What’s your heat pump? I’ve been looking into them and I can’t find one that’s willing to say it works past about -15.
Comment on Heat pumps can't take the cold? Nordics debunk the myth
Pogbom@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Hell yeah, we’ve got a heat pump and we’re in Canada where it can get to -40°C (which is coincidentally also -40°F) and that thing works like a beast. Fortunately we also have the cheapest electricity in North America so the decision was easy.
ikidd@lemmy.world 8 months ago
bbbbb@lemmy.world 8 months ago
The Mitsubishi Hyper heat can work down to -13F, The absolutely best resource I’ve found for heat pump research is the NEEP database which will you give you actual BTU outputs at various ambient temperature readings: ashp.neep.org/#!/product_list/ Also worth considering a geothermal heat pump depending on your geography, as then you have a guarantee of efficiency all year round
pedalmore@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Second the NEEP database. I’d just add that the lowest temps listed here aren’t the actual equipment minimums - each model has a cutoff temp where it will literally shit the bed (except ground source of course). For my mistu hyper heat, it’s -26F. Capacity will keep dropping after -13F though (where it’s still at like 80% I think).
sic_semper_tyrannis@feddit.ch 8 months ago
Thanks for the website!
praise_idleness@sh.itjust.works 8 months ago
What’s NOT cheap in Canada? Genuine question.
FireRetardant@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Housing, food, car insurance and alcohol are all pretty expensive in Canada
SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 8 months ago
So…living. Got it.
PerogiBoi@lemmy.ca 8 months ago
Cellphone plans, internet plans, seriously look into the cost of living in Canada.
otter@lemmy.ca 8 months ago
Telecoms have a stranglehold here, our cell phone and internet prices are some of the highest in the world (if not THE highest).
They also own some news and media companies which only makes it harder to bring about change
Magister@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Wine and cheese, damn it’s expensive compared to Europe!!!
bjorney@lemmy.ca 8 months ago
Electricity is also pretty expensive everywhere in Canada other than quebec
NightAuthor@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Linus (tech tips) said Vancouver BC has cheap electricity bc it’s all hydro.
otter@lemmy.ca 8 months ago
Yep, BC and Quebec are both hydro
…visualcapitalist.com/biggest-sources-of-electric…
This seems accurate, but I haven’t verified
bjorney@lemmy.ca 8 months ago
May vary by municipality but BC is the 3rd cheapest in Canada
…And it’s like 50-75% more expensive than Quebec
kent_eh@lemmy.ca 8 months ago
Manitoba has some of the lowest rates in the country
bjorney@lemmy.ca 8 months ago
Yeah, it’s the 2nd lowest, but Quebec is still dramatically cheaper
Hotdogman@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Tim Horton. It’s cheap, but not cheap.
SendMePhotos@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Can you just start saying “America” that way it includes south America and Central America, also?
QueriesQueried@sh.itjust.works 8 months ago
When the context is involving climate, electricity rates, and money, there is little overlap between all of the Americas. It makes sense to tighten it down to the top half (more similar climates, etc) or bottom half (electricity rates for example). Canada has the wealth and the electricity rates to make heat pumps extremely viable, and for the most part climate too. The USA shares a lot of this. The Central/South Americas do not overlap like this with Canada.
Pogbom@lemmy.world 8 months ago
But that wouldn’t be accurate because there are South American countries with even cheaper electricity than here, so it’s only the cheapest in North America.
Also not to be too pedantic but central America isn’t technically a continent, and it all falls under North America.
Chetzemoka@startrek.website 8 months ago
Electricity monopoly in the US = they can price gouge, and this is literally the only reason I installed a dual fuel system with a less efficient heat pump. The Eversource electricity price hikes last year probably would have meant I couldn’t afford to heat my home in the worst parts of winter here in Massachusetts.
This is how policies are killing the planet. Socialize electric utilities, upgrade the electric grid, subsidize the use of electric heat pumps so they’re actually affordable for all end users, and of course more people would adopt them.
As it is, I run my heat pump as much as I can, which is like 9 months a year. Better than only having gas heat at least.
Earthwormjim91@lemmy.world 8 months ago
The US has some of the lowest electricity prices in the world though. Only a couple pennies per kWh higher than Canada. And MUCH lower than pretty much all of Europe.
In 2020 (last year I could find from Canada specifically) Canada averaged 11.25¢ per kWh. The US averaged 13.04¢. The UK averaged 21.91¢, France averaged 19.91¢, Finland 20.56¢, Spain 28.77¢, and Germany 33.39¢.
www.electricity.ca/…/electricity-rates/
It’s more that Canada uses a LOT of hydro power which is cheap.
Chetzemoka@startrek.website 8 months ago
This is the problem I’m facing though:
wbur.org/…/eversource-western-massachusetts-elect…
Our electric rates went from 18¢ to 25¢ last winter with no warning. It’s not that our prices are particularly high for now, but rather that they’re unreliable. I didn’t feel secure installing an electric only system because of this, even though I could have gotten a more efficient system. The dual fuel allows me to toggle between the two as needed, which feels like the safer option for the next 15-30 years that I expect to have this thing.
Sucks because I’d really prefer to have one of those Mitsubishi hyperheat systems. But even with the less efficient system, I’m running in heat pump only mode in the to 0⁰C nights we’re seeing right now and it’s fine.
pedalmore@lemmy.world 8 months ago
You made the most sensible choice and are dramatically reducing you gas use, so you should feel good about that! I have a new Mitsu hyper heat (Colorado here), but recognize it wasn’t the most cost effective system and ultimately just really wanted it. It’s bonkers how well it work though. We’ve only hit 10F this last weekend but it didn’t skip a beat. Looking forward to -10F. For most people, keeping a gas furnace for a few weeks a year, and using a smaller heat pump than you would spec if only using a HP makes a lot of sense. You’re not missing much (and some would argue that peak winter demand in an electrifying world is a big problem that has backup gives us more time to solve anyway).