Heat pump skeptic after my furnace died last winter

I'll be honest, I thought heat pumps were overhyped tech that would freeze up the minute temps dropped below 20. My old gas furnace kicked the bucket in January and I had to pick something quick. My HVAC guy Mike talked me into a cold climate heat pump, said they work fine down to -5 now. I was real nervous about it but figured I'd try it since there was a $2,000 rebate from the state. Well we had that polar vortex in February with a week of single digits and the house stayed at 68 the whole time. The electric bill was actually lower than I expected too, maybe $150 less than what I was paying for gas. Has anyone else been surprised by how well these newer units handle real cold?

2 comments

2 Comments

charlesb4220d ago

Did Mike mention anything about how often the defrost cycle kicks in when it's really cold? I've heard those newer units are way smarter about timing it than the old ones. My buddy got one last fall and he says he barely notices it running compared to the older models. Might be worth keeping an eye on your electric bill for a few months to really see the savings add up.

robinson.matthew20d ago

Are we really acting like a smart defrost cycle is life changing now? @charlesb42 I mean sure, it's a little better than the old units that would just blast heat every hour like clockwork, but it's still a heat pump in winter. It has to defrost. Your buddy probably just doesn't hear it because the newer ones are quieter, not because it's doing less work. And the electric bill thing? Man, unless you're keeping a detailed spreadsheet, you're not gonna notice a difference unless you live in a place where it barely freezes. I'd just set it and forget it.