1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:04,480 Now that we (hopefully) agree that  it’s time for more pumping more now,   2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:10,476 I’d like to finish off this arc of heat pumps with  a discussion on some of the many varieties there are out there, 3 00:00:10,476 --> 00:00:14,623 what the parts that make up those machines are and where they go, 4 00:00:14,623 --> 00:00:18,724 and what’s involved in getting a building  from no pumping to yes pumping. 5 00:00:18,724 --> 00:00:24,800 That includes not only the physical infrastructure, equipment  and the challenges certain buildings will face, 6 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:29,054 but also a discussion on some of the  barriers there are to heat pump adoption. 7 00:00:29,054 --> 00:00:33,685 Some real, and some, let’s just say... inflated. 8 00:00:33,685 --> 00:00:38,605 That particular wrinkle varies a LOT depending on where you are on the planet. 9 00:00:38,605 --> 00:00:42,320 New technologies leave lots of room for misunderstandings - 10 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:48,043 and this one is particularly fun because heat pumps  are not new tech at all! 11 00:00:48,043 --> 00:00:53,528 They’re a refinement of long-established tech used a little differently. 12 00:00:53,528 --> 00:00:56,752 *whispers* Your refrigerator is a heat pump. 13 00:00:56,752 --> 00:01:00,639 In case you’re here without seeing the video this  is following, well first 14 00:01:00,639 --> 00:01:01,546 - ding - 15 00:01:01,546 --> 00:01:04,485 that’ll take you there, but the cliffsnotes version is this; 16 00:01:04,485 --> 00:01:07,743 Heat pumps move heat rather than create it. 17 00:01:07,743 --> 00:01:14,950 Although it may be colder outside than inside, unless we’re  at absolute zero there is heat energy to be collected out there. 18 00:01:14,950 --> 00:01:17,569 And except in really cold ambient conditions, 19 00:01:17,569 --> 00:01:21,376 as in below -13° Celsius or 5° Fahrenheit, 20 00:01:21,376 --> 00:01:27,761 modern heat pumps are able to move at least 2.5 times as much energy as they consume in the process, 21 00:01:27,761 --> 00:01:33,465 making them the most efficient  way to use any source of energy for the purpose of heating a building 22 00:01:33,465 --> 00:01:35,584 in the vast majority of cases. 23 00:01:35,584 --> 00:01:41,588 That means they lessen the need for fossil fuels in the short term, which is good for many reasons, 24 00:01:41,588 --> 00:01:47,030 and in the long-term they make electrification and decarbonization easier because… 25 00:01:47,030 --> 00:01:50,316 well we can do more with less. Pretty straightforward. 26 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:52,479 A small note before we continue: 27 00:01:52,479 --> 00:01:56,191 I’m focusing today on residential and light commercial stuff. 28 00:01:56,191 --> 00:02:01,786 When you get into really big commercial systems, well, things are pretty different. 29 00:02:01,786 --> 00:02:05,045 Also, this is by no means a complete picture. 30 00:02:05,045 --> 00:02:10,171 My goal with this video is to give you a  basic overview of common system designs, 31 00:02:10,171 --> 00:02:15,521 talk about some pros and cons of each particularly  when it comes to retrofitting existing buildings, 32 00:02:15,521 --> 00:02:18,811 and then I’ll talk about whatever other stuff comes up as we go along. 33 00:02:18,811 --> 00:02:20,000 Strap in! 34 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:25,600 The first thing we need to talk about actually  has nothing to do with heat pumps whatsoever.   35 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:29,471 And fair warning, this section might get some folks a little…   36 00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:31,088 heated. 37 00:02:31,088 --> 00:02:36,639 The wisest thing we can do in the short  term can be expressed in these three simple words: 38 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,971 insulate, insulate, and insulate. 39 00:02:39,971 --> 00:02:43,583 No matter what technology is used to heat a building, 40 00:02:43,583 --> 00:02:47,169 the faster heat makes it out of the building through walls  and windows, 41 00:02:47,169 --> 00:02:50,595 the more heat you need to produce to keep the building warm. 42 00:02:50,595 --> 00:02:56,452 If you live in a home that was built in the last 20 or 30 years, odds are you’re probably in a decent place already, 43 00:02:56,452 --> 00:02:58,320 depending on where you are of course. 44 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:00,793 But in older buildings? 45 00:03:00,793 --> 00:03:03,884 Well, heat loss is often a major problem. 