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How a heat pump works
41–50 of 332 posts
Re: How a heat pump works
#42Definitely a lot of posts about heat pumps on HN recently that this topic has piqued my interest but only to the point that I want to know if I can install one in my home. Are there any legit resources out there that can help me understand if heat pump is a right choice for my home based on Geo, type of home, sqft and other factors to consider before replacing current systems (two ACs and two furnaces?)
My $0.02 are that any competent and honest HVAC company will be able to walk you through the concepts of your home's heating/cooling load etc. and what size heat pump can meet that need, what it costs to run annually, and what incentives there are. It's not that hard. I would reach out to three highly ranked (or word of mouth suggested) HVAC co's and start the conversation.
Re: How a heat pump works
#43Definitely a lot of posts about heat pumps on HN recently that this topic has piqued my interest but only to the point that I want to know if I can install one in my home. Are there any legit resources out there that can help me understand if heat pump is a right choice for my home based on Geo, type of home, sqft and other factors to consider before replacing current systems (two ACs and two furnaces?)
I guess they are a new thing in the US. In Europe installing a heat pump with floor heating is done for practically every new family house. It is the cheapest (for us) and nicest way to heat up your home. Though very few people build houses out of wood, unlike the US.
Re: How a heat pump works
#44What is going on? Is there a global push to get everyone to switch to heat pumps. It seems that there is heat pump content everywhere. Clearly there is a push. I understand that its for climate benefits but it feels very coordinated. edit: didn't realize the attention I would get. Let me add someone answered my question -- a good product market fit and people talking is probably where the push came from. That said HV…
topic of discussion: is anyone else concerned that all the new things being clearly pushed hard, regardless of reasons(good or bad), has the common theme of centralizing. In a world where if your heatpump stops working, you die from cold, it would be an awfully sad thing if social credit scores dictated a very low kilowatthour limit. Much more sad than a world where you obtain firewood from some local vendor
Re: How a heat pump works
#45What is going on? Is there a global push to get everyone to switch to heat pumps. It seems that there is heat pump content everywhere. Clearly there is a push. I understand that its for climate benefits but it feels very coordinated. edit: didn't realize the attention I would get. Let me add someone answered my question -- a good product market fit and people talking is probably where the push came from. That said HV…
I see this as well and it looks to be multiple people buying in to the campaign, especially here on HN. Having lived in a new, high end apartment that had a heat pump for both heating and cooling for 3 years, I am very unimpressed with the tech. Running nonstop, couldn't heat/cool above/below a certain threshold. Electric bill very high. Clogged and broke a lot. If the general radiant heat and cooling from being in l…
Your high end apartment must have had a low end heat pump installed.
In the midwest a geothermal heat pump would work wonderfully.
Also, they are designed to run constantly in order to maintain the set temperature -- it's not like a natural gas fired furnace where it quickly reaches the set point.
Re: How a heat pump works
#46What is going on? Is there a global push to get everyone to switch to heat pumps. It seems that there is heat pump content everywhere. Clearly there is a push. I understand that its for climate benefits but it feels very coordinated. edit: didn't realize the attention I would get. Let me add someone answered my question -- a good product market fit and people talking is probably where the push came from. That said HV…
I see this as well and it looks to be multiple people buying in to the campaign, especially here on HN. Having lived in a new, high end apartment that had a heat pump for both heating and cooling for 3 years, I am very unimpressed with the tech. Running nonstop, couldn't heat/cool above/below a certain threshold. Electric bill very high. Clogged and broke a lot. If the general radiant heat and cooling from being in l…
This is not the common experience, it's just an AC that runs in reverse. It sounds like a bad install/bad equipment.
Re: How a heat pump works
#47Technology Connections has a good video on heat pumps. (Actually several of them, I link the newest one.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFEHFsO-XSI
That channel is fascinating. They have created some incredibly interesting projects.
What have they created? You might be thinking of Tech Ingredients - https://www.youtube.com/@TechIngredients
Re: How a heat pump works
#48What is going on? Is there a global push to get everyone to switch to heat pumps. It seems that there is heat pump content everywhere. Clearly there is a push. I understand that its for climate benefits but it feels very coordinated. edit: didn't realize the attention I would get. Let me add someone answered my question -- a good product market fit and people talking is probably where the push came from. That said HV…
I’ve been independently interested in heat pumps because I need to replace my old end-of-life system and I’ve been interested if a modern cold-weather mini split system is a better investment. There’s lots of conflicting info I’ve found on if heat pumps perform in freezing weather and at what kind of efficiency. I’m sure there’s others in my position.
Where do you live geographically? I'm in eastern Pennsylvania and have lived with a heat pump for 20+ years.
Re: How a heat pump works
#49As someone who lives in the northeast and has a 3600sqft home, I'm wondering how many heat pumps it would take to replace my gas steam boiler system. I'm not sure if heat pumps would be cost efficient given those parameters.
Re: How a heat pump works
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Is there a global push to get everyone to switch to heat pumps. I mean, yes. They're much more energy efficient than the alternatives and will play a key part of removing our dependence on fossil fuels. > I understand that its for climate benefits but it feels very coordinated. That seems like a good thing?
They are not more energy efficient than burning gas. Edit: since i am getting downvoted to oblivion, let me fight back here. I genuinely wished heat pumps would be more efficient and in theory they can be. I would love to not generate heat and just use the outside heat energy and compress it down into a smaller location. But compressing and decompressing is not an energy efficient task. It takes a lot of work. Mechan…
Yes they are. You get more heating from an heat pump running from electricity coming from gas plants than what you get by just burning the gas. Including losses on the grid.