With the cold weather I was hoping to hear of some experiences people have had with their heat pumps.
What kind of backup heat do you have? Are you using it? Is there some temperature where you just stop using the heat pump, or are you even consciously thinking about it?
Thanks!
It works maybe, but it’s definitely not efficient at those temperatures. Plus your unit won’t last very long if you are driving it that hard. Lots of bold claims by these manufacturers, but let’s check in, in a couple of years to see how that’s going for the units.
My pool pump, the minute it hits about 6 degrees out, it starts icing and efficiency is out the window. I have to shut it down at night, because it often gets too cold in the evenings for it on the prairies, even in summer. When it hits about 10 degrees outside though, you fire that bastard on and it’s warm in like 2 hours tops.
Less efficient, yes, but the system knows the temperature outside, and switches to electric heat automatically. Also, -40C is usually for short periods of time, and becoming more rare – the advantages far outweigh the issues.
As for your pool – it’s likely not built to the same standard as your home heat pump – and the icing sounds like a problem that might require some maintenance.
The pool heat pump is fine, it’s a smaller unit so it’s not like a house one that can go to low temperatures. We also live at 3,400 feet of altitude, the operating curve for heat pumps is different at any altitude vs what they are at sea level (which is what I believe the manufacturer quotes it at). When we bought it, that was one thing that was mentioned in the literature, that they aren’t as efficient at higher altitudes and thus can’t operate at as low of temperatures.