46 00:03:03,884 --> 00:03:11,050 Adding insulation to existing buildings (which also, by the way, includes things like new windows and general weatherizing) 47 00:03:11,050 --> 00:03:14,514 is a complicated and often spicy topic. 48 00:03:14,514 --> 00:03:19,389 Some of this is because buildings are different and techniques suitable for one type of construction 49 00:03:19,389 --> 00:03:21,718 aren’t necessarily suitable for others. 50 00:03:21,718 --> 00:03:28,475 And sometimes it makes more sense to demolish energy-intensive buildings and simply start over - 51 00:03:28,475 --> 00:03:33,722 but that course of action has lots of baggage attached to it so for now let’s just… 52 00:03:33,722 --> 00:03:36,925 ignore it and talk about improving existing buildings. 53 00:03:36,925 --> 00:03:39,224 In general, it’s not easy. 54 00:03:39,224 --> 00:03:41,558 But it’s definitely worth doing. 55 00:03:41,558 --> 00:03:43,130 Indisputably. 56 00:03:43,130 --> 00:03:44,898 A problem, though. 57 00:03:44,898 --> 00:03:49,604 It generally takes a long time to see a return on insulation investments. 58 00:03:49,604 --> 00:03:55,542 And when you’re an individual simply being asked nicely to do it, well that puts you off. 59 00:03:55,542 --> 00:04:02,047 After all, if you won’t see savings for 5 or 10 years and you aren’t even sure you’ll stay living where you do by that time, 60 00:04:02,047 --> 00:04:03,717 it’s a hard sell. 61 00:04:03,717 --> 00:04:07,972 Worse, if you’re a landlord who is putting the cost of  energy on your tenants, 62 00:04:07,972 --> 00:04:09,575 you just don’t care! 63 00:04:09,575 --> 00:04:12,696 Which I, for the record, think is real bad. 64 00:04:12,696 --> 00:04:17,403 Shoutout to countries that do energy audits on rental units and publish efficiency scores 65 00:04:17,403 --> 00:04:20,853 so that potential tenants can see what they’re getting into before signing a lease 66 00:04:20,853 --> 00:04:24,780 and so that the landlords have a reason to do actually better. 67 00:04:25,061 --> 00:04:26,201 I like that a lot. 68 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:30,720 Uh, anyway, incentives to insulate  - or as I like to call them,   69 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:37,756 insulentives - are probably something we  should be doing, like, a lot more and faster.   70 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:42,719 In fact, I’ll go beyond just insulentives - we should, 71 00:04:43,456 --> 00:04:45,057 dare I say it? 72 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:49,730 Just start paying folks to insulate older buildings. 73 00:04:49,730 --> 00:04:53,516 Maybe create some sort of energy-de-intensification agency? 74 00:04:53,516 --> 00:04:56,769 I know. What is this, Energy Policy Connections? 75 00:04:56,769 --> 00:04:58,978 Well, right now it is. 76 00:04:58,978 --> 00:05:03,777 The only way to equitably solve this problem is with public policy, 77 00:05:03,777 --> 00:05:06,622 and while I’m not here to tell you what exactly that should look  like, 78 00:05:06,622 --> 00:05:09,237 I’m certain something needs to happen. 79 00:05:09,237 --> 00:05:14,181 And, if I were in charge, I would make sure this  isn’t some financialized scheme 80 00:05:14,181 --> 00:05:18,093 where people get, like, loans tacked onto property tax bills. 81 00:05:18,304 --> 00:05:20,851 But you can have fun arguing about that down below. 82 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:27,588 The key problem is that right now, many of the  buildings which are most in need of insulation upgrades 83 00:05:27,588 --> 00:05:33,267 house families who would greatly  benefit from them but who cannot afford the investment - 84 00:05:33,267 --> 00:05:35,502 or may simply have no say in it at all. 85 00:05:36,310 --> 00:05:38,058 We should fix this. 86 00:05:38,058 --> 00:05:41,244 The fact is, unless something’s gone horribly wrong, 87 00:05:41,244 --> 00:05:45,280 every insulation upgrade will pay for itself in time. 88 00:05:45,280 --> 00:05:47,265 And I’m just talking about the money part, 89 00:05:47,265 --> 00:05:51,695 include the externalities like energy supply stability and reduced carbon emissions 90 00:05:51,695 --> 00:05:54,369 and you’re getting even more bang for that buck. 91 00:05:54,615 --> 00:05:55,115 Plus! 92 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:59,440 If you can save someone $50 or $100 a month on their energy bills,   93 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:02,350 you’ve greatly enhanced their financial security. 94 00:06:02,350 --> 00:06:04,777 Which is also good for society! 95 00:06:04,777 --> 00:06:11,057 The trouble has always been it’s a big upfront cost which many  simply cannot afford. 96 00:06:11,057 --> 00:06:15,693 Rather than engage in the national pastime of “well, sucks to be you!” 97 00:06:15,693 --> 00:06:18,343 I would rather we help those folks. 