On Jan 20, 10:17*am, zek wrote:
On Jan 19, 7:24*pm, BobR wrote:





On Jan 19, 5:26*pm, noname87 wrote:

I would love to but I really don't have an option. In theory, heat
pumps worrk well above 40 and for cooling. The problem is when you
have cold temperature. Below 30, the meter starts going crazy.

My area does not have gas. Propane might be an option but the
conversion cost would be high. I don't think is available. Even if it
was oil isn't cheap. In my area it is heat pumps or gas if you have
it. Some have hybid system that swith from heat pump to gas when
necesary.

We are both in the same boat. *I also have a heat pump and would love
to have some other option, any option. *If I am ever forced to go with
another heat pump I will give very serious consideration of using a
buried exterior coil system even if the initial cost is substantially
higher. *Trying to extract cool for hot air or heat from cold air is
just short of foolish. *At least with gas heating you are getting the
maximum efficiency. *The efficiency range for heat pumps is just too
narrow to be effective except in temperate climates like Southern
California.

I am sure you will get some useful answers but for my part, don't
troubleshoot the damn thing just shoot it. *Heat pumps are the power
companies answer to low winter time power usage.- Hide quoted text -

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I gave a thought of a trench system. That should not cost all that
must either.
Dig a hole, lay pipe.

I have gas heat. My brother has oil, and since the oil went up, he
uses electric
which seems cheaper than oil. I get annoyed when my electric bill goes
about $60 a month. I use the air conditioner in summer which does not
seem to affect the bill much. Figure a trench should stay about 50
degrees year round.
heat pumps usually shut off and go strictly resistive heat much below
40.

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You need hundreds of feet of trench and it needs to be pretty far down
to escape the temp variations of the surface soil. Several feet to as
far as 8 feet deep depending on your location. Figure a hundred feet
a ton as a swag for length. If you own your own trencher and have a
decent field in the back of your house, ok. Otherwise it's cheaper
and easier to just have a well driller put a ground loop or two in for
you.