. He doesn't know what he's doing.

By: Gwen Nichay

Gwen Nichay — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 00:12:44 +0000

I need some answers here. We
I need some answers here. We recently purchased a house that had a heat pump ready to be picked up. We were excited by the fact that we were going to have a great heating supply there’s also going to be cheap. well our heating and air guy said he was to busy else where atm to hook up the pump. So he bypassed the heat pump and hooked the emergency burners(heat strips) up to run full time. I was first concerned that is going to burn up the heat strips and I was going to end up paying more money in the long run. I’m already a thousand dollars into the sky and he’s doing it because he’s our friend. Which makes this next part difficult. he told me when I asked him as to why I got a $500 electric bill this past month and if it had anything to do with the heat strips being hooked up full time. he said no that I would be more then surprised to know that it would cost me more money if I have the whole system hooked up heat pump and all. well I’m not an idiot but I really think of this guy just doesn’t know what he’s doing. Because it doesn’t make sense to me how they can market a product to be energy efficient and sell as much as they do love them and you’re supposed to expect a $500 a month electric bill or more to save the environment.please somebody tell me I’m not an idiot and this guys jerking me around.

By: Gordon

Gordon — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 08:49:43 +0000

Do not forget PV solar panels
Do not forget PV solar panels with a grid backup and a bank of batteries. That changes the equation plus don't forget the incentives.

By: David Butler

David Butler — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 21:20:29 +0000

@Scott, depending on local
@Scott, depending on local energy costs, it often costs almost as much (if not more) to heat with propane than electric strips. Even in markets with higher-than-average electric rates, the savings may not justify the high first-cost of a dual fuel system when fueled by propane, especially in a tight, well insulated home that have a small supplemental fraction.

The key is to keep supplemental heat to a minimum by getting the envelope as tight as possible. I strongly recommend including an air sealing specification (e.g., not-to-exceed blower door target) in your contract. Also, it's always a good idea to have an independent thermal bypass and insulation inspection to ensure you're getting what you paid for.

As for geo... in my experience, if you do a good job on the envelope, geo usually doesn't pencil out. But again, it depends on the particulars. Ditto for solar hot water.

The best advice I can offer is to seek professional guidance. There's too much at stake to make these decisions without proper analysis specific to your project.

By: Scott

Scott — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 17:58:25 +0000

Next year I'm building a new
Next year I'm building a new house in the mountains of southern Pa. It will be 1,800 sq/ft on the main floor, lots of glass to the south (for the view) & half the basement will be finished. It will be properly insulated (using foam).
My first thought was Geothermal heat but do to the expense, I'm now thinking Heat pump w/propane backup. I will have an underground propane tank for stove top, outdoor grill, fireplaces, generator & maybe hot water. Question
Any concerns with my plan?
Geothermal vs heat pump/propane ?
Cheapest (& best) hot water ? I would consider solar hot water.

By: David Butler

David Butler — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 06:49:21 +0000

@Marshall, whether or not a
@Marshall, whether or not a given heat pump can bring your house to 76 at 40F outside temp depends on size of the heat pump relative to your home's heating load at those conditions. But if your home is relatively tight, well insulated and has double-pane windows, a 36 degree delta from 40F is well within reason.

Here are some anecdotes: The 2-ton heat pump in my previous home could maintain 70F at 28F without supplemental heat. My current home has a somewhat oversized heat pump and is able to maintain 70F when outside temps drop to 20F.

But in an older leaky home, a 30F to 35F outdoor-indoor delta is about the limit, depending again on size of heat pump vs. the home's heat load. Keep in mind that beyond the limit, the heat pump continues to product the lion's share of the heat, sloping off as outdoor temps drop further. Supplemental heat alkso keeps the supply air temp from dropping too low.

As for whether a heat pump feels the same as furnace heat... I should certainly hope not. At least in efficient homes, furnaces can create comfort issues due to the extreme contrast between supply air temps and ambient air temps when furnace cycles off. Furnaces can produce supply air temps as high as 140F (although this can be reduced by increasing airflow, and contractors are learning the benfits of lower supply air temps in today's more efficient homes). In any case, if you keep your house at 76F (I hope I never have to visit you in winter!), a heat pump's supply air temp should stay above 100F when it's 40F outside. But even a 15F rise is comfortable in an efficient home as long as diffusers are adjusted so as not to direct air toward standing or seating areas, or beds.