topic Re: Heat Pumps in Home

Heat Pumps

granddi — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 15:32:11 GMT

We just moved into a home with a heat pump (heating and AC system). Our previous homes used traditional gas heating and elect AC.

The unit is about 10-12 years old and seems to be doing a good job. My complaint is the humidity inside the house runs very high when the AC is going and very low when the Heat is going.

Any thoughts or experiences in using Heat Pumps.

Re: Heat Pumps

fthunt — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 15:35:34 GMT

Yes, heat pumps are terrible and worthless. Our new house had one and we were cold in the winter and warm in the summer. As soon as gas was available to our section of properties - we got rid of that useless machine.

Re: Heat Pumps

itsmagic — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 15:47:26 GMT

Our last house had a heat pump and I don’t know why because we live in the Midwest where it gets really cold in the winter and it just couldn’t adequately heat the house. We added a gas furnace and kept the heat pump only for air conditioning in the summer.

Re: Heat Pumps

geezerette — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 15:56:31 GMT

I have to agree with @itsmagic and @fthunt for the most part. I hate heat pumps! They just don’t heat adequately in the cold weather. Our a/c has never been a problem with cooling.

We have lived with gas heat and there is no comparison. Gas actually keeps you warm when you need it. We had a heat pump years ago and hated it. When we moved back to a rural area again with no natural gas available, we were told that the heat pump technology had changed in the time we had one before. Not so! It still freezes me unless I keep the emergency heat feature on, which sends the electric bill sky high.

We don't find that the humidity rises with the a/c. Our part of the country is naturally more humid in the warm/hot weather. I’m glad when it gets hot enough to turn on the a/c to take the humidity out of the house.

As for the heat being drying, that happens pretty much with any furnace. I find the electric heat less drying than gas.

Re: Heat Pumps

fthunt — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 16:01:38 GMT

Itsmajic - could be you got a heat pump because - - it was a good salesman who sold it to homeowner or builder - or - builder got a rock bottom price if he bought it - and keeping warm and/or cool wouldn't be his problem. LOL In my case - gas co refused to bring line in for only a dozen houses - but after more were built the State or County ?? forced them to provide a choice in heating.

My niece in Melbourne Beach just switched to electric - HP couldn't keep her cool in those hot temps. (gas not allowed on barrier island)

Re: Heat Pumps

Tigriss — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 16:04:25 GMT

I'm on the opposite side of things. I live in the deep southeast and heat pumps are normal for us. In the winter we use humidifiers if needed, but we are humid down here anyway. In the summer our A/C pulls the humidity out of the air, which is one of the ways it lowers the temperature since humidity magnifies the temperature. You may need to get it serviced if it isn't cooling or heating enough depending on where you live in the country.

The building I work in has a swamp cooler, a coil with water running over it and fan that blows air to cool the building. It does not work down here because of the humidity. It is also expensive to fix since it seems it the only one in the region. We have to have parts custom made for it when it breaks, which is yearly at this point. I do think it was an under the table deal when it was decided to use this kind of A/C. We don't have normal heat but an electric coil that is not cutting it this week with the temps in the 20s, snow, and ice in my yard and the wind chill at 9. Things are due to warm up down here by the end of the week, but it is very cold and our roads and vehicles are not made for this kind of weather. I stayed home today! Swamp coolers do work much better in the dryer climates, but not our moist one.

I would talk to the neighbors about their units and see if mine is not typical for the area or get it changed out if it isn't serviceable/cost efficient.

Re: Heat Pumps

CrazyDaisy — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 16:06:54 GMT

Heat pumps appear to not heat because it will blow cool air rather then the warm air other types may. The temp of the blowing air is what the thermostat is set at, which is usually well below body temp, making it feel like a cool breeze. I have found that by adding a humidifier to put some water into the air make it feel much more comfortable.

Re: Heat Pumps

Shelbelle — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 16:16:29 GMT

We are now on our 3rd one, keep upgrading, and yes, they are worthless!!

Re: Heat Pumps

Shop Till you Drop — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 16:18:20 GMT

My house is all electric and I have a heat pump and live in the TX so really hot summers and mild winters. It cools my home just fine in the summer and the heat is sufficient in the winter except we have have really cold spell like we are having now. It just blows hot air through the vents, then when the cycle is over the house gets very cold again. I switch it to the emergency heat mode in really cold weather and that seems to heat the house better. Then when we get back to our normal winter, I switch back to normal heat.

