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Cold climate heat pumps have improved a lot, even in the last 10 years. Modern models can maintain comfortable temperatures down to -15F (-26C). Lots of happy

Cold climate heat pumps have improved a lot, even in the last 10 years. Modern models can maintain comfortable temperatures down to -15F (-26C). Lots of happy customers in this reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/heatpumps/comments/146jg7k/cold_climate_heat_pump_owners_what_model_did_you/ https://www.reddit.com/r/heatpumps/comments/146jg7k/cold_cli...

themafia 1y ago
> I’ve tested it down to around -5 degrees (f), and it was 100% able to keep the house above 63 degree (f). Some customers will accept that. Most will not. Reddit is not a particularly representative sample of the entire market.
- hitarpetar 1y ago
  ok, Reddit is not representative. what qualifies you to speak for what customers will accept?
  - themafia 1y ago
    I spent 5 years installing and maintaining A/C equipment for residences and a few small commercial locations.
    - eldaisfish 1y ago
      and if you believe that heat pumps do not work below freezing temperatures, you are part of the reason why misinformation keeps spreading. You should know better. You should be ashamed to be spreading straight up lies.
- christophilus 1y ago
  63 when it’s -5 out seems totally fine. More than fine for much of the US.
  - nsxwolf 1y ago
    “Paid more, and now we are cold”. This is not my preferred version of the 21st century.
  - VWWHFSfQ 1y ago
    Maybe totally fine for you. But that will not be "totally fine" for much of the US when they are expecting to keep their house at 72 degrees and the new technology they got talked into can't do it. The tech has limits and cold weather states can't avoid that or the reputation will get really bad and the tech will fail.
    - micromacrofoot 1y ago
      I'm not sure if you've lived in prolonged -15F areas, but many conventional heating systems struggle too... especially in poorly insulated houses. People often have wood stoves or other ways to compensate.
- maxerickson 1y ago
  If you read just a smidge of the context, it's a sizing issue, not a capability issue.
nsxwolf 1y ago
This would not work in Chicago.
- pessimizer 1y ago
  Chicago days under -15°F since 2015: Jan 18, 2016 -21°F Coldest day of that winter Dec 19, 2016 -21°F Early-season Arctic outbreak Dec 27, 2017 -19°F Part of a prolonged late-December cold wave Jan 2, 2018 -23°F Deep freeze to start the year Jan 30, 2019 -30°F Coldest Chicago temp since 1985; “Polar Vortex” event Feb 14, 2020 -18°F Valentine’s Day Arctic blast Feb 7, 2021 -21°F Mid-winter cold snap Dec 23, 2022 -23°F Pre-Christmas Arctic front Feb 3, 2023 -17°F Last occurrence to date So basically every year. edit: downvoted for noticing that it is cold.
  - wtallis 1y ago
    What's relevant is not how cold it got on the coldest day of the year, but how warm it got on the coldest day, and how long it stayed cold. If the daytime high is mild enough that an undersized heat pump can keep the house at 72, it will take time for that house to cool from 72 to eg. 63 when the temperature drops overnight. And since the heat pump is still trying to keep the house warm, it'll take a lot longer for the house to cool off than if the heat were turned off entirely.
    - nsxwolf 1y ago
      It makes sense but I just wasn’t willing to trust that with my checkbook, you know? There’s how it’s supposed to work on paper and then a reality where I’m stuck with it. The regular AC and gas furnace combo works and is cheaper so I stuck with that.

themafia 1y ago

> I’ve tested it down to around -5 degrees (f), and it was 100% able to keep the house above 63 degree (f). Some customers will accept that. Most will not. Reddit is not a particularly representative sample of the entire market.

hitarpetar 1y ago
ok, Reddit is not representative. what qualifies you to speak for what customers will accept?
- themafia 1y ago
  I spent 5 years installing and maintaining A/C equipment for residences and a few small commercial locations.
  - eldaisfish 1y ago
    and if you believe that heat pumps do not work below freezing temperatures, you are part of the reason why misinformation keeps spreading. You should know better. You should be ashamed to be spreading straight up lies.
christophilus 1y ago
63 when it’s -5 out seems totally fine. More than fine for much of the US.
- nsxwolf 1y ago
  “Paid more, and now we are cold”. This is not my preferred version of the 21st century.
- VWWHFSfQ 1y ago
  Maybe totally fine for you. But that will not be "totally fine" for much of the US when they are expecting to keep their house at 72 degrees and the new technology they got talked into can't do it. The tech has limits and cold weather states can't avoid that or the reputation will get really bad and the tech will fail.
  - micromacrofoot 1y ago
    I'm not sure if you've lived in prolonged -15F areas, but many conventional heating systems struggle too... especially in poorly insulated houses. People often have wood stoves or other ways to compensate.
maxerickson 1y ago
If you read just a smidge of the context, it's a sizing issue, not a capability issue.

nsxwolf 1y ago

This would not work in Chicago.

pessimizer 1y ago
Chicago days under -15°F since 2015: Jan 18, 2016 -21°F Coldest day of that winter Dec 19, 2016 -21°F Early-season Arctic outbreak Dec 27, 2017 -19°F Part of a prolonged late-December cold wave Jan 2, 2018 -23°F Deep freeze to start the year Jan 30, 2019 -30°F Coldest Chicago temp since 1985; “Polar Vortex” event Feb 14, 2020 -18°F Valentine’s Day Arctic blast Feb 7, 2021 -21°F Mid-winter cold snap Dec 23, 2022 -23°F Pre-Christmas Arctic front Feb 3, 2023 -17°F Last occurrence to date So basically every year. edit: downvoted for noticing that it is cold.
- wtallis 1y ago
  What's relevant is not how cold it got on the coldest day of the year, but how warm it got on the coldest day, and how long it stayed cold. If the daytime high is mild enough that an undersized heat pump can keep the house at 72, it will take time for that house to cool from 72 to eg. 63 when the temperature drops overnight. And since the heat pump is still trying to keep the house warm, it'll take a lot longer for the house to cool off than if the heat were turned off entirely.
  - nsxwolf 1y ago
    It makes sense but I just wasn’t willing to trust that with my checkbook, you know? There’s how it’s supposed to work on paper and then a reality where I’m stuck with it. The regular AC and gas furnace combo works and is cheaper so I stuck with that.