It gets below zero in the north east in the winter. Heat pumps stop working at 20-30F and the system has to switch to classic/emergency heat. They are great for fall/spring (or summer as an AC), but useless for winter.
The bigger issue is that it is extremely expensive to install ductwork, wiring for 1 or more thermostats, and a shiny new heating/cooling system in many existing homes that use classic radiator heat. Depending on where the oil tank is located, it may require removal as well (example: if it is underground, depending on state/municipal laws).
That’s not necessarily true now the newer systems can go to as low as -15F which in the north only happens for a few hours a year so still a reduction in heating gas/oils needed
First off, as the other poster replied, that isn’t true about modern heat pumps. They continue to work below freezing, and many support an “eheat” resistive heating mode, obviously only good if you still have electricity, but that’s true of all heat pumps. Generators or solar+batteries become much more important.
But the beauty of heat pumps is that you don’t need to install ductwork. Look at mini splits. You can do zoned or single room installs. No ductwork required. One of the huge upsides of mini splits are you do get “instant” zoning. You can stop heating and cooling unused rooms to a human comfortable temperature.
You can also get systems that retrofit into existing forced air ductwork.
I wouldn’t be surprised if someone made or will make a heat pump water heater for hydronic radiators.
You can also run the element that is typically outdoors inside if you have enough space in a basement, for example, which stay a pretty consistent temperature all year long.
How does that work then… I get it for the portable ones, you stick the pipe out of the window, but last time I priced up a mini split it was more than twice the cost of a single room due to the installation work involved. There has to be ducting, they’re not magic…
The last time I did a quote for a house in the northeast it came in at over 50k all-in. Oil tank had to be removed which would have costed a ton…the state would only pay for part of it. New ductwork run, baseboard heating removed (pipes sawed off and capped at wall), hot water heater added, new heat pump with dual zone + thermostats for upstairs/downstairs. Plumbing modifications for new setup including a new hot water line for reasons I can’t remember. Drywall ripped out, replaced, painted, etc.
3 different quotes for over 50k. I sold the house instead. No thanks.
My current place (not in the northeast) has a heat pump and our electric bill is never over $200 for a 2,200 sq ft home, so they will definitely save you money. That up front cost can be a killer, however. We had the heat pump stop working once and had to use emergency heat for about a month and our electric bill more than doubled.
That is refrigerant dependent. For example R744 (plain old CO2) works well efficiently down to -4F, -20C and down to -40C/-40F just with some efficiency drop.
Main issue is CO2 needs a constant high pressure heat pump system, since it needs to be highly pressurised to be fluid at all. In ambient it sublimates (goes straight between gas and solid aka dry ice).
However that is a solved issue. Working CO2 heatpumps are off the self commercially available these days. Just still little more expensive as I understand. However prices should come down with production economies of scale, upon CO2 taking over due to pollution, toxicity, flammability, green house considerations. He nastier chemicals weren’t used for being all the ways superior, but due to it being easier to make the heat pump units (be they running in heating or in cooling) due to lower pressure requirements.
Since CO2 and ammonia were the original refrigerants. Used in large ice production facilities early on, where their specific needs weren’t issue even for earlier technology. Large, purpose built, stationary industrial facility had no problem accommodating the needed massive pressures by just really massive and heavy pipework.
However these days the propeller head people developed micro channel tubing and heat exchangers to keep the high pressure CO2 in control.
Still within range of a good heat pump but Scandinavian countries don’t have a lock on cold. January averages where I live in the US are colder than Reykjavik, Iceland!
Well… Iceland has ocean warmth due to gulf stream and is a literal vulcanic Island. Heck Island doesn’t have heating problems, they just capture heat from the hot springs created by the vulcanism.
As such Iceland is kinda misleading as is Greenland. Iceland has less ice than greenland. Though Iceland is not green, more like black given all the volcanic basalt.
It gets below zero in the north east in the winter. Heat pumps stop working at 20-30F and the system has to switch to classic/emergency heat. They are great for fall/spring (or summer as an AC), but useless for winter.
The bigger issue is that it is extremely expensive to install ductwork, wiring for 1 or more thermostats, and a shiny new heating/cooling system in many existing homes that use classic radiator heat. Depending on where the oil tank is located, it may require removal as well (example: if it is underground, depending on state/municipal laws).
That’s not necessarily true now the newer systems can go to as low as -15F which in the north only happens for a few hours a year so still a reduction in heating gas/oils needed
I know the guy in the TC video used Chicago as an example but the “few hours a year” thing simply isn’t true for many of us.
Where I live we had many days below -15f including a week where itpretty much stayed between -20 and -30 for nearly a week straight.
A Heat Pump will still work, even here, but you need to be careful about which one you purchase and how it handles cold weather.
