Heat Pumps – The Well-Tempered Future of A/Cs • Hacker News Board

Heat Pumps – The Well-Tempered Future of A/Cs

#1

Post by mfiguiere » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 3:47 PM UTC

Heat Pumps – The Well-Tempered Future of A/Cs
spectrum.ieee.org

Re: Heat Pumps – The Well-Tempered Future of A/Cs

#2

Post by digdugdirk » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 4:30 PM UTC

Well this was an oddly terrifying introductory paragraph for an IEEE article:

"... half of Phoenix residents are at risk of an emergency room visit or worse if their electricity fails during a future heat wave, according to a recent study. Air conditioning is what keeps people there comfortable—and alive—a growing fraction of the year. The extreme heat already kills hundreds of Phoenix-area residents every year, a number that went up by 25 percent from 2021 to 2022."

Re: Heat Pumps – The Well-Tempered Future of A/Cs

#3

Post by nottorp » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 4:33 PM UTC

Isnt any a/c a heat pump though?

Re: Heat Pumps – The Well-Tempered Future of A/Cs

#4

Post by cornstalks » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 4:36 PM UTC

nottorp wrote: post #3

Isnt any a/c a heat pump though?

Yes, but typically “heat pump” is used to mean it can provide heating too, whereas standard “A/C” is a “one-way” heat pump that only provides cooling.

Re: Heat Pumps – The Well-Tempered Future of A/Cs

#5

Post by cyfex » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 4:36 PM UTC

nottorp wrote: post #3

Isnt any a/c a heat pump though?

I have never really understood the difference between a heat pump and an A/C myself.

Any expert care to explain it in layman's terms?

Re: Heat Pumps – The Well-Tempered Future of A/Cs

#6

Post by llm_nerd » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 4:37 PM UTC

nottorp wrote: post #3

Isnt any a/c a heat pump though?

I believe heat pump is limited to reversible systems, while an AC is one way. It's just a more limited variant.

Re: Heat Pumps – The Well-Tempered Future of A/Cs

#7

Post by sdflhasjd » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 4:39 PM UTC

llm_nerd wrote: post #6

nottorp wrote: post #3

Isnt any a/c a heat pump though?

I believe heat pump is limited to reversible systems, while an AC is one way. It's just a more limited variant.

Strictly speaking any compressor AC is a heatpump, but more colloquially, "heatpump" usually refers to reversible or heating-only units.

Re: Heat Pumps – The Well-Tempered Future of A/Cs

#8

Post by chrischen » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 4:39 PM UTC

cyfex wrote: post #5

nottorp wrote: post #3

Isnt any a/c a heat pump though?

I have never really understood the difference between a heat pump and an A/C myself. Any expert care to explain it in layman's terms?

I think a lot of American houses have central air with A/C systems that cool, and a furnace that heats rather than the AC, if I understand correctly.

Re: Heat Pumps – The Well-Tempered Future of A/Cs

#9

Post by Moto7451 » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 4:39 PM UTC

nottorp wrote: post #3

Isnt any a/c a heat pump though?

Compared to a traditional air conditioning unit, the reversing valve is the major difference. Your standard AC can only move heat from indoors to outdoors. A heat pump can do the reverse to warm your space. My basement heat pump is rated to provide heat even when it’s -20F outside.

Re: Heat Pumps – The Well-Tempered Future of A/Cs

#10

Post by silisili » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 4:39 PM UTC

digdugdirk wrote: post #2

Well this was an oddly terrifying introductory paragraph for an IEEE article: "... half of Phoenix residents are at risk of an emergency room visit or worse if their electricity fails during a future heat wave, according to a recent study. Air conditioning is what keeps people there comfortable—and alive—a growing fraction of the year. The extreme heat already kills hundreds of Phoenix-area residents every year, a nu…

Sure, but it can happen anywhere. I was just reading yesterday about a person who died in Portland of heat during the dome.

Same with cold weather, if the gas/electric goes out during the winter. There's really only a few places one can live with moderate enough weather to avoid those scenarios.