Chantry Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 I live in a condo so I am very restricted as to what changes I can make when it comes to heating and cooling. Alternatives to electric are not allowed, neither are window or mini split AC units. I have all electric baseboard heat. I have to replace my central A/C, the question is do I spend the extra money for a heat pump, either for myself or in the future if I sell the condo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffield, SASS #23454 Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 It depends: The heat pump will heat the condo much more economically than the baseboard heater if adjusted to the manufactures specifications. The cost/benefit ratio depends on how long before you sell the condo, your current cost of electricity, how much the electricity rates increase while you are there and the efficiency of the unit you install and I probably left a few things out. The heat pump will heat the air it expells to about 80 degrees Farenheit. This is probably warmer than you will ever want the temperature, but it feels cool to the skin, so your wife will be waking you up at 2:00 AM telling you that the heat pump is blowing cold air. You will not be able to convince her that it is working properly. BTDT. I have been using heat pumps since 1991 and I like them, but you may not. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlands Bob #61228 Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 Heat pumps loose a lot of their heating efficiency when it gets really cold. They work best in mild/warmer climates. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 How is the a/c transmitted? Air ducts? hot air in your unit is cooled by the heat pump so cold outdoor temps are not a factor since you are not cooling then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irish ike, SASS #43615 Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 Heat pumps do not work well in high heat and low temps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantry Posted April 10 Author Share Posted April 10 The baseboard heat is two zones, one for the bedroom, one for the rest of the condo which I like The A/C & heat pump are in ducts and are a single zone, which I don't like Temps in CT can run from 30 F (or lower) during the fall/winter season and 80 F+ in the spring/summer and more than 90 F isn't uncommon Looks like I can do without the heat pump. I'm getting quotes for with and without the heat pump, I'll get the heat pump if the prices are close, otherwise I'll do without. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Ridge Regulator Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 I live in Vt so it gets cold, my heat pump works down into the low teens with no problem. At 15 degrees it’s still around 60% more efficient than an electric base board heater. At 35 degrees I get around 17000 btu’s from 1000 watts of electric power, a base board heater gets 3412 btu’s from 1000 watts of power if it runs perfect and believe me it does not. Most heat pumps also give you air conditioning as well and some like the one I have also act as a dehumidifier. Since you’re in CT I know your temps are warmer than mine so I would take a very serious look at heat pumps. Be aware there a LOT of different makers and make sure you get one big enough to do the job, mine is one size to small and it runs more than it should have to, next time I’m going up a size. By the way I actually have my heat pumps on special meters so I can tell exactly what they are using just because I was interested to see how good they really were and so far I have been impressed with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Sloe Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 Heat pumps are pretty much ineffective at mid to low 30s. If a/c is an alternative, I would go with that. Just my thoughts. BS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwater 53393 Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 (edited) Most heat pumps work fairly well down mid 20s. I learned this when we went to heat pumps on our show busses a couple decades ago. In extremely cold weather, they don’t work well without an “emergency heat” element that is included in most heat pumps sold in the northern regions. The emergency heat circuit is often an automatic feature on some newer models. It is actually an electric heating element installed in the unit, somewhere in the discharge air side of the unit. Edited April 10 by Blackwater 53393 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 14 hours ago, Chantry said: I live in a condo so I am very restricted as to what changes I can make when it comes to heating and cooling. Alternatives to electric are not allowed, neither are window or mini split AC units. I have all electric baseboard heat. I have to replace my central A/C, the question is do I spend the extra money for a heat pump, either for myself or in the future if I sell the condo? it depends on your weather , if it gets below freezing your not going to get the efficiency and if it gets below zero you better have backup heat , as to the A?C i think you will be fine , ive looked a geothermal the same way , i love the concept but they have their limits depending on where you are and what your conditions are , lots of things to consider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 In my previous house I had propane forced hot air. When I added a/c it was via a heat pump. The computer that came with it shut off the heat pump when the outside air temp was 23F or lower. It did save me a lot of dough regardless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Dan Dawkins Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 (edited) Heat pump with gas/lp backup Edited April 11 by Dirty Dan Dawkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.