We've already waited too long, and our oil-fired region will likely get those new heat pumps well after much of the country.
LeftieBiker said:Speaking of half-assed ground sourcing: when I connect the portable heat pump in the dining room, with the exhaust out that window, I figure that the air coming in to replace the cold exhausted air is mainly coming in through the foundation, and being warmed by the cellar, which is in turn warmed by the ground... I may even try to rig a conduit to bring up cellar air more directly.
On a darker note, I've been looking for an air source heat pump that is affordable for us (my housemate has veto power over spending, and she's fairly Cheap) and that will directly replace the 13.0 EER central A/C unit on the North wall of the house, sending heat as well as cold to the A coil in the furnace. The two units were sold and installed as a pair, and the furnace manufacturer says that while they no longer sell heat pumps, what I suggest is quite possible. The Interweb as a whole, however, says:
No.
NO.
NO!
NO, NO, NO!
Yes. Maybe.
I'm not looking for super high efficiency at a price of $5k. I want to avoid running the oil furnace when temps are above about 20F. Opinions? Suggestions? The local installers take a $3k heat pump, install it, and charge $8500, although that, presumable, is with a new, matched air handler. I want to take a $3k heat pump, and have it connected to the same lines that currently carry refrigerant for the central A/C. The A/C unit is rated at, depending on which sub-model it is, between 29,000 and 36,000 BTUs. Does that limit me to a 36k BTU heat pump, or can I go higher?
LeftieBiker said:Yes, furnace with A coil. I want to make sure that I can go with, say, 48kbtu and have it work with the 29-36k btu A/C system components that will remain in place. That means going with non-pre-charged lines, because they have to be connected to the A coil.
MR. Cool is the brand mini split that I installed myself a couple of years ago. I'm unhappy with the way it lets the temperature wander up to 4 degrees, but it's been reliable.
LeftieBiker said:I've been looking for an air source heat pump that is affordable for us ... and that will directly replace the 13.0 EER central A/C unit on the North wall of the house, sending heat as well as cold to the A coil in the furnace. The two units were sold and installed as a pair, and the furnace manufacturer says that while they no longer sell heat pumps, what I suggest is quite possible.
That sounds like some creative wiring and programming is required. I was hoping that I could find an outdoor unit that doesn't have a linked air handler inside the house. The ones I was directed to in the above post seem to be of the latter type.
LeftieBiker said:The problem is that my housemate isn't going to go for a $9k project in which we have people working inside the house for days, taking apart half of the furnace (which we will be needing any day now) and exceeding their estimate by thousands of dollars. The only ways I can get a heat pump this year are either by doing what I propose above, or by doing another mini-split install - this time with 3 or 4 air handlers. I barely managed the last one with one air handler, and I'm much more feeble now. It's looking like I'll just be hooking up the portable heat pump in the dining room, and running that very loud piece of...technology when it won't disturb us. I really hate that we're still burning fuel oil (she is terrified of gas furnaces) in 2021, as the world begins to burn.
Enter your email address to join: