Supplemental Heat for ASHPs

[Iluvsnow!]

Hello all, new to the site.

I currently have oil hot water heat supplemented by a pellet stove. I really only run the oil heat if the temps drop to single digits or lower, so I fully appreciate the benefits of pellet stoves.

My fiancé and I are currently shopping for a new home, and are running across many homes that have ASHPs as the only heating/cooling system. My understanding is that these systems are very efficient at cooling and heating down to outside temps of around 40 degrees. Somewhere below that the supplemental electric resistance heating element comes on and the electric meter starts whirling like crazy.

The pellet stove we have now is able to heat the whole house on its own (the small size allows the heat to naturally fill the house)

My question/concern is that if we purchase a new/bigger home, and install a pellet stove, would it make sense to produce the heat with the pellet stove and just run the fan on the heat pump occasionally (or on a timer) to circulate the heat throughout the house? Has anyone done this, does it sound feasible?

I realize there are variables here I cannot provide since we have not settled on any particular house yet.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Mt Bob]

Yes people have done that.But remember you are running another fan,and have to heat up all the ductwork.Consider a pellet furnace.Maybe post simularr thread over on the boiler room.Have been researching mini split for my cabin,found any ashp over about 8-10 years old is very old technology,should be upgraded.If in central PA you should consider coal.NG still the cheapest.Just some thoughts,maybe others will kick in.

 

[Lake Girl]

The size of the house you are looking at and it's location will help determine what heating options would be best. I have heard that extreme temps do cause difficulties for the heat pumps - but many do use the fan to circulate heat from their pellet stoves. This helps heat to more distant areas or keeps waterlines in crawl spaces from freezing. Some just use natural convection currents in the house ... depends on lay-out. And as Bob points out, extra $$ for fan use.

NG if it is available is the cheapest and easiest for now. But hard to beat the glow and heat of a fire. If you want it as a heating appliance and focal point of a room - pellet stove.

If you are looking at a larger home, boiler furnace makes sense. For our home, we have no basement/room where a boiler could live out of sight. Our option is two strategically placed pellet stoves

Happy house hunting and come back when you have a lay-out and heating options to sort out...

 

[tjnamtiw]

A lot of people here have tried the use of the HVAC blower to circulate air with varying degrees of success, I would say that the majority opinion is that it doesn't work well at all. For me, it doesn't work AT ALL since my ductwork is in an unheated crawl space and its insulation needs serious attention, (hopefully addressed this summer). Even at that, the small amount of heat generated by the pellet stove and MADE AVAILABLE TO THE DUCTWORK compared to the HVAC system never really seems to get much usable heat out the registers.
Like was said earlier, look at free standing stoker type coal stoves from Reading stove, Leisure Line, or Keystoker. They put out two/three times the heat at almost 1/2 the price per ton of btu's. AND they are NOT your grandfather's monster in the basement. (despite what some uninformed experts will tell you)..

 

[DneprDave]

What is a ASHP? I'm guessing some kind of heat pump, but I can't noodle out "AS"

Dave

 

[BrotherBart]

What is a ASHP? I'm guessing some kind of heat pump, but I can't noodle out "AS"

Dave

Air source heat pump.

 

[DneprDave]

Thanks, I tried Googling it and just got, American Society of Healthsystem Pharmacists, and I knew that wasn't right.

For clarity, maybe it would be best to write out acronyms, it doesn't take much longer.

Dave

 

[tjnamtiw]

Thanks, I tried Googling it and just got, American Society of Healthsystem Pharmacists, and I knew that wasn't right.

For clarity, maybe it would be best to write out acronyms, it doesn't take much longer.

Dave

K

(is that not the height of laziness when someone is using messaging and can't take the time to type 'OK'? They just type 'K'.) Can't stand social media and I 'prolly' never will! Laziness to the MAX. We are living among morons who will determine our country's future! It's doomed.

 

[BrotherBart]

K

(is that not the height of laziness when someone is using messaging and can't take the time to type 'OK'? They just type 'K'.) Can't stand social media and I 'prolly' never will! Laziness to the MAX. We are living among morons who will determine our country's future! It's doomed.

AAMOF IAW U

 

[moey]

It can be costly to run a furnace fan to circulate. If its a modern ECM fan and the ductwork is designed for a low static pressure it may only consume a couple hundred watts if its not you may be looking at a lot of juice to run the fan.

 

[tjnamtiw]

AAMOF IAW U

Had to work on that one! But I got it! Glad you agree!