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Do you have a Heat Pump in a cold climate? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 10 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Looking to get some anecdotal experiences from someone living in a cold climate using a heat pump as their main source of heat.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I get both ends of the spectrum. 30+ in the summer and -30(and worse, at times) in the winter.

I currently have a NG burning furnace and central air for the summer, but both are coming up on end of life so I’m weighing the pros and cons of going with a heat pump system.

Thanks for your reply!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Honestly you could look into a dual-fuel system. This is what I did. The furnace I have was not on it's last leg so to speak, but looking at another 5 years or so left on it.

Dual fuel would allow you to add a heat pump to your existing setup, where it will take on the brunt of the heating and cooling needs. Only when it is so cold that it no longer is efficient will it swap over to the furnace. Good annual maintenance then can extend the life of your furnace for years.

If you opted for a low temperature heat pump they can be efficient down to 0ish degrees F. This may be a very cost effective and heat effective option for you.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Honestly my hope is to be able to remove myself from the gas hookup. NG is fairly cheap where I live so it seems counter intuitive but my delivery charges are always far more than my actual usage costs. I’d love to be able to be free of that. Plus, I’d like to do my part and if I’m going to be spending extra money on delivery/admin charges for not much gas usage, I may as well spend it on electricity.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

A noble goal for sure, I'm right there with you. I'm trying to go carbon free myself. The gas furnace is the last thing for me, and it's mostly simply because the heat pump just won't do it up to a certain point. I took the idea that reducing 90% of my emissions was better than not doing anything and staying on it.

I hold to my advice, heat pump will take care of 90% of your HVAC needs, with gas as a backup. Another way of thinking is what happens if there's a -20 degree day and the power goes out? If anything, a gas furnace is a nice safety backup.

I think this winter my gas furnace has kicked on 3 times total so far, and those were only in the early hours of the morning on incredibly cold days. Everything else? Pure electric.