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Wa heat pump user chiming in. 6 months ago, we bought a house built in 95. Heat pump installed 5 years ago. My impression is "meh" This is the first month I'm

by jotato 4y ago

Wa heat pump user chiming in. 6 months ago, we bought a house built in 95. Heat pump installed 5 years ago. My impression is "meh" This is the first month I'm using it for heat, but man we are cold. I have the thermostat set to 69. The upstairs is struggling to maintain 65 and the heat pump is running 14 hours/day (I track it in home assistant) Weather is L30-H42 this week I'm nervous to get my bill this month

toomuchtodo 4y ago
What’s your insulation situation? Heating source is irrelevant if the envelope leaks like a sieve (Cheap, plentiful fossil gas has papered over poorly insulated homes historically). Recommend an energy audit, air sealing, and getting your attic up to at least R-38 (ideally you want to get to R-60) if not already there. Cost should be low four figures depending on what’s already up there (batts, blown fiberglass or cellulose, etc) for a retrofit, and there are typically some combination of utility, local, and state incentives. Get three quotes. https://www.energystar.gov/campaign/seal_insulate/identify_problems_you_want_fix/diy_checks_inspections/insulation_r_values https://www.energystar.gov/campaign/seal_insulate/identify_p... https://electrek.co/2022/08/19/us-tax-credits-rebates-climate-law/ https://electrek.co/2022/08/19/us-tax-credits-rebates-climat...
- jotato 4y ago
  I assume it is fine. The attic was reblown when the heat pump was installed. Rooms don't feel drafty. I would like to do whole house air sealing. I plan on doing as much as I can myself. (Sealing can lights, outlet covers, etc..)
  - toomuchtodo 4y ago
    I recommend confirming. If your heat pump can’t keep up (“The upstairs is struggling to maintain 65 and the heat pump is running 14 hours/day (I track it in home assistant)”), either it’s undersized, your house is leaking conditioned air too quickly, or both. High level, having a heat pump in of itself isn’t the problem. High quality heat pumps (Mitsubishis for example) will happily extract heat from -30F outdoor air. (I have a 4 ton heat pump and it will get my 2600 sq ft 40 year old house to temp called for in about 15-60 minutes at extreme ambient outdoor temperatures).
earleybird 4y ago
I have an older central forced air heat pump which in the south vancouver island environment runs around a CoP of 3.5 in the shoulder seasons and around a CoP of 2 which is still half what I'd pay for electrical resistive heat (or natural gas). From todays numbers (with temps around 0 to 4 C, 32 to 40 F) the heat pump is cycling on every half hour or so. When it gets colder (eg. -10 C) it cycles every 20 minutes or so. The thermostat is set at 22 C (~ 72 F) and stays within a degree (C) or so. Over the past 25 yrs it has certainly paid for itself in reduced electrical costs.

by jotato 4y ago

toomuchtodo 4y ago

What’s your insulation situation? Heating source is irrelevant if the envelope leaks like a sieve (Cheap, plentiful fossil gas has papered over poorly insulated homes historically). Recommend an energy audit, air sealing, and getting your attic up to at least R-38 (ideally you want to get to R-60) if not already there. Cost should be low four figures depending on what’s already up there (batts, blown fiberglass or cellulose, etc) for a retrofit, and there are typically some combination of utility, local, and state incentives. Get three quotes. https://www.energystar.gov/campaign/seal_insulate/identify_problems_you_want_fix/diy_checks_inspections/insulation_r_values https://www.energystar.gov/campaign/seal_insulate/identify_p... https://electrek.co/2022/08/19/us-tax-credits-rebates-climate-law/ https://electrek.co/2022/08/19/us-tax-credits-rebates-climat...

jotato 4y ago
I assume it is fine. The attic was reblown when the heat pump was installed. Rooms don't feel drafty. I would like to do whole house air sealing. I plan on doing as much as I can myself. (Sealing can lights, outlet covers, etc..)
- toomuchtodo 4y ago
  I recommend confirming. If your heat pump can’t keep up (“The upstairs is struggling to maintain 65 and the heat pump is running 14 hours/day (I track it in home assistant)”), either it’s undersized, your house is leaking conditioned air too quickly, or both. High level, having a heat pump in of itself isn’t the problem. High quality heat pumps (Mitsubishis for example) will happily extract heat from -30F outdoor air. (I have a 4 ton heat pump and it will get my 2600 sq ft 40 year old house to temp called for in about 15-60 minutes at extreme ambient outdoor temperatures).

earleybird 4y ago

I have an older central forced air heat pump which in the south vancouver island environment runs around a CoP of 3.5 in the shoulder seasons and around a CoP of 2 which is still half what I'd pay for electrical resistive heat (or natural gas). From todays numbers (with temps around 0 to 4 C, 32 to 40 F) the heat pump is cycling on every half hour or so. When it gets colder (eg. -10 C) it cycles every 20 minutes or so. The thermostat is set at 22 C (~ 72 F) and stays within a degree (C) or so. Over the past 25 yrs it has certainly paid for itself in reduced electrical costs.