Reply to Heat pump water heaters

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Reply to "Heat pump water heaters"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Heat pumps start to suck at places just slightly colder than DC. We’re on the margin of suitable winter climate for heat pumps. They work much better in places like the Carolinas and are outstanding in GA and FL.

If you have a ground loop or geothermal well for the heat pump, where the evaporator coil is guaranteed never to get below 50-55 degrees, heat pumps can work great in even cold climates (we’re not “cold” here in DC)   But the typical DC area heat pump set up with an outdoor unit with an atmospheric coil is right on the edge of not working here.  [/quote]

Heat pumps have improved over recent years. There are "cold-climate heat pumps" that can operate efficiently well below at extreme low temperatures:

[url]https://www.reddit.com/r/heatpumps/comments/146jg7k/cold_climate_heat_pump_owners_what_model_did_you/[/url]

Some people argue that heat pumps can't help with CO2 reduction because they are typically powered by an electrical grid that runs on fossil fuels. And they point out that a lot of the energy and heat goes up the smokestack of the power plant, which is wasteful. It is true that energy is lost at the site of power generation, but, even so, heat pumps can reduce CO2 emissions (relative to gas furnace heating) due to their high efficiency. Suppose that 30% of energy is wasted at the site of power generation. So only 70% of the original energy reaches the customers. [b]But if customers are running heat pumps that are 200% efficient,[/b] the waste at the central power plant is more than offset by the efficiency of the heat pump. The result is that heat pumps can lead to significant emissions reductions relative to gas furnaces. And yes, good heat pumps can keep your house warm even in frigid weather.

[/quote]

I realize I’m only a stupid mechanical and electrical engineer who didn’t get a liberal arts degree from an Ivy, but perhaps one of you smart MBA’s or PhD’s can explain the whole “200% efficiency” thing to me?

Because I’m absolutely [i]dying[/i] to hear this one….  :roll: [/quote]

Jesus Christ you are stupid. The efficiency comes as a result of transferring heat rather than creating heat. It is much more efficient.

Anyway, to op’s point, we have one. Over time it has worked out somewhat cheaper than gas.[/quote]

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