98 00:06:18,343 --> 00:06:20,165 Radical, I know. 99 00:06:20,165 --> 00:06:24,562 And by the way, this problem goes beyond just those who cannot afford it. 100 00:06:24,562 --> 00:06:32,615 Sometimes, sorely-needed upgrades get deferred  because incentives to do them just don’t line up in any sensible way. 101 00:06:32,615 --> 00:06:39,145 For instance, I used to live in an older apartment building where all occupants shared a single gas bill 102 00:06:39,145 --> 00:06:42,851 and paid for it collectively in a fixed, budgeted monthly cost. 103 00:06:43,280 --> 00:06:48,891 The building was new enough to be pretty-well  insulated, but the windows were awful! 104 00:06:48,891 --> 00:06:51,089 They badly needed replacing. 105 00:06:51,089 --> 00:06:59,358 But our energy cost-sharing scheme meant that there wasn’t a reason for me to bother replacing my four windows. 106 00:06:59,358 --> 00:07:03,147 My gas use represented maybe 2% of the bill, 107 00:07:03,147 --> 00:07:09,360 so even if I somehow never needed heat  again, 98% of my heating costs would remain. 108 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:14,800 However, if we had gone in together as a  building to replace all of the windows,   109 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:18,860 we would almost certainly have seen our gas bill  drop dramatically 110 00:07:18,860 --> 00:07:24,055 and suddenly the windows would actually pay for themselves, and pretty quickly I’d imagine. 111 00:07:24,055 --> 00:07:28,812 Getting everyone to agree to it is, of course, the hard part. 112 00:07:28,812 --> 00:07:34,816 It’s really frustrating when stuff like this incentivizes us to remain in less-sustainable scenarios. 113 00:07:34,816 --> 00:07:39,638 And the less fortunate among us often have no choice but to take the worse 114 00:07:39,638 --> 00:07:41,701 - or even worst - option. 115 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,336 Anyway, I’ll get off my soap box. 116 00:07:44,336 --> 00:07:48,789 Regardless of how we get there, the better a building can retain heat 117 00:07:48,789 --> 00:07:51,195 the less heating capacity is needed, 118 00:07:51,195 --> 00:07:56,246 and this also means the performance challenges  heat pumps currently encounter at very cold temperatures 119 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:00,479 just become less of an issue - which of course means  well-insulated homes 120 00:08:00,479 --> 00:08:02,905 are better prepared for a heat pump. 121 00:08:02,905 --> 00:08:06,065 So, insulate, insulate, insulate. 122 00:08:06,065 --> 00:08:11,869 Heat pumps are great, but nothing’s better than helping a building hold in heat in the winter 123 00:08:11,869 --> 00:08:13,360 and keep it out in the summer. 124 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:15,779 OK, so let’s move on. 125 00:08:15,779 --> 00:08:16,730 Finally. 126 00:08:16,730 --> 00:08:22,053 You’ve got a nicely insulated home and are looking at replacing your whatever with a heat pump. 127 00:08:22,053 --> 00:08:23,886 What does that look like? 128 00:08:23,886 --> 00:08:27,921 The equipment in a heat pump consists broadly of three parts: 129 00:08:27,921 --> 00:08:31,200 the outside unit which absorbs heat from the outside air, 130 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:35,654 the inside unit or units which then put that  heat where we want it, 131 00:08:35,654 --> 00:08:42,997 and the refrigerant lineset or sets that connect them together and actually carry the refrigerant and thus its heat energy 132 00:08:42,997 --> 00:08:44,580 from place to place. 133 00:08:44,580 --> 00:08:49,916 Sometimes this is all packaged into a single device, and we’ll look at some of those later on, 134 00:08:49,916 --> 00:08:52,741 but more often than not they’re split systems. 135 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:57,745 Part of why I’m so excited about heat pumps  is that they’re incredibly flexible 136 00:08:57,745 --> 00:09:02,080 and also quite straightforward - which a lot  of people don’t seem to be aware of.   137 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:05,632 I showed you this heat pump in the original videos. 138 00:09:05,632 --> 00:09:11,830 This is a single-head ductless mini-split heat pump, and is the simplest possible split system, 139 00:09:12,076 --> 00:09:14,086 despite that mouthful of a name. 140 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:20,361 Now, I’m doing a fairly deep dive on this style  of system first because, well for one thing 141 00:09:20,361 --> 00:09:26,562 I have experience with it, but also because in my  opinion it has a lot of advantages. 142 00:09:26,562 --> 00:09:31,449 I don’t expect it to become that popular here in the US outside  of certain cases 143 00:09:31,449 --> 00:09:36,131 since so many homes are already set up for ducted heat distribution. 