Heat Pumps and Auxiliary Heat

[BillsFan]

With all due respect, I don't believe that your new heat pump would meet the requirements for Western NY where temps can be in the teens for week at the time and our average snow is 100+ inches.
I was told that the pump needed would work down to -15 degree, which is the reason why it is so expensive.
BTW, I am sure you have some type of additional heat to take over when your pump doesn't work, where we doesn't have to worry about temps dropping to negative numbers, and last month's bill was 157.00 with temps in the teens several times.
If I would consider alternative heating and cooling, I would go with geothermal, since I have done a few systems with excellent results.

You got it right

[Justfishing]

^^^^ this ^^^^
I think we could call what people are calling as perceived heat! If they can back against something to get warm that means it is a warmer heat! What?!! No, it is just a higher temp. CJ

There are 3 types of heat flow. Convection ie air flow. Conduction like touching a warm stove. Then there is radiant heat, think ofstanding outside on a cold day with the sun shining on you warming you.

Every object gives off radiant heat. If you are warmer than an object you are giving off more heat and will be cooler. If the other object is warmer you will be warmed by it. If it is -10 outside you may not feel warm even though it is 70 inside. The colder walls are pulling radiant heat from your body. If it is 100 outside and the same 70 inside you may feel hot. It comes down to radiant heating or cooling.

A poorly insulated house will have walls that are warmer or colder than a better insulated house. Of course other factors are at play. Dryer winter air will affect evaporativd cooling.

[BillsFan]

There are 3 types of heat flow. Convection ie air flow. Conduction like touching a warm stove. Then there is radiant heat, think ofstanding outside on a cold day with the sun shining on you warming you.

Every object gives off radiant heat. If you are warmer than an object you are giving off more heat and will be cooler. If the other object is warmer you will be warmed by it. If it is -10 outside you may not feel warm even though it is 70 inside. The colder walls are pulling radiant heat from your body. If it is 100 outside and the same 70 inside you may feel hot. It comes down to radiant heating or cooling.

A poorly insulated house will have walls that are warmer or colder than a better insulated house. Of course other factors are at play. Dryer winter air will affect evaporativd cooling.

Got a friend that still doesn't understand windchill. He's 57

[jejb]

With all due respect, I don't believe that your new heat pump would meet the requirements for Western NY where temps can be in the teens for week at the time and our average snow is 100+ inches.
I was told that the pump needed would work down to -15 degree, which is the reason why it is so expensive.

Could be. Our heat pumps are rated down to 5f.

BTW, I am sure you have some type of additional heat to take over when your pump doesn't work, where we doesn't have to worry about temps dropping to negative numbers, and last month's bill was 157.00 with temps in the teens several times.

Not exactly sure what you mean here, but we had some negative temps in the last couple of weeks, with several days in a row below freezing. Still nothing like the 35 winters I spent in MN, but a pretty good cold snap for Arkansas. I would never use a heat pump much north of where we live, at least as long as LP or natural gas are available.

[Grizzly]

I wouldn't use a heat pump any further north than North Carolina.

I hate when it goes into a defrost cycle. Nothing worse then your AC on in the winter.

[digthemup]

Could be. Our heat pumps are rated down to 5f.

Not exactly sure what you mean here, but we had some negative temps in the last couple of weeks, with several days in a row below freezing. Still nothing like the 35 winters I spent in MN, but a pretty good cold snap for Arkansas. I would never use a heat pump much north of where we live, at least as long as LP or natural gas are available.

John,
I am glad that you know how cold winters can get up in the North country. We don't get as cold as MN, but we do get our share. We still have LP and nat gas, but the politicians are trying their best to ruin things even though there is a long track record of the inefficiency of heating with electric up North.
I can tell you geothermal works well, since I did a system for a friend when I built his home, 2200 s.f. ranch, and he is using it for everything in his house. Buried it 60"+ bedded in 6" sand to protect the hose from any stone.

[FrickerDude]

I had our furnace and crappy heat pumped removed up here in Michigan last year and upgraded to a Bosch heat pump. It is rated to heat below zero and has been great the last 2 winters. We have a separate meter that it runs off of at a highly discounted electric rate. We have back up propane heat, but the way it is set up I would have to manually switch it if the pump ever didn't keep up. I have not had to switch it to propane yet and we have had several cold days and nights right at 0 or slightly under. Prior to this system I had an outdoor wood boiler and had it disconnected with this new system and haven't looked back.