These states are basically begging you to get a heat pump

Re:These states are basically begging you to get a heat pump by freetime2 on Friday February 09, 2024 @05:01PM (#39321020)

I hear a lot of horror stories on HN every time the subject of heat pumps comes up. Things like high costs, units not defrosting properly in winter, etc. Most of these stories tend to be for central air conditioning units.

I think that mini-splits could be a much better introduction to heat pumps for a lot of folks. They are cheap, easy to install, and the units in my house have been running 12 years as our only source of heating/cooling with zero maintenance. (The manufacturer recommends replacing after 10 years, but they are still working fine). This is in an area where we get a lot of snow in winter, but temps almost never fall below -10c.

And you can keep your existing furnace as a backup or secondary heat source.

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Re:These states are basically begging you to get a heat pump by exitzer0 on Friday February 09, 2024 @05:16PM (#39321156)

Mini-splits seem like they are the future for the value conscious and light-weight DIY crowd.

These systems are quite simple in design and implementation while also offering a pretty effective way to control temperature in a zoned way in various parts of the house. They also can be had in 120V sizes making them far easier to accomidate for solar-powered households, etc.

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Re:These states are basically begging you to get a heat pump by bamboozled on Friday February 09, 2024 @05:27PM (#39321269)

I run mine in a similar climate to what you’re describing. Air based, not ground or water. Absolutely zero problems at all.

Either I have some magic heat pump or a lot of the horror stories are overblown or based on using out of date technology.

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Re:These states are basically begging you to get a heat pump by freetime2 on Friday February 09, 2024 @06:01PM (#39321562)

I also suspect that the heat pumps may be undersized relative to the home’s heating needs, particularly in older homes that are not well insulated.

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Re:These states are basically begging you to get a heat pump by ChatGTP on Saturday February 10, 2024 @06:37AM (#39325427)

This is a good point, we have good insulation and doubled glazed windows.

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