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Genuine question that I haven't been able to find a clear answer for: are heat pumps now different from air conditioners two to three decades ago? (other than t

by spikej 4y ago

Genuine question that I haven't been able to find a clear answer for: are heat pumps now different from air conditioners two to three decades ago? (other than the fact that they heat and cool) Memory is fuzzy but I remember when I was a little kid and even captain planet cartoon showed air conditioners being bad for the environment... Or is it that heat pumps are better than the fossil fuel counterparts and so if you're going to do something bad you might as well do something less bad?

Calvin02 4y ago
It is the latter. Heat pumps are much better for the environment compared to the other sources of heating. Depending on where you live, you still need to heat your place and if so, heat pumps are better than other traditional methods like natural gas, wood, oil, or electricity. Similar to air conditioning, if you want to minimize your impact on the climate, you could set your temperature lower in the winter and put on a few more layers and/or set the temperature higher in the summer to minimize your usage of heat pump/air conditioner. This puts less pressure on the grid and demand for electricity generation.
bagels 4y ago
Captain Planet is not a reliable source of information. Air conditioners use electricity, the generation of which can cause fossil fuels, but also can come from other sources.
ccooffee 4y ago
> even captain planet cartoon showed air conditioners being bad for the environment That seems like it was a useful simplification for a children's cartoon, but things aren't that black-and-white. 1. Without air conditioning (or some other method of cooling and humidity control), almost all high-occupancy buildings would reduce their effectiveness as a work-place or living-place. OSHA has guidelines about office temperature (68-76, iirc), humidity, and overall air quality (e.g. pm2.5 levels). 2. The 1980s-era backlash against air conditioning was likely inspired by then-new knowledge about atmospheric ozone depletion. It was known that CFCs and bromine-containing compounds contribute to ozone depletion. It just so happens that CFC were common refrigerants (and aerosolizing agents). Refrigerant leaks from an air conditioner in those times released nasty stuff. CFCs are very rare (and restricted) in modern air conditioner / hvac systems. We instead use other chemicals which are not ozone depleters. (Though I believe that the theoretical performance of modern refrigerants is often not-as-good as the old CFCs.) 3. Running the air conditioner in a single family home is not terribly efficient, as (in most single family homes) most of the home is just empty space. Cooling bodies directly (e.g. cooling blankets, misting fans, etc) is more energy-efficient in these situations. Perhaps the more nuanced advice would be to use air conditioning to make the space "tolerable" but use direct cooling to make a space "comfortable". (This advice also applies to heating a space. I keep my thermostat between 60 and 65 and use blankets, small electrical resistance heaters, and drinking hot water as ways to temperature-regulate.)
- scrollaway 4y ago
  Are cooling blankets a thing? Like, a not-a-scam thing?
  - ccooffee 4y ago
    I don't know how well they work. I have a sibling with one that they use frequently, but that sibling is a bit odd. (I think the blanket circulates water through it, but I've never really asked.) Their use may just be due to a placebo-esque effect.

by spikej 4y ago

Calvin02 4y ago

It is the latter. Heat pumps are much better for the environment compared to the other sources of heating. Depending on where you live, you still need to heat your place and if so, heat pumps are better than other traditional methods like natural gas, wood, oil, or electricity. Similar to air conditioning, if you want to minimize your impact on the climate, you could set your temperature lower in the winter and put on a few more layers and/or set the temperature higher in the summer to minimize your usage of heat pump/air conditioner. This puts less pressure on the grid and demand for electricity generation.

bagels 4y ago

Captain Planet is not a reliable source of information. Air conditioners use electricity, the generation of which can cause fossil fuels, but also can come from other sources.

ccooffee 4y ago

> even captain planet cartoon showed air conditioners being bad for the environment That seems like it was a useful simplification for a children's cartoon, but things aren't that black-and-white. 1. Without air conditioning (or some other method of cooling and humidity control), almost all high-occupancy buildings would reduce their effectiveness as a work-place or living-place. OSHA has guidelines about office temperature (68-76, iirc), humidity, and overall air quality (e.g. pm2.5 levels). 2. The 1980s-era backlash against air conditioning was likely inspired by then-new knowledge about atmospheric ozone depletion. It was known that CFCs and bromine-containing compounds contribute to ozone depletion. It just so happens that CFC were common refrigerants (and aerosolizing agents). Refrigerant leaks from an air conditioner in those times released nasty stuff. CFCs are very rare (and restricted) in modern air conditioner / hvac systems. We instead use other chemicals which are not ozone depleters. (Though I believe that the theoretical performance of modern refrigerants is often not-as-good as the old CFCs.) 3. Running the air conditioner in a single family home is not terribly efficient, as (in most single family homes) most of the home is just empty space. Cooling bodies directly (e.g. cooling blankets, misting fans, etc) is more energy-efficient in these situations. Perhaps the more nuanced advice would be to use air conditioning to make the space "tolerable" but use direct cooling to make a space "comfortable". (This advice also applies to heating a space. I keep my thermostat between 60 and 65 and use blankets, small electrical resistance heaters, and drinking hot water as ways to temperature-regulate.)

scrollaway 4y ago
Are cooling blankets a thing? Like, a not-a-scam thing?
- ccooffee 4y ago
  I don't know how well they work. I have a sibling with one that they use frequently, but that sibling is a bit odd. (I think the blanket circulates water through it, but I've never really asked.) Their use may just be due to a placebo-esque effect.