144 00:09:36,131 --> 00:09:39,360 As you’ll see later, that’s a fantastic opportunity for us. 145 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,240 But in places which aren’t, this option presents a lot of opportunities. 146 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:50,160 This style of system employs simple versions  of those three basic heat pump components;   147 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:51,373 the outside unit, 148 00:09:51,373 --> 00:09:55,309 the inside unit - here it’s called the head and is mounted on the wall - 149 00:09:55,309 --> 00:09:57,339 and the refrigerant lineset. 150 00:09:57,339 --> 00:10:02,220 In this case that includes not only the insulated copper tubing which carries the refrigerant, 151 00:10:02,220 --> 00:10:04,681 but also a power and communications cable. 152 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,880 Now, the reason I think this style  of heat pump has a lot of potential   153 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,736 is that it’s frankly ridiculously easy to deploy! 154 00:10:12,736 --> 00:10:16,076 And I don’t think that’s hyperbole. Let me explain why; 155 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:21,840 All it took to get this unit functional was  determining where to mount the components,   156 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,712 running a new electrical circuit to the outside  unit through a disconnect switch 157 00:10:25,712 --> 00:10:27,779 (which I recognize isn’t nothing), 158 00:10:27,779 --> 00:10:31,461 drilling a hole in the wall to run the lineset and com wire through, 159 00:10:31,680 --> 00:10:34,676 actually mounting the indoor and outdoor units, 160 00:10:34,676 --> 00:10:38,526 and then connecting them together with flare fittings on the refrigerant lines 161 00:10:38,526 --> 00:10:41,141 and terminated wiring on the electrical side. 162 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:46,221 This was so simple I did it myself over a day - 163 00:10:46,221 --> 00:10:51,693 the most complicated part was evacuating the lineset using a vacuum pump and manifold gauges. 164 00:10:51,693 --> 00:10:52,880 Otherwise, 165 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:55,247 no special tools were required. 166 00:10:55,247 --> 00:10:57,200 Just a drill and some wrenches, basically. 167 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:03,876 Real quick, I’m not suggesting that you follow my  example and go all DIY here. 168 00:11:03,876 --> 00:11:08,183 In many places it’s not even legal to work on refrigeration equipment yourself 169 00:11:08,183 --> 00:11:14,097 because if you mess up you can let the refrigerant out and we generally don’t want that. 170 00:11:14,097 --> 00:11:16,456 That’s why people get licensed for this. 171 00:11:16,456 --> 00:11:22,640 I’m telling you that I did this myself to point out  this ain’t complicated or particularly difficult. 172 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:28,560 One concern many people have especially in  locations where air conditioning is rare   173 00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:33,116 is that there aren’t enough technicians qualified  to install this equipment. 174 00:11:33,116 --> 00:11:37,520 That is a problem, yes, but I hope you can see through this example   175 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:41,153 that it’s not actually that difficult to get  folks up to speed. 176 00:11:41,153 --> 00:11:45,176 I barely know what I’m doing but simply by following the instructions 177 00:11:45,176 --> 00:11:49,643 I managed to get this up and running, and after three winter seasons it’s still working just fine 178 00:11:49,643 --> 00:11:51,420 so I think I can say I didn’t screw it up! 179 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:54,546 Aside from who installs it and how hard it is, 180 00:11:54,546 --> 00:11:56,210 let’s look at other options. 181 00:11:56,210 --> 00:12:01,325 If you want or need the indoor unit somewhere other than literally on the other side of the wall, 182 00:12:01,325 --> 00:12:02,836 that’s definitely doable. 183 00:12:02,836 --> 00:12:07,504 Generally you can run up to 30 meters or  100 feet of line between the units, 184 00:12:07,504 --> 00:12:11,490 though you may need to adjust the refrigerant charge in that case. 185 00:12:11,490 --> 00:12:14,695 Which again is what actual professionals are for. 186 00:12:14,695 --> 00:12:19,281 And what if you need more than one indoor unit (which you probably do)? 187 00:12:19,281 --> 00:12:23,404 Well, here’s where mini-split heat pumps get really interesting. 