Aquaholic
Crew Member
Wood heat for the win for sure, but a dying option in many areas. Wood heat warms to the bone, an amazing feeling.
Heat Pump Questions
- Thread starter Newf
- Start date
scott craven
Well-Known Member
We have a natural gas furnace and supplement with a wood burning insert.
love the wood fire !
Mine is set the same, kick in at 4 degrees. I've tried lower but because heat from a pump comes in at a lower temperature than from a furnace, it takes too long to reach a comfortable temperature.
spring fever
Well-Known Member
I have had 3 heat pumps in the last 3 new houses-I hate them- we like to sleep in a cool bedroom and I found when I got up I hated how cool the air was coming from the vents. Took a long time to heat the house to 69F. Yes I liked the a/c aspect but I never had a problem with natural gas or wood heat for that matter. Anyway-we finally moved onto the water which means we don't need or want a/c so I went with a a high efficiency gas furnace. I like it. Unless you have temp above 6C most of the time or use water or in ground exchangers heat pumps aren't that efficient. Personal view!
Newf
Crew Member
Thanks for taking the time for the detailed response and sharing your knowledge on the subject.
Newf
Sea Chaser
Crew Member
Generally it’s around the 5°C mark but there is some new technology out there that can accommodate some low ambient temps.
I wouldn't trade my natural gas with an outdoor unit for cooling for a heat pump anyway. And I work on this stuff for a living … well mostly bigger stuff but the principals are the same .
Bryan Allen
Well-Known Member
Get a new tech. One of the best purchases we have made was a Carrier commercial roof top model ( but its on the ground) 15+ years ago and still chugging along. When the valves cycle ( so I am told ) that is what makes the noise when it defrosts itself automatically. I was also told that there is no need to prevent water getting into the pump even when its freezing and electric heat cuts in.. WRONG. I have a sheet of 1/2 in plywood on an angle that deflects 80% of rain and snow without interfering with the efficiency of the unit... no more getting turned into an ice cream
cone when we get heavy snow. And dont forget what the AC can do for your comfort during climate change.
ab1752
Crew Member
Our house has way too much heat anyway, 70% of the first level has nuheat as does both bathrooms upstairs. Our bills are reasonable for hydro and gas, plus the heatpump cooling awesome.
I think the 4C seems like the right temp too, otherwise the damn thing is going a whole bunch. Cheers guys.
I think the 4C seems like the right temp too, otherwise the damn thing is going a whole bunch. Cheers guys.
Aces
Well-Known Member
We have the same set up and we love it! Very economical to run
Sitkaspruce
Well-Known Member
This doesn't work for us up here in the Peace. Nat gas furnace, central air system in our house, 2000 sq ft. Nat gas hot water
I sat down and looked at how a heat pump would work/benefit us.
If we used the -10 setting, I figure, in an average year, we would need the heat pump for Sept, Oct, March and part of April. Lets say 4 month of the year. The rest of the year would be either the furnace (too cold for the heat pump), don't need the heat or central air.
Even if they made them efficient to -25, it would only add a couple more months (still get a few weeks, equals a month an a half or more) of -30 to -40 and for the extra cost would not fit into our budget.
This is just a quick look at what I have found on the net and info for the local HVAC companies.
Cheers
SS
ship happens
Crew Member
Question for the folks who run natural gas in their homes, what the monthly cost is on average, for for a basic house that is under 3000sq ft and nothing fancy, and let's say less than 25 years old?
Also cost of getting a fortis BC account on deposit and monthly cost on having the service when not in use
Also cost of getting a fortis BC account on deposit and monthly cost on having the service when not in use
Sea Chaser
Crew Member
My hydro and gas bill are on the equal payment plan thing . I have a regular hot water tank about 4 years old and my high efficiency furnace 10+ years old . House is 55 years old .
Fortis - 86
Hydro - 135
There is some months we pay less or don’t pay at all.
What is the electricity bills with folks running all electric heat pumps and back up electric heat . Electric hot water etc .
Fortis - 86
Hydro - 135
There is some months we pay less or don’t pay at all.
What is the electricity bills with folks running all electric heat pumps and back up electric heat . Electric hot water etc .
