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BeltfedOne OP t1_j1kbahe wrote

Reply to comment by newworldman1070 in So here I sit in the dark. Wearing flannel-lined jeans and a hoodie. And I get an email from First Energy saying if I don't conserve electricity there may be managed blackouts. WTF? by BeltfedOne

I have a pellet stove in the basement and it contributes a lot but can't do everything. Unfortunately everything else is electric-combination of baseboard and a retrofitted heat pump for the former A/C only forced air system. Heat pump is done at these temperatures. A wood stove install may be in the future but would be a significant undertaking for a safe operation, and that kind of cash is hard to find right now.

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hufarted-me t1_j1kje98 wrote

“Heat pump is done at these temperatures”

Ya know, I would’ve thought so too. Bought a house with a 17 year-old heat pump last December. I had to run my auxiliary heater one cold day this November (high 20’s), so I figured for sure I’d have to be managing that in the middle of the night during this cold. I’ll be damned but I haven’t had to run the auxiliary at all during this cold snap. Thermostat is perpetually set at 68°, and the old-ass heat pump is doing work.

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BeltfedOne OP t1_j1kl0jq wrote

They recommended a heat strip in the air handler for when the heat pump can't work efficiently. I am glad that I had them put it in.

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drxdrg08 t1_j1ku8c8 wrote

> for when the heat pump can't work efficiently

Not exactly. Heat pump efficiency is related to outside temps. It's gradual. The colder it is, the less efficient it is.

Heat pumps are sized for the space they need to heat. Installers can undersize a heat pump unit and you'll need to run electric strips when it's 40F outside. And they can size it so large that it will heat your house to 90F when it's -10F outside without any heat strips.

On top of sizing, newer heat pumps just work much better in extreme colds. Newer is better in this case.

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