Cold Climate Heat Pump Article

[stevesg]

Hooked on heating oil: Pushing for heat pumps and weatherization

Efficient electric heat pumps can help replace the oil Maine depends on, but many homes need complex insulation overhauls or extra aid.

www.themainemonitor.org

It pretty well backs up my recommendations to have a backup to cold climate minisplits. Plenty of folks getting paid to say otherwise but more than few folks have learned the hard way that the actual performance ont he ground just doesnt work very well when its below zero. A great secondary heat source, but make darn sure there is cold temperature backup.

I have been heating with anthracite coal for over 30 years now. I'm in Massachusetts, and New England gets pretty cold during the winter months. I heat with a coal furnace (easy to use) and it keeps the house warm even when it's 10 degrees out. Anthracite coal burns clean (no smoke coming out of my chimney), but I know how much CO2 it emits. I decided to do some research on "heat pumps". I'm being told that they have improved, and if it turns very cold, the new heat pumps can handle it. I looked at reviews that people have written from Maine and Vermont who have installed the pumps, and they say that they work pretty well in the cold weather. Thinking about my "carbon footprint" of how I heat my home, I decided to have a company come in who installs heat pumps. Plus, there's a law in Massachusetts now, if you build a new home, you can only heat with heat pumps. No oil, gas, wood, or coal. The company comes in and says , "don't believe everything you read. The heat pump will not be able to handle the cold weather in January/February. You would need a second heat source, and your electric bill will be three times more than it is now. (Massachusetts has some of the highest electric rates in the country)". He told me that he was just being honest - and this is a guy who sells and installs them. So, it looks like I'm not going to make a change, unless I don't have a coal supplier.

 

[peakbagger]

I sure would throw in a vented oil heater for cold weather. They are super reliable and easy install. The brand everyone was familiar with was Monitor but they got out of the business but Toyotomi (Toyostove) runs on kerosene or low sulfur heating oil.

 

[DBoon]

The company comes in and says , "don't believe everything you read. The heat pump will not be able to handle the cold weather in January/February. You would need a second heat source, and your electric bill will be three times more than it is now. (Massachusetts has some of the highest electric rates in the country)".

There are two statements made here by the installer. One of them may be valid, one of them is complete b.s. The two statements are:

1. Heat pumps won't work in cold weather.
2. Heat pumps will cost you a lot because electricity is expensive in MA.

Regarding 1, the installer doesn't know what he is talking about OR he sells a line of heat pumps that don't perform at less than 17 degrees Fahrenheit OR he is really a fossil-fuel biased boiler/burner guy. Find a different supplier. Central heat pumps or mini-splits that supply good heat (very warm coming out of the register or mini-split outlet) at temperatures as low as -5 degrees F are easy to find (Fujitsu, Mitsubishi, etc.) and are also available and supply good heat at temperatures as low as -17 degrees F. I know - I have them and they work great. Others on this site have them also. One consideration is that the efficiency in warmer temperatures is better if you don't get a unit that operates at extreme lower temperatures and warmer weather (minimum operating temperature of +17 degrees F) heat pumps cost less also. You could always get a heat pump to replace your coal burning in spring and fall and warmer winter days, and burn your coal unit only when needed. Lots of people on this site do that.

Regarding 2, I don't know what rate you pay, but there are on-line calculators that can tell you operating costs. At -5 degrees F, your coefficient of performance (output BTU / input BTU) will be about 1.8, but at warmer temperatures (above 10 degrees, which is most of the winter) you will average about 3 to 4 COP (if you just used 3.5 as an average you will be pretty safe in the calculation).

 

[stevesg]

There are two statements made here by the installer. One of them may be valid, one of them is complete b.s. The two statements are:

1. Heat pumps won't work in cold weather.
2. Heat pumps will cost you a lot because electricity is expensive in MA.

Regarding 1, the installer doesn't know what he is talking about OR he sells a line of heat pumps that don't perform at less than 17 degrees Fahrenheit OR he is really a fossil-fuel biased boiler/burner guy. Find a different supplier. Central heat pumps or mini-splits that supply good heat (very warm coming out of the register or mini-split outlet) at temperatures as low as -5 degrees F are easy to find (Fujitsu, Mitsubishi, etc.) and are also available and supply good heat at temperatures as low as -17 degrees F. I know - I have them and they work great. Others on this site have them also. One consideration is that the efficiency in warmer temperatures is better if you don't get a unit that operates at extreme lower temperatures and warmer weather (minimum operating temperature of +17 degrees F) heat pumps cost less also. You could always get a heat pump to replace your coal burning in spring and fall and warmer winter days, and burn your coal unit only when needed. Lots of people on this site do that.

Regarding 2, I don't know what rate you pay, but there are on-line calculators that can tell you operating costs. At -5 degrees F, your coefficient of performance (output BTU / input BTU) will be about 1.8, but at warmer temperatures (above 10 degrees, which is most of the winter) you will average about 3 to 4 COP (if you just used 3.5 as an average you will be pretty safe in the calculation).

Thanks for your input! I already found another supplier and I'm going with the Fujitsu model, and I already had the thought of burning the anthracite during the months of January/February. Thanks again.

 

[Eman85]

Always like the clean coal statement. What do you do with the clean ash?