I used to have heat pumps. Despite claims from the "experts" they don't work when the outside temperature reaches 3 to 4 degrees C. The air being sucked in has heat removed from it which takes it below dew-point, so the moisture settles out. This then freezes as heat is being removed from it, resulting in a huge block of ice on the exchanger coils.
Therefore, no more air flow to take heat from. No heat in the house.
I clearly remember listening to the cracking as the ice melted during the warmth of the following day. And the bills from my indoor electrical heater for the evenings.
Hey Bert! Thanks for sharing. Is there a reason why the exchanger coils were getting frozen and not allowing air to go through? I thought there would be some mechanism to avoid that.
And have you been able to solve that issue? Would love to hear more about your experience.
I thought that I made thà clear in my post, however, it was brief.
When the outside temperature is very low, a few degrees above freezing, the moisture condenses out ( dew point). This then settles on the coils and heat is taken from the air and it's moisture by the action of the heat pump principle. As we start just above freezing, the water then freezes. If the ambient air is at 2-3 degrees or so, taking any heat from this moisture causes it to freeze. This forms a coating on the exchanger coils. As the ice covers the coils, air will enter the system under the action of the fan, but will have no further effect as the air isn't in contact with the coils. More ice forms and as I stated, the following day I can hear the ice cracking and melting.
I found no way of stopping this and when the outside air is so low I would use alternative means to stay warm.
My advice to anybody who promotes the air-source heat pump is to sit through a winter with them as a main heating system. I will come around in spring and try to move the frozen bodies.
Your comment that "I would have thought there would be some mechanism......" indicates that the article you posted was written from a publicity campaign release, not from personal experience and advice.
Appreciate the detailed explanation and honest feedback Bert! You taught me something new.
You’re right, I don’t have one so this was written based on my own research. I should’ve done a better job of understanding potential issues that heat pumps may have.
This isn’t meant to be a publicity campaign (this post is not sponsored by anyone) but rather an introduction to a solution that does have benefits in helping us transitioning off fossil fuels.
I’ll be updating this article this week to reflect the issues you mentioned.
Apr 3, 2022·edited Apr 3, 2022Liked by Fawzi Ammache
I imagine the newer ones might be better, but the house we rent has a heat pump and it is not good for very cold temperatures. Anything below 40 degrees (Fahrenheit) and it runs constantly. We have to set it on 67 degrees at night or it won’t ever shut off. My electric bill for February was $260. And that is in North Carolina with it’s mild winters. I can’t conceive of having a heat pump in Canada. 😬 Unless they have significantly improved them in recent years.
Thanks for sharing Mark. I think they have improved in recent years and I’ve read that heat pumps are also common in cold countries like Norway, Sweden, and Finland. I don’t have one personally so it would be hard for me to share what it’s like in Canada. Maybe it’s worth contacting the company who installed it and see if there are any issues with it or upgrades you can make.
We rent our house. So upgrades are not an option. Our landlord is a home inspector and he has the same unit (he lives next door.) He said that is they way they are. Not good for very cold temperatures. But the unit is at least 7 years old. Since that is how long we have rented there.
Here in Australia, not all Heat pump products are available for government subsidies and rebates and not all states offer rebates. Good thing that 1 state offers subsidies on solar and heat pump hot water system of about $1,000 assistance. I’ve read it here: https://www.energy.gov.au/rebates/solar-and-heat-pump-hot-water-system-rebate. To confirm this, I have found out that this really is true since it is already on Wiseliving’s website: https://www.wiseliving.com.au/hot-water-heat-pump.
Thanks for sharing Julian! I hope that more states start offering these subsidies across Australia.
I used to have heat pumps. Despite claims from the "experts" they don't work when the outside temperature reaches 3 to 4 degrees C. The air being sucked in has heat removed from it which takes it below dew-point, so the moisture settles out. This then freezes as heat is being removed from it, resulting in a huge block of ice on the exchanger coils.
Therefore, no more air flow to take heat from. No heat in the house.
I clearly remember listening to the cracking as the ice melted during the warmth of the following day. And the bills from my indoor electrical heater for the evenings.
Hey Bert! Thanks for sharing. Is there a reason why the exchanger coils were getting frozen and not allowing air to go through? I thought there would be some mechanism to avoid that.
And have you been able to solve that issue? Would love to hear more about your experience.
I thought that I made thà clear in my post, however, it was brief.
When the outside temperature is very low, a few degrees above freezing, the moisture condenses out ( dew point). This then settles on the coils and heat is taken from the air and it's moisture by the action of the heat pump principle. As we start just above freezing, the water then freezes. If the ambient air is at 2-3 degrees or so, taking any heat from this moisture causes it to freeze. This forms a coating on the exchanger coils. As the ice covers the coils, air will enter the system under the action of the fan, but will have no further effect as the air isn't in contact with the coils. More ice forms and as I stated, the following day I can hear the ice cracking and melting.
I found no way of stopping this and when the outside air is so low I would use alternative means to stay warm.
My advice to anybody who promotes the air-source heat pump is to sit through a winter with them as a main heating system. I will come around in spring and try to move the frozen bodies.
Your comment that "I would have thought there would be some mechanism......" indicates that the article you posted was written from a publicity campaign release, not from personal experience and advice.
Appreciate the detailed explanation and honest feedback Bert! You taught me something new.
You’re right, I don’t have one so this was written based on my own research. I should’ve done a better job of understanding potential issues that heat pumps may have.
This isn’t meant to be a publicity campaign (this post is not sponsored by anyone) but rather an introduction to a solution that does have benefits in helping us transitioning off fossil fuels.
I’ll be updating this article this week to reflect the issues you mentioned.
I imagine the newer ones might be better, but the house we rent has a heat pump and it is not good for very cold temperatures. Anything below 40 degrees (Fahrenheit) and it runs constantly. We have to set it on 67 degrees at night or it won’t ever shut off. My electric bill for February was $260. And that is in North Carolina with it’s mild winters. I can’t conceive of having a heat pump in Canada. 😬 Unless they have significantly improved them in recent years.
Thanks for sharing Mark. I think they have improved in recent years and I’ve read that heat pumps are also common in cold countries like Norway, Sweden, and Finland. I don’t have one personally so it would be hard for me to share what it’s like in Canada. Maybe it’s worth contacting the company who installed it and see if there are any issues with it or upgrades you can make.
We rent our house. So upgrades are not an option. Our landlord is a home inspector and he has the same unit (he lives next door.) He said that is they way they are. Not good for very cold temperatures. But the unit is at least 7 years old. Since that is how long we have rented there.