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

Post by sokoloff » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 9:52 AM UTC

simonblack wrote: post #304

sokoloff wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I’m doing 3 loads of laundry for the family, I don’t want a 2.5-3 hour dry cycle to make laundry take all day (or make me do laundry of half the days of the week).

I don’t want a 2.5-3 hour dry cycle ??? That's excessively long. Our heat-pump dryer takes about 20-30 minutes to do one of our loads.* The dryer invariably ends up waiting for the washer to finish. * Our loads aren't excessively tight in the machine. You have to allow room for the clothes to tumble loosely thus allowing lots of surface area for evaporation.

Post by jghn » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 12:15 PM UTC

superq wrote: post #311

notyourwork wrote: post #303

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure if it's a bit over-priced, however, we replaced a gas furnace without A/C. The variable speed air-handler is amazing for constant low speed circulation and the energy savings with moderate temperature for 60-75 degree weather is incredible. Also, I have 15k BTU available for one or two additional head units. I opted for this approach instead of under-sizing the heat pump or assuming we'd need the extra head…

Your temperature controls are dependent on a "Kumo" cloud? that's rather terrifying. What if your internet goes out, or what if the cloud gets attacked (or your smart device)? Does that mean you lose control of your climate control?

Post by bill38 » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 12:26 PM UTC

_fizz_buzz_ wrote: post #339

staplung wrote: post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Might have been what I call a "fuck off" quote. That is, the people who gave you the quote didn't really want to do the job (too small, inconvenient location, or who knows what) and so quoted you an outrageous price figuring you'd either decide not to do it or if you did, you'd end up paying enough to make it worth their while. Happened to me a few years ago when I needed to re-tar my roof. The first guy quoted a fig…

Not a handy man, but we build power electronics and a lot of customized stuff. I also often give quotes that are really high for stuff that we don't actually want to do. It's kind of better than saying we cannot do it (because then they will never ask again) and if they agree to it we make a lot of money. For larger investments it makes sense to get a second quote.

Post by Terretta » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 2:20 PM UTC

johnea wrote: post #227

Wow, I never cease to be amazed at how few of the HN comments have anything to do with the original post. I guess I'll jump on the bandwagon, while my comment is tangential, it does have to do with the article's focus on reducing greenhouse gases and fuel consumption. Switching to a heat pump should be done in all cases where a traditional A/C is being replaced, but the biggest bang for the buck is in how the house i…

Post by elil17 » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 2:35 PM UTC

amluto wrote: post #209

elil17 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's no reason you couldn't just switch a couple valves out in your AC and perhaps change the refrigerant to make it into a serviceable heat pump. However, you'd need to retrofit controls/electronics, which I don't think most HVAC technicians would know how to do. It's also not advisable to attempt to DIY something like this because it is very easy to accidentally vent the refrigerant, which is a very potent green…

By the time you do that, you might as well also put in a variable speed compressor and a variable speed fan, at which point there’s not much left. (Seriously, where I live, you will likely pay $1k or slightly more to drain and refill the refrigerant. The hardware for an entire modern heat pump , indoor and outdoor components, is maybe $3-4k. Is it really worth it to drain an old existing unit, cut the pipes, add a re…