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Message
OT A/C Experts - Heat Pump vs. Conventional
Posted on 5/29/15 at 10:00 pm
Posted on 5/29/15 at 10:00 pm
What are the advantages/disadvantages of each?
8
Posted on 5/29/15 at 10:12 pm to Shexter
If by conventional, do you mean electric heat?
If so a heat pump will cost a little more in equipment prices, it is more efficient to heat your house. It should use the same amount of electricity to heat you house as to cool your house or about the same.
Just straight cool with electric heat will be cheaper for equipment, but will be more expensive to heat your house due to using strictly heating elements to heat instead of your condensing unit. Hope this helps.
If so a heat pump will cost a little more in equipment prices, it is more efficient to heat your house. It should use the same amount of electricity to heat you house as to cool your house or about the same.
Just straight cool with electric heat will be cheaper for equipment, but will be more expensive to heat your house due to using strictly heating elements to heat instead of your condensing unit. Hope this helps.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 10:16 pm to Shexter
agree with what bayou said...basically, a heat pump just reverses the operation of your air conditioner to heat your house during the winter, so it saves some in utility bills over straight electric heat....costs more for the equipment up front, though...another negative (to some folks) is that the air blowing out of the ductwork is not quite as hot as what people are used to feeling out of a heater and this bothers some folks...
an alternative to both would be a unit with a gas furnace, which is cheaper than electric heat and blows a lot hotter air than a heat pump...
an alternative to both would be a unit with a gas furnace, which is cheaper than electric heat and blows a lot hotter air than a heat pump...
Posted on 5/29/15 at 10:30 pm to Spankum
I left out a gas furnace, if you have gas I would not switch to heat pump or electric heat. Too many people switch and are unhappy with heat if they had gas heat before. Gas heat is a dry heat and heats up fast and is very efficient. Electric heat is not as hot as gas but is warm immediately. Heat pumps take a while to warm up and when system goes into defrost you are actually running in cool mode with heating elements to supplement the defrost cycle.
Or if they put enough kw worth of heating element in a heat pump air handler you can run just electric heat also. Keep in mind that in below freezing Temps, not that much in Louisiana, heat pumps have a harder time heating and go into defrost a good bit.
Or if they put enough kw worth of heating element in a heat pump air handler you can run just electric heat also. Keep in mind that in below freezing Temps, not that much in Louisiana, heat pumps have a harder time heating and go into defrost a good bit.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 11:01 pm to bayoubrucebruce
No gas at the house, so I'll probably stay with electric heat.
Thanks for the info.
Thanks for the info.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 11:09 pm to Shexter
Not an option here in Central Il. In Texas we considered one but decided it was not a good choice. When it gets really cold it is not very effective. My parents have one in Laffy and have space heaters all over the house when it gets in the 40's or 30's. My dad is always amazed when he visits us in the Winter about our furnace (gas). It runs about 5 minutes a stretch and shuts off even in single digit temps.
Heat pump may be ok for southern La but don't get one North of Alec IMO
Heat pump may be ok for southern La but don't get one North of Alec IMO
Posted on 5/29/15 at 11:36 pm to Sl4m
Costs more to heat my house with electric elements in the air handler in winter than to cool the house with A/C in summer. The higher electric bills are only for 2 months though. I like electric heat.
Heat pumps don't do the job if outside air temps drop to freezing. You still need electric elements. One of the neighbors uses well water with a heat pump instead of air. It does the job but cleaning the outside heat exchanger is a bitch.
Heat pumps don't do the job if outside air temps drop to freezing. You still need electric elements. One of the neighbors uses well water with a heat pump instead of air. It does the job but cleaning the outside heat exchanger is a bitch.
This post was edited on 5/29/15 at 11:41 pm
Posted on 5/30/15 at 2:04 am to Shexter
Air Source Heat pumps in our climate are not worth it to me. The few months you are heating won't garner you enough savings versus gas or even electric heat to balance the upfront cost quickly.
Now, if you opt for a ground source heat pump the payoff can be significant. I know a house that was 5000 SF climate controlled and averaged $220 electric bills year round with a ground source heat pump. You also preheat your hot water with this system when set up properly. I would guess the ground source heat pump option adds 40% to the upfront cost mostly due to the underground wells.
Unless you can afford to go the ground source heat pump route for a long term house I would just get an efficient conventional unit with a gas furnace.
Now, if you opt for a ground source heat pump the payoff can be significant. I know a house that was 5000 SF climate controlled and averaged $220 electric bills year round with a ground source heat pump. You also preheat your hot water with this system when set up properly. I would guess the ground source heat pump option adds 40% to the upfront cost mostly due to the underground wells.
