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[peterroberts]

TV On The Radio - Trouble

[Noo_Noo]

@redalways

Wasn’t there some kind of grant for replacing boilers with heat pumps or something like that?

Yes. We were given a new boiler just over a year ago. I’m seeing if we can get another punt at it soon as.

[Semmy]

@Klopptimist

Heat pumps are shite. avoid at all costs.

true story. nice idea, but are plagued with problems. Friend is doing a home warranty project right now with his company on a recent build where they have to replace ALL of the units in the complex due to failure.

[Semmy]

@cynicaloldgit

They restrict your freedom to guzzle fossil fuels.

how very…cynical.

[Limiescouse]

The biggest, and arguably only, issue with heat pumps is they are more complex and require a bit more sophistication to install and maintain/repair than traditional alternatives. The vast majority of time they don’t perform well it because of those issues rather than an issue with the hardware’s capabilities.

[Semmy]

@Limiescouse

The biggest, and arguably only, issue with heat pumps is they are more complex and require a bit more sophistication to install and maintain/repair than traditional alternatives. The vast majority of time they don’t perform well it because of those issues rather than an issue with the hardware’s capabilities.

if you spent some time in my circles, you’d hear the real issues behind them. real world experiences with the building and upkeep of those systems and why they’re failing regularly. I’ll stick with my LNG furnace and hot water. over a year with my HE furnace we average $75/month in heating costs.

[redalways]

Care to elaborate more on these issues?

I’m thinking about getting heat pumps installed in the longer run (ground-source if I can swing it), and feedback on such things in the longer-term is unsurprisingly quite hard to come by…

[Semmy]

I’ll get some specific reasons and get back to you.

[Limiescouse]

@redalways

Care to elaborate more on these issues?

I’m thinking about getting heat pumps installed in the longer run (ground-source if I can swing it), and feedback on such things in the longer-term is unsurprisingly quite hard to come by…

Semmy seemingly has a different take, but the modern air source units should be sufficient even in extreme climates.

[Klopptimist]

A heat pump moves heat from A to B. Very simple concept. Not much heat outside in winter. When you want your heating on it’s because it’s cold outside. The sales reps and advertising can say what they want, they’re bloody useless exactly when you want them to belt our heat. I know we’ve not all spent years working with Peltier effect heat pumps but as I have, trust me, put a wood burning fire in or a simple boiler.

[Limiescouse]

@Klopptimist

A heat pump moves heat from A to B. Very simple concept

Heat pumps don’t just move air. They are able to compress the gas they bring inside…and what happens when a gas is compressed?

We get the same idea floated here in reverse - Florida is too hot for a heat pump to replace a traditional AC unit, but it just isn’t true anymore.

[Semmy]

@Limiescouse

Semmy seemingly has a different take, but the modern air source units should be sufficient even in extreme climates.

some knowledge doesn’t come from Google. My brother is a builder, designed his own home and built himself. Moved in yesterday. Brand new build. Guess what he doesn’t have? A heat pump. I’ll find out why.

Just spent the weekend camping with some of my closest friends. One of them is also a builder, recent completed projects include the Fairmont Pacific Rim and the Shangri-La Toronto (to name a few). His current project is a new home warranty job for his employer because they have 17 units with failed heat pumps and the builder now has to replace parts in ALL of the units in the entire build at their cost. I don’t have the details of what part of the unit failed, but I’ll ask.

[Klopptimist]

@Limiescouse

Heat pumps don’t just move air.

Never said they did.

And PV=nRT should deal with compression of gas. I’ve actually worked with these systems for years, they’re nowhere near as good as the hype.

[Limiescouse]

@Semmy

Just spent the weekend camping with some of my closest friends. One of them is also a builder, recent completed projects include the Fairmont Pacific Rim and the Shangri-La Toronto (to name a few). His current project is a new home warranty job for his employer because they have 17 units with failed heat pumps and the builder now has to replace parts in ALL of the units in the entire build at their cost. I don’t have the details of what part of the unit failed, but I’ll ask.

I’d be interested in hearing what he thinks the issues were. As I said above, they are more complex and definitely here in Florida where good tradecraft is difficult to find, we see lots of issues of old scool AC companies fucking up the installation because they havent developed the necessary expertise on what is a different technology.

Another issue with uptake is the incentives arent there for a lot of new builds. They have higher up front cost and higher maintenance costs, and so if you’re not responsible for the energy cost of running them, as you wouldnt be at a condo building for example, the financial incentives probably arent there to adopt them.

[Semmy]

there’s some pretty substantial subsidizing up here for people to consider it for newer homes or retrofit.

[Commando]

I had a go at bellringing yesterday for ghe first time ever. Absolutely loved it. Absolute beginner but looking forward to learning the ropes (pun intended) as the weeks go by.

[cynicaloldgit]

You put the “camp” in campanologist.

[Semmy]

so two people’s take on heat pumps

new install = incentives don’t qualify for new builds, just retrofit and the original outlay of costs don’t justify the expense.

my friend who is doing the warranty work is having to deal with water damages as a result of the failed head pumps, I guess they’re being used to warm water for radiant heat and the valves are leaking/failing.

[Dane]

@Commando

I had a go at bellringing yesterday for ghe first time ever. Absolutely loved it. Absolute beginner but looking forward to learning the ropes (pun intended) as the weeks go by.

So, you’re technically on the end of the bell?

[redalways]

@Semmy

my friend who is doing the warranty work is having to deal with water damages as a result of the failed head pumps, I guess they’re being used to warm water for radiant heat and the valves are leaking/failing.

When you say radiant heat, do you mean like for a radiator? Because as I understand it most heat pumps don’t go up to the typical radiator temperatures anyway?