Heat pumps of the 1800s are becoming the technology of the future

Post by mrexroad » Tue, Jan 17, 2023, 8:59 PM UTC

thedougd wrote: post #480

mrexroad wrote: post #464

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Was there anything beyond the extra time/effort that made you regret going with a non-DIY model? I’m considering doing the non-DIY in next year or so.

No, not at all. I enjoyed it but my wife had a different expectation of completion date than I. My advice is to get the tools, don't shortcut, so that you have confidence at each step. Stuff I had already specific to HVAC: -R-410a manifold, gauges, and hoses. Stuff I went out and bought: -Nitrogen tank pressure regulator and hose for HVAC. -Mandrel pipe bender -Flaring tool -Micron vacuum gauge -A slightly better cop…

Post by fifteenforty » Wed, Jan 18, 2023, 3:33 AM UTC

lsaferite wrote: post #471

mvnuweucxqokii wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it's pretty cold outside, then you're throwing all of the ostensible energy savings of a heat pump out the window the minute you open it to air out the house. Following the thread of conversation, it just didn't compute to me: >>>> Heat pumps are great for climate control >>> Yeah, ducts are dead >> What if you want to recirculate air in your house through your central air filter to eliminate smells? > Just open t…

I'm not sure why "Heat pumps are great for climate control" went to "ducts are dead". I live in Florida, we've used Heat Pumps for as long as I can remember. We also have central air handlers with blowers and ducts to distribute the conditioned air. Mini-splits can _also_ be ducted mini-splits. According to my HVAC geek friend, mini-splits are pretty terrible about humidity control (an important thing in Florida). Fo…

Post by fifteenforty » Wed, Jan 18, 2023, 3:36 AM UTC

mrexroad wrote: post #458

metadat wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honest question: Why would one care about cold or hot spots on the ceiling? I don't spend much time up there.

Because in the winter the thermal energy within your room will “flow” out of those “cold spots” at surprisingly high rates; in summer those spots act as space heaters. In both scenarios they will adversely affect the ambient temp of the room. In short, whatever method you use to heat/cool the room will have to work harder and will take longer. Here’s [0] a good overview of heat flow in this context, with some hints t…

Post by teo_zero » Wed, Jan 18, 2023, 5:44 AM UTC

yetihehe wrote: post #93

soco wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is the AC dehumidifier an extra feature/task, so actively followed, or is it doing dehumidification just as a byproduct happening while cooling?

Some AC units have two modes - cooling and dehumidifying. When in cooling mode it will blow a lot of air to keep evaporator as hot as possible, so less humidity is condensing on it (but there will still be some). In dehumidifying mode it will blow less air but keep evaporator cool, so more condensation for the same amount of air cooling.

Post by ianleighton » Wed, Jan 18, 2023, 11:08 AM UTC

AOsborn wrote: post #249

teruakohatu wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Ducts are dead. Ducted heatpumps are a thing here in NZ and make sense to me, not that I have used one. The heatpump sits in the roof and air is pushed into three or so rooms through ducts. If building a new house I think ducts would be the way to go.

I thought this was absolutely the solution but backtracking a little now based on experience so far. We have a two-level, five bedroom new build in Auckland which came with a single-zone ducted system. So outputs are the bedrooms plus upstairs and downstairs lounges. The vents are tidy and unobtrusive - much less space than a wall unit in each location. We're having major issues balancing the temperature across the d…