188 00:12:23,404 --> 00:12:29,935 The Asian manufacturers have for quite a while now been building these sorta like Lego sets. 189 00:12:29,935 --> 00:12:37,920 They are very modular - outdoor units are available in many different capacities and with connections to multiple indoor units, 190 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:42,994 and thanks to clever stuff like electronic expansion valves and on-the-fly load calculation, 191 00:12:42,994 --> 00:12:50,901 one of these bad boys might have 5 or more linesets connected to it, all going to different heat exchangers in different rooms. 192 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:55,280 That not only gives you individual  room control which is pretty neat,   193 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:58,616 but greatly simplifies the installation process. 194 00:12:58,616 --> 00:13:02,483 You only need electrical power run to one outdoor unit, 195 00:13:02,483 --> 00:13:07,040 and it will send power to all the indoor  units through cables run with the linesets. 196 00:13:07,680 --> 00:13:10,460 That’s actually something I want to focus on for a beat. 197 00:13:10,460 --> 00:13:15,777 I was unaware of this and was expecting that the indoor head would need its own power source. 198 00:13:15,777 --> 00:13:20,761 As a matter of fact I didn’t even consider a unit like this because of that false assumption. 199 00:13:20,761 --> 00:13:23,496 It seemed like far too much of a pain. 200 00:13:23,496 --> 00:13:27,091 But once I knew that the outside unit is in control  of everything, 201 00:13:27,091 --> 00:13:30,515 shoutout to Aging Wheels for his video on how he installed these, 202 00:13:30,515 --> 00:13:33,578 I realized this was way more flexible than I assumed. 203 00:13:33,578 --> 00:13:39,680 And as a matter of fact, it became far and away  the easiest option in my specific scenario. 204 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:45,440 Now, when you have a more complicated system  with multiple heads in multiple rooms,   205 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:50,880 this does add the difficulty of dealing with the  spaghetti that is a ton of refrigerant lines.   206 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:53,481 But they can be run in various ways. 207 00:13:53,481 --> 00:13:55,989 They can go through attics or wall cavities, 208 00:13:55,989 --> 00:14:00,651 they can be run alongside or up exterior walls in  concealing chases, 209 00:14:00,651 --> 00:14:02,186 it’s really up to you! 210 00:14:02,186 --> 00:14:07,325 And, it should be noted, the indoor units don’t have to be  these wall-mounted things. 211 00:14:07,325 --> 00:14:09,940 There are options which get concealed in ceilings, 212 00:14:09,940 --> 00:14:13,309 they can be floor-mounted devices akin to radiators, 213 00:14:13,309 --> 00:14:20,671 and there are more options, too like air handlers or surface-mounted ceiling thingies which look like something out of a starship. 214 00:14:20,671 --> 00:14:24,142 The really cool😎thing about refrigeration technology 215 00:14:24,142 --> 00:14:27,426 is that it’s quite flexible so the sky’s the limit. 216 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:30,932 And perhaps the biggest advantage of systems like this 217 00:14:30,932 --> 00:14:34,331 is that they are cooling-capable out of the box. 218 00:14:34,331 --> 00:14:39,182 One thing you always have to deal  with when cooling the air is water. 219 00:14:39,182 --> 00:14:42,577 Water vapor in the air condenses on cold surfaces, 220 00:14:42,577 --> 00:14:47,838 and so when cooling the air this condensate collects and needs to be dealt with. 221 00:14:47,838 --> 00:14:52,100 A standard ductless head like  this has a water pan at the bottom 222 00:14:52,100 --> 00:14:55,903 and a little drain hose directs water that collects in it… 223 00:14:55,903 --> 00:14:57,137 elsewhere. 224 00:14:57,137 --> 00:15:02,800 The simplest setup is to mount the head on an exterior wall and drill a small hole for the drain hose, 225 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:06,747 or just run it out with the refrigerant lines if they came in from outside, 226 00:15:06,747 --> 00:15:10,398 thus letting it just sorta pee out as it collects. 227 00:15:10,398 --> 00:15:14,720 But if that’s not an option there are other solutions, too, like condensate pumps. 228 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:19,600 But what if you currently heat your home  with a boiler that circulates hot water   229 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:23,166 through some pipes and releases heat in radiators? 230 00:15:23,166 --> 00:15:29,600 Well, there is a heat pump for you - and it can often also produce domestic hot water if you use such a combined system.   231 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:37,031 Before I get into it, though, I do just want to say that unless you’re firmly committed to the idea of hydronic heating 232 00:15:37,031 --> 00:15:39,722 - which in fairness I know many people are - 233 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:43,942 I really really think you ought to consider a ductless system. 