Re: Heat Pumps

geezerette — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 16:35:05 GMT

@Shop Till you Drop wrote:
My house is all electric and I have a heat pump and live in the TX so really hot summers and mild winters. It cools my home just fine in the summer and the heat is sufficient in the winter except we have have really cold spell like we are having now. It just blows hot air through the vents, then when the cycle is over the house gets very cold again. I switch it to the emergency heat mode in really cold weather and that seems to heat the house better. Then when we get back to our normal winter, I switch back to normal heat.

@Shop Till you Drop

We’re not as far south as Texas, but usually our heat pump is tolerable for most of our winter weather. I was raised in the upper Midwest and had never heard of a heat pump until I moved south.

When we get a cold snap like we’re having now, I turn the thermostat up higher than I normally keep it. That will cause the emergency heat to come on more often than normal to make it feel warmer while the blower is on. When it gets too warm, I can just lower the thermostat as needed. That way I’m not having to fuss with changing heat modes.

On a side note, I hope your mother is hanging in there. You both continue to be in my prayers.🙏❤️

Re: Heat Pumps

flickerbulb — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 16:49:14 GMT

I live in the SE and heat pumps are the norm,

A 10-12 year old unit is considered old down here and may need to be replaced,

I replaced mine a couple of years ago and the new one is much more efficient.

I never turn on the heat because it is very expensive.

Tonight it will be in the 20s with the wind howling so I will be using my Duraflames!

Re: Heat Pumps

Sweetbay magnolia — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 17:26:19 GMT

Our heat pump does a fine job - the system automatically switches from HP to all electric (or a combination) based on need (and it was 2 degrees here this AM). So like you, OP, ours works fine at what it sets out to do. I am perfectly comfortable, temp-wise. It is dry.

I've had gas heat, too, and honestly, winter is dry, regardless, at least where I live. A wood stove might even be worse. I do use a humidifier in the bedroom, leave water in saucers under houseplants, cut back on the bathroom exhaust fan, etc, in the winter. You might consider a whole house humidifier. I have my reasons, but I wouldn't do that, though many do and it works.

Our house is more humid than the ideal in summer, but much of that is where the air handler for the system is located - it's in the un-conditioned crawl space under the house. For a whole host of reasons this (and how the house was designed and built) contributes to humidity, but honestly, we're still very comfortable. A de-humidifier may be your answer there.

Heat pump compressors burn out more quickly than those used for A/C only, because they also run during the heating season.

Your best bet may be consulting with a reputable HVAC company in your area.

@granddi

Re: Heat Pumps

Carmie — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 17:42:24 GMT

We have a heat pump and we love it. I am in PA where the summers are hot and humid and the winters are freezing cold. My house is always comfortable and my electric bills are not too bad. My son is a HVAC technician and he installed a new system for us a few years ago.

We have always lived in gas heated homes before, I I hated it. The bills were always way too high and the house was super dry. You use electricity and gas...both...to control the temp with gas. My furniture did not do well with dry air and everyone had nose bleeds.

And we were always cold because we turned down the heat to avoid those big gas and electric bills.

Re: Heat Pumps

3suwm5 — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 19:21:13 GMT

We had a heat pump in a home years ago. It didn't work worth a darn, a/c did a lousy job and so did the heater.

I'd replace it asap, if possible.

Re: Heat Pumps

software — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 19:34:04 GMT

@granddi wrote:
We just moved into a home with a heat pump (heating and AC system). Our previous homes used traditional gas heating and elect AC.

The unit is about 10-12 years old and seems to be doing a good job. My complaint is the humidity inside the house runs very high when the AC is going and very low when the Heat is going.

Any thoughts or experiences in using Heat Pumps.

What part of the country do you live?

I'm in the south, love my heat pump

Re: Heat Pumps

Shop Till you Drop — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 20:09:53 GMT

Thank you Geezerette. I finally was able to make an update on Schmoo's page.

Re: Heat Pumps

riley1 — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 21:06:30 GMT

I'm another one in the Southeast and agree, Heat pumps (HVac) systems are the norm.

Our previous unit was the original to the house and died at around 13 1/2 yrs old. That is old for a unit.

We replaced ours in 2016 and the new unit is much more efficient.

Yours might just be wearing out and you should have it checked for servicing in any event.

Re: Heat Pumps

Kachina624 — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 01:18:04 GMT

@Tigriss wrote:
I'm on the opposite side of things. I live in the deep southeast and heat pumps are normal for us. In the winter we use humidifiers if needed, but we are humid down here anyway. In the summer our A/C pulls the humidity out of the air, which is one of the ways it lowers the temperature since humidity magnifies the temperature. You may need to get it serviced if it isn't cooling or heating enough depending on where you live in the country.

