Ductless Heat pumps

[Cuba Libre]

Has anyone had any experience with a residential ductless heat pumps? Elecricity bill is through the ceiling and it was suggested that this type of heater/air conditioner might help.

Any comments?

Thanks

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[adrianna3]

Get a woodstove. It costs me $100 a year to heat my house.

 

[nedarb2]

quote:Originally posted by adrianna3

Get a woodstove. It costs me $100 a year to heat my house.

And i got the presto logs to heat it

 

[cliffjumper]

If you are currently on electric heat, you get a renbate for a heat pump, catch, pay for an assessment (I'd bet buddies cut that deal).

Big rebate... (Ductless???)

The deal with heat pumps is they are a forced-air heating system, therefore ducts. Otherwise, you would have a central single vent in your central hallway, which theoretically gravitates heat through your house... Pile of crap... Had one doesn't work at all well, do ducts.

Nice added feature for 7 days/year, you have a built-in air conditioning unit.

Horse manure about grants & rebates, you must be the homeowner. Renters do not qualify. And, you cannot change fuel-sources.../ oil to hydro.. doesn't pay, except your "carbon footprint" and more importantly, the cost.

Check hot water radiators. Install pipes & rads, a small boiler, $7000, and 100% efficient.

Cheers!

 

[Cuba Libre]

Thanks Cliffjumper. appreciate the feedback.

(-- no more wood cutting for this guy-- had enough of that)

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[Sandman]

Most woodstoves today are wood pellet, with a hopper in the back that gets filled once in a while - much more efficient, and no wood chopping (maybe a bit more costly though)

Catch and release -- into my frying pan.

 

[ReelAffair]

The only problem with alot of pellet stoves is no power no heat...the hopper needs power to feed the wood stove

 

[SerengetiGuide]

We have them in all our rental houses/fishermen cabins and save a load of money and have not had problems with them yet...they are great. This summer the AC really came in handy too...definitely would suggest them CL.

www.serengetifishingcharters.com

*NEW VIDEO*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlEzuNC59ck

 

[Cuba Libre]

Thanks Dave. Have a productive year back east.

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[flydon]

I would suspect that your insurance would also go up with a wod/pellet burner.
Don

 

[Cuba Libre]

quote:I would suspect that your insurance would also go up with a wod/pellet burner.
Don

Actually we already have both a pellet stove and a wood stove too!!! The cost of pellets is getting prohibitive and I dont want to cut any more wood. As far as insurance-- no problem as long as the units are CSA approved and you have them professionally cleaned annually.

Our hydro bills are at the lowest when its cold as hell outside. That is when we can fire up the woodstove and shut off the baseboard heaters.

But I have to find someway to cut the $300/month hydro bills during the "shoulder period"-- hence the investigation into heatpumps. But maybe buying 4 chords of wood isnt such a bad deal after all... time will tell.

Cheers
CL

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[cliffjumper]

Cuba, you can go on an averaging system with hydro. The brutal catch is you have to watch the tiny-little box that indicates your y2d consumption because you can get caught owing if your consumption goes over plan.

Wood:Hydro? What's your hourly working rate and can you keep busy at work or do you hang around for four days drinking Beer?

If you can stay busy at work, go with hydro. You'll earn more money than hydro will cost, and be able to buy better beer.

If you're drinking beer for 4 days a week, you'll be better employed drinking cheaper beer while you chop wood... Simple cost/benefit analysis.

I like better beer.

I wasn't kidding about the boiler option though. They are completely silent. These things measure 24"x18"x8", weight 40# full, with a pressure tank same size & bit heavier. Mount on a basement wall, takes up zero floor space. A pump goes on the water line. You can use the same thermostat.

You should get a rebate for going off baseboards.

If you have a plumber buddy, run copper & rads where your baseboards are and 100% of all heat produced stays in the house. (you have to run ducts for heat pump, so running pipe is just a different bit of work.)

Heat pumps are great but when they go a bit off kilter, they're noisy and flippin expensive to fix. And forced air is not a smooth, even heat like the water system.

I'm going off 1948 oil boiler ($680/month 7 mos/yr last 2 years) to the elect boiler, so I don't get rebates. I get a pat on the head from greenies who play the rebate game.

Just an option.

Cheers!

 

[Cuba Libre]

Really appreciate the feedback-- but

quote:If you're drinking beer for 4 days a week, you'll be better employed drinking cheaper beer while you chop wood... Simple cost/benefit analysis.

implies that I should drink Lucky!!!![xx(] Now that aint happening!!!!

I have not checked out the boiler option-- I will do that. A bit of ducting should not be a big deal

Cheers
CL

20ft Alumaweld Intruder