234 00:15:43,942 --> 00:15:53,042 I know it takes some adjustment getting used to warm air being pushed around, but these heads are very very quiet and it’s really not that bad. 235 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:58,359 I recognize that in many cases ductless systems  are not a perfect fit. 236 00:15:58,359 --> 00:16:00,701 Like, for instance, in bathrooms. 237 00:16:00,701 --> 00:16:04,165 There's no sense running a lineset to a head in such a small space, 238 00:16:04,165 --> 00:16:10,629 but if it’s on an outside wall there’s probably already a radiator in there  because it needs heat. 239 00:16:10,629 --> 00:16:12,441 Also, let’s face it, 240 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:14,641 these aren’t the prettiest things. 241 00:16:14,641 --> 00:16:18,244 So I get it, I’m just saying - don’t rule these out right away, 242 00:16:18,244 --> 00:16:23,520 particularly since they offer cooling which  might be increasingly necessary as time goes on. 243 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:26,297 If you’re on team radiator, though, 244 00:16:26,297 --> 00:16:29,359 (and/or on team in-floor heating I suppose) 245 00:16:29,359 --> 00:16:32,281 air-to-water heat pumps are pretty common. 246 00:16:32,281 --> 00:16:39,143 These will effectively replace a boiler by running a refrigerant lineset from an outside heat-collecting unit much like this one 247 00:16:39,143 --> 00:16:43,973 into a refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger which replaces your boiler. 248 00:16:43,973 --> 00:16:46,891 This can be a more turn-key solution, 249 00:16:46,891 --> 00:16:52,480 however these units generally don’t produce  water as hot as a conventional boiler does. 250 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:57,347 Depending on the radiators you currently have,  this could be an issue. 251 00:16:57,347 --> 00:17:02,486 The solution is pretty simple in that case - just replacing radiators as necessary - 252 00:17:02,486 --> 00:17:07,064 but if it comes up, well then that’s more work and more cost. 253 00:17:07,064 --> 00:17:12,492 Also an option are high-temperature air-to-water heat pumps that eliminate that potential hiccup, 254 00:17:12,492 --> 00:17:19,114 but those tend to be less efficient particularly in cold climates so there is definitely a trade-off. 255 00:17:19,114 --> 00:17:21,616 As is the case with pretty much everything… 256 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:26,311 But anyway, one thing that I want to stress is  that all a heat pump does 257 00:17:26,311 --> 00:17:31,995 is collect heat from outside and move it, one might say "pump" it, indoors. 258 00:17:31,995 --> 00:17:36,592 The equipment which accomplishes this might seem a little strange if you’re not used to it, 259 00:17:36,592 --> 00:17:41,603 and it definitely feels weird to be getting heat from colder air. 260 00:17:41,603 --> 00:17:44,712 But the end goal is the same as it always has been - 261 00:17:44,712 --> 00:17:48,715 release heat where we want it so our homes stay warm. 262 00:17:48,715 --> 00:17:55,647 Air-to-water heat pumps allow you to use pretty much the same heat-distribution system you already have which has value, 263 00:17:55,647 --> 00:18:02,388 especially since there’s typically only one lineset to run in that case so the installation is less intensive. 264 00:18:02,388 --> 00:18:06,358 Plus of course there is value in familiarity, too. 265 00:18:06,358 --> 00:18:11,135 I would suggest, however, that you make a deep assessment before committing to one or the other, 266 00:18:11,521 --> 00:18:13,106 assuming you have the choice. 267 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:17,351 Now I’d like to focus on the challenges to heat  pump adoption, 268 00:18:17,351 --> 00:18:21,553 with a particular emphasis on the situation here in United States. 269 00:18:21,553 --> 00:18:29,510 As I said in an earlier video, the immensely frustrating thing about the way heat pumps have been deployed here 270 00:18:29,510 --> 00:18:37,836 is that the vast majority of single-family homes already have excellent infrastructure in place for a heat pump. 271 00:18:37,836 --> 00:18:40,346 Many other housing types are well-prepared, too, 272 00:18:40,346 --> 00:18:44,416 but homes with central air conditioning are basically already set. 273 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:49,600 There is already an outside unit with  a decent electrical supply run to it. 274 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:54,002 There is already an inside unit in the form of  an evaporator coil. 275 00:18:54,002 --> 00:19:00,233 Someone has already planned a path for a lineset to go - and even went so  far as to put it there! 