The building I work in has a swamp cooler, a coil with water running over it and fan that blows air to cool the building. It does not work down here because of the humidity. It is also expensive to fix since it seems it the only one in the region. We have to have parts custom made for it when it breaks, which is yearly at this point. I do think it was an under the table deal when it was decided to use this kind of A/C. We don't have normal heat but an electric coil that is not cutting it this week with the temps in the 20s, snow, and ice in my yard and the wind chill at 9. Things are due to warm up down here by the end of the week, but it is very cold and our roads and vehicles are not made for this kind of weather. I stayed home today! Swamp coolers do work much better in the dryer climates, but not our moist one.

I would talk to the neighbors about their units and see if mine is not typical for the area or get it changed out if it isn't serviceable/cost efficient.

@Tigriss. I live near Albuquerque where swamp coolers are very common. I've seen the humidity here as low as 0%. It costs me under $50/mo to run mine and there's no way I'd trade it for refrigerated air. All I pay for are extra water and electricity to run a fan, no compressir. I've never heard of them being used any place except for areas with very low humidity since they depend on rapid evaporation to operate. I have a normal gas furnace for heat, and it can get very cold. It has been down to -14° since I've lived here.

Utility companies love heat pumps because the compressor on them runs all year with heat or AC.

Re: Heat Pumps

granddi — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 20:47:27 GMT

Thanks for the reports. I guess we dont hate it enought to get new system ---yet.

Having a routine check up soon, so we will ask questions.

Re: Heat Pumps

Tigriss — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 23:06:04 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@Tigriss wrote:
I'm on the opposite side of things. I live in the deep southeast and heat pumps are normal for us. In the winter we use humidifiers if needed, but we are humid down here anyway. In the summer our A/C pulls the humidity out of the air, which is one of the ways it lowers the temperature since humidity magnifies the temperature. You may need to get it serviced if it isn't cooling or heating enough depending on where you live in the country.

The building I work in has a swamp cooler, a coil with water running over it and fan that blows air to cool the building. It does not work down here because of the humidity. It is also expensive to fix since it seems it the only one in the region. We have to have parts custom made for it when it breaks, which is yearly at this point. I do think it was an under the table deal when it was decided to use this kind of A/C. We don't have normal heat but an electric coil that is not cutting it this week with the temps in the 20s, snow, and ice in my yard and the wind chill at 9. Things are due to warm up down here by the end of the week, but it is very cold and our roads and vehicles are not made for this kind of weather. I stayed home today! Swamp coolers do work much better in the dryer climates, but not our moist one.

I would talk to the neighbors about their units and see if mine is not typical for the area or get it changed out if it isn't serviceable/cost efficient.
@Tigriss. I live near Albuquerque where swamp coolers are very common. I've seen the humidity here as low as 0%. It costs me under $50/mo to run mine and there's no way I'd trade it for refrigerated air. All I pay for are extra water and electricity to run a fan, no compressir. I've never heard of them being used any place except for areas with very low humidity since they depend on rapid evaporation to operate. I have a normal gas furnace for heat, and it can get very cold. It has been down to -14° since I've lived here.

Utility companies love heat pumps because the compressor on them runs all year with heat or AC.

I thought the same thing. I've only run into swamp coolers in the desert southwest, not the humid southeast. It made me wonder what kind of "good ole' boy" got his friend a contract for this. It has been broken every year I've been there. Summer 2016 it was dead and the boss many didn't care to get it fixed but we have a sealed building with no ventilation. It wasn't until several of the higher-ups were visiting and asked why it was so hot, so I told them about how long it has been broken and that it was already dead last summer but nothing was done about it. They got portable A/C units in, which didn't work because the heat they sucked in didn't get vented. Their 11K bill for one month of use was enough to get the boss man to get it fixed right! He is now long gone and we have a new boss. Now the issue is heating for the winter. The unit only cools, no heat, so with single digit wind chills and teens for temps down here this week, we have layered up and suffered. I have a convection radiator space heater that I bought and brought in. We technically aren't supposed to have them, but until they put heaters in our rooms mine stays! The air intake for the chiller is in our woodshop area, so it sucks in sawdust and the filters aren't maintained, so it will break again soon! This is the "good ole' boy" system! When will people learn to just do the right thing from the beginning?