Or remember when it “felt like” - 50° F for two days straight that one February?
I had to start my car up twice every night to keep the battery from dying.
First off, as the other poster replied, that isn’t true about modern heat pumps. They continue to work below freezing, and many support an “eheat” resistive heating mode, obviously only good if you still have electricity, but that’s true of all heat pumps. Generators or solar+batteries become much more important.
But the beauty of heat pumps is that you don’t need to install ductwork. Look at mini splits. You can do zoned or single room installs. No ductwork required. One of the huge upsides of mini splits are you do get “instant” zoning. You can stop heating and cooling unused rooms to a human comfortable temperature.
You can also get systems that retrofit into existing forced air ductwork.
I wouldn’t be surprised if someone made or will make a heat pump water heater for hydronic radiators.
You can also run the element that is typically outdoors inside if you have enough space in a basement, for example, which stay a pretty consistent temperature all year long.
How does that work then… I get it for the portable ones, you stick the pipe out of the window, but last time I priced up a mini split it was more than twice the cost of a single room due to the installation work involved. There has to be ducting, they’re not magic…
You drill a small hole and run some hoses outside from each room.
It’s definitely more expensive than a window air conditioner, but a lot quieter and more efficient, and provides heat.
I got a quote last year as my furnace is original to the house (33 years old) and we don’t have AC.
It was going to be $25,000, $5k of which was installing new ductwork because the existing ducts aren’t insulated enough.
Easy pass. I’ll wait for prices to (hopefully) come down.
It’s probably not gonna come down.
I’m in HVAC, the industry is insane right now with the cost of equipment alone, let alone the hourly rate for the installers.
Honestly, 25k for a complete overhaul is probably the lowest you’re gonna get.
I’d look into mini split heat pumps. Ditch the ducts all together, and you’ll probably save a few grand.
The last time I did a quote for a house in the northeast it came in at over 50k all-in. Oil tank had to be removed which would have costed a ton…the state would only pay for part of it. New ductwork run, baseboard heating removed (pipes sawed off and capped at wall), hot water heater added, new heat pump with dual zone + thermostats for upstairs/downstairs. Plumbing modifications for new setup including a new hot water line for reasons I can’t remember. Drywall ripped out, replaced, painted, etc.
3 different quotes for over 50k. I sold the house instead. No thanks.
My current place (not in the northeast) has a heat pump and our electric bill is never over $200 for a 2,200 sq ft home, so they will definitely save you money. That up front cost can be a killer, however. We had the heat pump stop working once and had to use emergency heat for about a month and our electric bill more than doubled.
Same in the UK. I’m looking at 20k and that’s after the 5k grant. It has to come down a lot to be viable… I just don’t have that kind of cash.
Yeah crappy ones. This does not apply to the ones designed for cold climates. Mine still beats electric radiators in efficiency at -22f
That is refrigerant dependent. For example R744 (plain old CO2) works well efficiently down to -4F, -20C and down to -40C/-40F just with some efficiency drop.
Main issue is CO2 needs a constant high pressure heat pump system, since it needs to be highly pressurised to be fluid at all. In ambient it sublimates (goes straight between gas and solid aka dry ice).
However that is a solved issue. Working CO2 heatpumps are off the self commercially available these days. Just still little more expensive as I understand. However prices should come down with production economies of scale, upon CO2 taking over due to pollution, toxicity, flammability, green house considerations. He nastier chemicals weren’t used for being all the ways superior, but due to it being easier to make the heat pump units (be they running in heating or in cooling) due to lower pressure requirements.
Since CO2 and ammonia were the original refrigerants. Used in large ice production facilities early on, where their specific needs weren’t issue even for earlier technology. Large, purpose built, stationary industrial facility had no problem accommodating the needed massive pressures by just really massive and heavy pipework.
However these days the propeller head people developed micro channel tubing and heat exchangers to keep the high pressure CO2 in control.
In Scandinavia we run ours down to -4F or colder. Efficiency goes down but they are still better than 1:1 until then.
Average temperatures for Bangor, Maine in January are colder than the average temperatures for January in Stockholm, Sweden.
Bangor
Stockholm
Still within range of a good heat pump but Scandinavian countries don’t have a lock on cold. January averages where I live in the US are colder than Reykjavik, Iceland!
Well… Iceland has ocean warmth due to gulf stream and is a literal vulcanic Island. Heck Island doesn’t have heating problems, they just capture heat from the hot springs created by the vulcanism.
As such Iceland is kinda misleading as is Greenland. Iceland has less ice than greenland. Though Iceland is not green, more like black given all the volcanic basalt.
Average January temps where I live are lower than Stockholm. I chose Reykjavik because it’s a neat place, not because it was particularly cold. :)