276 00:19:00,233 --> 00:19:05,518 And there is already an air handler and ductwork to work with it all. 277 00:19:05,518 --> 00:19:13,200 And of course that means a lot of boxes - in fact, pretty much all of them! - are already checked for many people over here. 278 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:19,118 Because, once again, air conditioners ARE heat pumps! 279 00:19:19,118 --> 00:19:25,735 We just tend to not bother with the reversing valves because “but sometimes!” thinking is rampant. 280 00:19:25,735 --> 00:19:30,994 The good news of widespread use of air conditioning is that we already have trained technicians 281 00:19:30,994 --> 00:19:34,038 who know how to install and service heat pumps. 282 00:19:34,038 --> 00:19:37,334 They’re doing it all the time even if we haven’t realized it. 283 00:19:37,334 --> 00:19:40,563 And that is an advantage compared to other parts of the world. 284 00:19:41,370 --> 00:19:45,314 The less good news for us is that, so far anyway, 285 00:19:45,314 --> 00:19:49,977 systems which could best take advantage of all that  existing infrastructure... 286 00:19:49,977 --> 00:19:52,289 just aren’t very good. 287 00:19:52,289 --> 00:19:55,607 I’m not just saying that, by the way, I can back this up with data. 288 00:19:55,607 --> 00:20:02,668 A fantastic resource I was pointed to by Ian on Twitter is the list of air source heat pumps maintained by NEEP, 289 00:20:02,668 --> 00:20:05,171 the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships. 290 00:20:05,171 --> 00:20:09,139 They track, among other things, the COP at 5 degrees, 291 00:20:09,139 --> 00:20:13,040 and we can simply sort by that figure and see who’s making the best stuff. 292 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:18,140 Right now, I want you to look at the ducting configuration column. 293 00:20:18,140 --> 00:20:23,760 The best performers are overwhelmingly non-ducted configurations. 294 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:25,942 These are mini-split systems. 295 00:20:25,942 --> 00:20:29,599 When you see multizone mix of non-ducted and ducted, 296 00:20:29,599 --> 00:20:32,705 those are the lego-like systems I was talking about earlier. 297 00:20:32,705 --> 00:20:38,111 Those can connect to both a ductless head  and a ducted air handler at the same time. 298 00:20:38,111 --> 00:20:39,215 Which is pretty neat. 299 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:42,782 Hello! Voiceover me is here to tell you that, 300 00:20:42,782 --> 00:20:48,129 well, this section of the video has become a bit of a disaster. 301 00:20:48,129 --> 00:20:54,011 I’ll explain, but first, these excellent systems at the very top of the list aren’t just mini-splits, 302 00:20:54,011 --> 00:20:59,573 some are what are known as VRF systems, and that stands for variable refrigerant flow. 303 00:20:59,573 --> 00:21:05,522 This tech is really neat because, when some rooms are too warm but others are too cold, 304 00:21:05,522 --> 00:21:09,321 it allows the system to move heat within the building. 305 00:21:09,321 --> 00:21:14,954 It does this by pumping the refrigerant between rooms, taking energy out of one room to cool it, 306 00:21:14,954 --> 00:21:17,825 and dumping it in another to warm it up. 307 00:21:17,825 --> 00:21:21,088 That tech is pretty unlikely to see use in the home, 308 00:21:21,088 --> 00:21:24,128 although apartment buildings are likely to deploy it. 309 00:21:24,128 --> 00:21:29,807 This excellent Fujitsu machine, for example, can actually have 15 heads connected to it, 310 00:21:29,807 --> 00:21:33,961 and since any head can heat while the others are cooling or vice versa, 311 00:21:33,961 --> 00:21:36,330 it’s ideal for multifamily setups. 312 00:21:36,330 --> 00:21:39,273 Best of all its performance is amazing. 313 00:21:39,273 --> 00:21:45,688 Its COP is a stellar 3.54 even at 5 Fahrenheit / -13 celsius, 314 00:21:45,688 --> 00:21:49,040 and it retains nearly all of its capacity at that temperature. 315 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:53,747 The performance of this machine is so good that  even here in Chicago, 316 00:21:53,747 --> 00:22:00,626 so long as you had decent insulation there would almost never be a need for an alternate heat source which is fantastic. 