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In our climate there is simply no need for AC as it never gets uncomfortably warm for more than a few days a year. Air to water is used to heat radiators and su

by knolan 4y ago

In our climate there is simply no need for AC as it never gets uncomfortably warm for more than a few days a year. Air to water is used to heat radiators and supply hot water in lieu of gas or oil fired heating. In other climates air to air is more popular and it can be less complex as you don’t need all that extra plumbing. With new builds air to water makes sense as it’s no different to installing any type of central heating system. As a retrofit option an air to air system would seem attractive as the installation is much simpler. Our homes tend to be smaller and there wouldn’t be any HVAC ducting so you would probably only have a since source of warm air with an air to air system.

crote 4y ago
I feel like installing a heat pump which cannot cool is a mistake at this point. Heat waves are already getting more intense and more frequent. While AC was a luxury a decade or two ago, it is rapidly becoming a necessity. It is absolutely bizarre seeing houses designed like -20C winters are still a common thing, while completely ignoring summer heat.
Nextgrid 4y ago
> With new builds air to water makes sense as it’s no different to installing any type of central heating system. But it's the same level of effort than installing indoor A/C units, so why not install those instead? Plus refrigerant pipes can potentially be thinner depending on the max "load" of that room.
- sokoloff 4y ago
  In a heating-dominated climate, there may well be no air conditioning installed. In a hydronic-only heating building (underfloor and/or baseboard/radiators), there can be less work to run heating pipes only (much faster, cheaper, and more forgiving than running refrigerant lineset and managing the condensation drain line). For heat-only, I find hydronic to be nearly ideal: low noise, no dust, and high comfort (no air movement/drafts).
- falcolas 4y ago
  Because it can also heat a house at the same energy efficiency, that is, better than electrical resistance or gas heating.

by knolan 4y ago

crote 4y ago

I feel like installing a heat pump which cannot cool is a mistake at this point. Heat waves are already getting more intense and more frequent. While AC was a luxury a decade or two ago, it is rapidly becoming a necessity. It is absolutely bizarre seeing houses designed like -20C winters are still a common thing, while completely ignoring summer heat.

Nextgrid 4y ago

> With new builds air to water makes sense as it’s no different to installing any type of central heating system. But it's the same level of effort than installing indoor A/C units, so why not install those instead? Plus refrigerant pipes can potentially be thinner depending on the max "load" of that room.

sokoloff 4y ago
In a heating-dominated climate, there may well be no air conditioning installed. In a hydronic-only heating building (underfloor and/or baseboard/radiators), there can be less work to run heating pipes only (much faster, cheaper, and more forgiving than running refrigerant lineset and managing the condensation drain line). For heat-only, I find hydronic to be nearly ideal: low noise, no dust, and high comfort (no air movement/drafts).
falcolas 4y ago
Because it can also heat a house at the same energy efficiency, that is, better than electrical resistance or gas heating.