Heat Pump Question

scott1962

18 years ago

Hi everyone. We are fast approaching our ground breaking day. I was wanting to see if anyone has used the air heat pump systems or better yet the hybrid air heat pump system or sometimes referred to the dual fuel heat pump systems. I am thinking with the way energy prices are going and the uncertainty of supply that we need to think of alternative heating sources. We live in Seattle so the temperature is very mild. It doesn't get very cold except on that rare winter night nor does it get extremely hot except for those rare summer nights, therefore I am thinking this is the way to go. However, before completely committing to this area, I would like to hear from those who have actually used this system. Of course the ideal system, I think is the geothermal but instead of spending the money here. I thought what I saved by going with the air heat pump, I could invest that money into solar panels. So, let me hear from you. Thanks so much.

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Comments (5)

vhehn
18 years ago
a straight air source heat pump is the best choice for a moderate climate. no need for dual fuel if you dont heat much.
geo will never roe in your climate.
jeepman252
18 years ago
skipster,
I live in central Wisconsin, in the woods with lots of shade. Winters here get pretty darn cold...

When I built in 2004, I installed an air source HP which does very well down to around 30-35 degrees, then it needs a bit of help. I supplement at that time with an ETS (electric thermal storage) unit. Link - http://www.steffes.com/offpeak/comfortplus/cen_overview.aspx
In your case, you probably would not need the ETS, just an air handler to distribute the air.
My power company offers off-peak rates for my HP, the ETS and my electric water heater, so at around 5 cents a Kw, and the HP running at 300% efficiency, I get my heat for around 1.6 cents a Kw. I really like my system. So much that when I get this house sold, I will install the same system in the next one. The only differece will be that the ETS will also have the capability for in-floor heating.
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nwhome
18 years ago
skipster,
I live in the Seattle area as well. We decided against the geothermal. I couldn't justify the costs as we have a mild climate and the house itself will be well insulated.

We decided to put in a hydronic radiant system, fueled by natural gas. This was primarily a decision based on comfort, not efficiency, although some people say the in-floor radiant systems are more efficient.

In addition to the in-floor heat, we are putting in a forced air system supplied by a heat pump. This will allow us to fine tune the temperature in the house, as the radiant system takes several hours to change temperature. The heat pump will also provide us with cooling for the summertime.

I wish I could report how well this all works, but we are still in the middle of construction.

Good luck!
scott1962
Original Author
18 years ago
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for repsonding to my questions. Since I posted this question I have done a lot of research and am now committed to the heat pump. However, I am now thinking, that I don't need the dual fuel as several people have pointed out to me. That's good, should help to keep the price down. And yes, the electricity with regard to Washington is fairly inexpensive but at the same time, I am going to definitely do the solar panels. anyway, thanks so much.
coysmum
17 years ago
I am curious why not to go geothermal in Seattle? We're dropping off our drawings to a Mechanical designer tomorrow and he mentioned going "geo" when we discussed energy efficiency.