Unless you can afford to go the ground source heat pump route for a long term house I would just get an efficient conventional unit with a gas furnace.
Posted on 5/30/15 at 6:18 am to Shexter
quote:
No gas at the house, so I'll probably stay with electric heat.
It depends on how long you're gonna live there. Heat pumps have two stages of heat. The first stage is much more effecient than electric heat(which will be the second stage in your case). You will save the difference it costs to upgrade to the heat pump in two winters. The main complaint I hear about heat pumps is the first stage of heat doesn't feel as warm to the skin as gas or electric heat. It is only designed to raise the temperature of the return air 20 degrees as opposed to gas and electric which raise it about 65 degrees. Whenever the outside air drops below the "balance point" (40 degrees in Atlanta) the second stage will come on and you will still have your electric heat.
You would be wise to go with the heat pump. Look at your power company's web site for cash incentives. Georgia Power always has them for installing heat pumps. I'm pretty sure yours will too.
Posted on 5/30/15 at 6:39 am to Shexter
Heat pumps typically have electric elements in the air handler anyway, to give you extra heat if the condenser isn't producing enough. If you're going to be in the house 5+ years, it's worth the extra upfront cost.
Posted on 5/30/15 at 7:43 am to Spankum
quote:
an alternative to both would be a unit with a gas furnace, which is cheaper than electric heat and blows a lot hotter air than a heat pump...
quote:
if you have gas I would not switch to heat pump or electric heat
Posted on 5/30/15 at 9:40 am to WPBTiger
Bought a house with a heat pump ... Idk how they work but it seems that it runs all the time in the summer. Moved last summer and it's hard to gauge efficiency as this house is bigger than our last house.
Regarding heat, we were fine last winter ... Didn't run much at all but we kept it set a little low and maybe it just wasn't as cold as previous years. Seemingly well insulated home also.
Regarding heat, we were fine last winter ... Didn't run much at all but we kept it set a little low and maybe it just wasn't as cold as previous years. Seemingly well insulated home also.
Posted on 5/30/15 at 10:16 am to tiger91
If your unit runs all the time during the summer then it is probably sized correctly. Most people think the unit should come on when it is 95 degrees outside and run for 15 minutes. That couldn't be further from the truth.
Posted on 5/30/15 at 10:51 am to Shexter
Heat pump is more efficient but will have noticeably loud outside unit. They are also not good for extreme cold.
Posted on 5/30/15 at 11:31 am to daviddsims
quote:
If your unit runs all the time during the summer then it is probably sized correctly
Really? Awesome. I know nada about these things.
Posted on 5/30/15 at 11:39 am to tiger91
High efficiency newer units are designed to run constantly at lower speeds. Old units that run 24/7 = $600 electric bills 
Posted on 5/30/15 at 12:28 pm to BigEdLSU
quote:
If your unit runs all the time during the summer then it is probably sized correctly. Most people think the unit should come on when it is 95 degrees outside and run for 15 minutes. That couldn't be further from the truth.
^ This. Upgraded mine over 10 yrs ago to a unit with 2 compressors. Both compressors come on initially but the smaller one keeps running long after the larger shuts off. Makes for a big reduction in humidity. Makes a difference you can really feel.
Posted on 5/30/15 at 12:34 pm to Nawlens Gator
This guy says 'heat pump schmeat pump. Gas is where it's at Vern.'
Posted on 10/21/15 at 4:00 pm to Chitter Chatter
Bumping this topic. Got a question on my new construction. We're in New Orleans.
Struggling with Electric Heat vs. Heat Pump vs. Gas.
It's a $1,000 upgrade from Electric to Heat Pump and a $4,000 upgrade to gas. 16 SEER Carrier system for the A/C. I'm considering splitting the baby and doing Heat Pump and upgrading the 16 SEER to variable speed...
Thoughts?
Struggling with Electric Heat vs. Heat Pump vs. Gas.
It's a $1,000 upgrade from Electric to Heat Pump and a $4,000 upgrade to gas. 16 SEER Carrier system for the A/C. I'm considering splitting the baby and doing Heat Pump and upgrading the 16 SEER to variable speed...
Thoughts?
Posted on 10/21/15 at 4:12 pm to Shexter
You probably need to do your own calcs but the general difference between a heat pump and elec strip heating is about 300% (ranges from 250% to 350% depending on outside temps). The heat pump is so much more efficient because it is pumping heat from the air outside to the inside instead of converting electricity into heat. Pushing the heat around takes less energy.
If you can estimate how much electricity you use in the winter for heating, the calculation is easy.
If you can estimate how much electricity you use in the winter for heating, the calculation is easy.
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