Heat Pumps

[Alpha Beta Soup]

Is anyone here an expert on heat pumps? Own one? Have a friend of a friend who owns one? Just like to talk about them? 😉

I am not looking for specific information or links, just want to see how much knowledge there is in this forum regarding them.

[RBM]

I went through a community college for an AAS in HVAC/R in ’08. HP’s were an essential topic covered.

I don’t own one. I have worked on a couple in my past service job.

[skipbreakfast]

Heat pumps are very popular in New Zealand…though the term seems to mean different things in different countries. In North America, I was under the impression that heat pumps exploited the difference in temperatures between the earth underground and the air above ground. In New Zealand, they’re essentially “reverse air conditioners” which syphon off the warmth in exterior air and pump it into the house interior. As such, they are more efficient for home heating than a simple wire coil plugged into the wall (i.e., the traditional electric heater).

[Alpha Beta Soup]

Skip – that sounds like essentially the same as here in the USA. What is the source for yours? Ground or air? Which is the most popular in New Zealand?

I have always heard that the ground source heat pumps rarely break down and really don’t need maintenance.

Even though ground source are expensive up front, they sound like they might be a good heat (and cooling) source for when TSHTF.

RBM, did you work on air source or ground source? Or both?

[RBM]

They were air-source with fossil fuel backup, (natural gas).

Various schools are getting/have gotten ground-source: GCHP Systems Shine

[skipbreakfast]

We don’t have a heat pump yet, but we’re also researching them at the moment because houses our so damn cold here in New Zealand (no insulation!). Toshiba keeps coming up as a brand that is supposed to be very reliable. I’m interested in anything people know about heat pumps too.

[RBM]

Logic says insulation is the best bang for the buck, theoretically speaking.

Depending on architecture and zero insulation, the studies indicate ceiling/attic first, floor second, walls/windows third.

[Author]

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