Doug
Well-Known Member
We keep our house at 23 deg all year round and with an average monthly hydro bill of $135 per month. The hydro cost also includes the cloths dryer and a 220 oven.
Our house is 23-year-old and had a gas furnace. Back in 2021 Hydro, Fed Gov, BC Gov and View Royal were offering rebates to replace your gas furnace to a heat pump.
We went through the pre installation energy audit tests and the reports showed we were using 115 gigajoules per year and then they performed the after-installation audit and it showed we are now using 77 GJ. Most new homes constructed are using 88 GJ.
We had a Samsung 3-ton, double fan stacker suitcase outside unit, new air handler and 120 ft of 220 wire to the panel installed. Our heat pump has no subsidized heating coil and heats well with out it. Cost = $17,500 which was a great deal, and the same unit is now $19K+.
Then we had to jump through the hoops to get the rebates which took us around 6 hours of paperwork and calls. In the end we received $13,400 in rebates back. So, the new system cost us $4,100 in the end.
Heating and cooling our 3,000+ sq ft house with no problem. It’s quiet at peak DB of 52 which is talking level.
Regarding the noise when the system back flushes. When our old Heat pump in AZ back flushed was loud and twice, I called in a repair guy to tell me that is what they do. The new system is quiet.
The biggest bonus is cooling. You don't know how good cooling is until you get it.
Our house is 23-year-old and had a gas furnace. Back in 2021 Hydro, Fed Gov, BC Gov and View Royal were offering rebates to replace your gas furnace to a heat pump.
We went through the pre installation energy audit tests and the reports showed we were using 115 gigajoules per year and then they performed the after-installation audit and it showed we are now using 77 GJ. Most new homes constructed are using 88 GJ.
We had a Samsung 3-ton, double fan stacker suitcase outside unit, new air handler and 120 ft of 220 wire to the panel installed. Our heat pump has no subsidized heating coil and heats well with out it. Cost = $17,500 which was a great deal, and the same unit is now $19K+.
Then we had to jump through the hoops to get the rebates which took us around 6 hours of paperwork and calls. In the end we received $13,400 in rebates back. So, the new system cost us $4,100 in the end.
Heating and cooling our 3,000+ sq ft house with no problem. It’s quiet at peak DB of 52 which is talking level.
Regarding the noise when the system back flushes. When our old Heat pump in AZ back flushed was loud and twice, I called in a repair guy to tell me that is what they do. The new system is quiet.
The biggest bonus is cooling. You don't know how good cooling is until you get it.
Newf
Crew Member
As previously mentioned I have a heat pump with electric back up. (10 yrs old)
3600 sq ft house. Gas hot water tank, BBQ, kitchen range,(top only,,oven is electric)
We have been on a payment plan for all 10yrs.
Hydro 150
Gas 45
sly_karma
Crew Member
The one sure path to making heat pump work is to put it in a home with a top quality building envelope, insulation and doors/windows. A really tight envelope needs little energy to heat and cool, no matter which energy source is used. In the real north, this principle is absolutely critical. If the insulation isn't at modern (<10 yrs) levels and the home leaks air, then the energy bleed would lead you to use the least expensive energy source.
In some homes, upgrading insulation and improving airtightness are relatively easy; others are not. Working on building envelope should always happen before considering the mechanical stuff installed inside. Lowering overall energy demand works for decades.
Rain City
Crew Member
We just wrapped up our latest Net Zero home. Scored a .76 ACH with an attached garage. The house has a heat pump hwt and an outdoor unit for heating and cooling. It also has a sealed wood burning fireplace which heats the whole damn house in minutes. The biggest challenge with it is overheating from all the East facing windows. Even on a cooler day the cooling kicks in for most of the morning. Architects will need to be more and more thoughtful of Solar heat gain when designing these homes. Right now people are just wanting the bonus 15% square footage the city gives you for building a net zero home in Vancouver. The second picture was when we took the scaffold down and that's the East side of the house.
sly_karma
Crew Member
Ehh putting some shade canopies on those windows won't be easy.
Rain City
Crew Member
The upper ones, not a chance. There's a 4 foot canopy on the ground level that just got installed last week. It helps a lot.