317 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:05,840 Anyway, I was about to say “to see the machines  that American homes can best take advantage of,   318 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:09,454 we need to filter for single-zone, centrally  ducted systems” 319 00:22:09,454 --> 00:22:14,590 and then I would have shown you how there’s basically only one decent product line from Carrier, 320 00:22:14,590 --> 00:22:16,275 and nothing else. 321 00:22:16,275 --> 00:22:18,615 This is still kinda close to the case, 322 00:22:18,615 --> 00:22:26,320 and the American giants of the industry should absolutely be ashamed of themselves for continuing to pump out the same mediocre equipment - 323 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:28,964 ancient 13 SEER air conditioners, 324 00:22:28,964 --> 00:22:31,557 which is a horrible efficiency in 2022, 325 00:22:31,557 --> 00:22:34,039 are still getting made unfortunately - 326 00:22:34,039 --> 00:22:38,211 while various companies in Asia are actually innovating. 327 00:22:38,211 --> 00:22:43,774 However, I can happily report that the situation is at least a bit better than that. 328 00:22:43,774 --> 00:22:48,745 For whatever reason, when I first wrote this section I couldn’t see any of these units; 329 00:22:48,745 --> 00:22:53,776 those with the brands Allied, Ducane, Comfort-Aire, Concord and Century. 330 00:22:53,776 --> 00:22:58,256 Maybe these just got added to the list, maybe something was wonky when I looked it up, I don’t know, 331 00:22:58,256 --> 00:23:01,882 but these have a very good COP at 5 Fahrenheit, 332 00:23:01,882 --> 00:23:05,635 and retain a decent chunk of their capacity in that cold. 333 00:23:05,635 --> 00:23:09,848 It could be better, yes, but roughly ⅔ is still pretty good. 334 00:23:09,848 --> 00:23:14,468 That’ll keep your backup system from kicking on unless it gets frightfully cold. 335 00:23:14,468 --> 00:23:20,654 And these are your typical, what I call “barrel-style” American outdoor units and evaporator coils. 336 00:23:20,654 --> 00:23:24,560 This is the exact sort of equipment that gets installed here all the time. 337 00:23:25,360 --> 00:23:30,560 The fact is there’s really nothing fundamentally  different between one of these and a mini split.   338 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:36,156 They’re the same parts, in fact the same machines, just in different form factors.   339 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:41,292 It seems that the tech which gets put into commodity mini-splits as a matter of course - 340 00:23:41,292 --> 00:23:45,479 basically variable-speed compressors and more intelligent  control logic - 341 00:23:45,479 --> 00:23:50,486 is finally making its way into at least a few American-style machines. 342 00:23:50,486 --> 00:23:56,596 Now, the other thing I want to talk about here is the HSPF, or heating seasonal performance factor. 343 00:23:56,596 --> 00:24:02,562 This is a metric which attempts to give an overall average efficiency throughout a heating season. 344 00:24:02,562 --> 00:24:06,716 These units all have pretty mediocre HSPF ratings. 345 00:24:06,716 --> 00:24:14,389 Which is very weird because an HSPF of 9  should indicate an average COP of only 2.63, 346 00:24:14,389 --> 00:24:18,560 but here on the NEEP list it bests  that even at 5 degrees Fahrenheit. 347 00:24:19,120 --> 00:24:23,887 I do not know the reason for this discrepancy,  and if you do by all means please share. 348 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:27,120 Now, although the situation is improving for us,   349 00:24:27,120 --> 00:24:31,849 it’s still pretty bad and there are some other  complications which I’ll get to in a bit. 350 00:24:31,849 --> 00:24:34,296 But now, to set the stage for the next section, 351 00:24:34,296 --> 00:24:37,127 pretend that you didn’t know about the units we just saw 352 00:24:37,127 --> 00:24:40,856 and that there was only one decent product line available in the US. 353 00:24:40,856 --> 00:24:42,271 You’d probably want to ask; 354 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:44,049 Why is this? 355 00:24:44,049 --> 00:24:46,455 Well, I’d be happy to speculate. 356 00:24:46,455 --> 00:24:52,097 I think a number of factors have combined to make the American manufacturers largely... 357 00:24:52,097 --> 00:24:54,135 just not really care. 358 00:24:54,135 --> 00:25:00,949 First, the historically cheap cost of natural gas means that there’s been little reason from the consumer’s point of view 359 00:25:00,949 --> 00:25:04,653 to go with a heat pump if they have access to the gas grid. 360 00:25:04,653 --> 00:25:08,336 And since most really cold places have gas grids, 361 00:25:08,336 --> 00:25:13,680 at least where there’s the density to make it  work, it’s rational from a consumer’s perspective 362 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:15,901 to not bother with a heat pump. 363 00:25:15,901 --> 00:25:22,059 Because energy is energy, you can convert the units your natural gas is billed in (here that’s the therm) 364 00:25:22,059 --> 00:25:26,208 to the kilowatt hour and and make an apples-to-apples cost comparison. 365 00:25:26,208 --> 00:25:34,572 Here in Chicagoland, at least until recently gas has cost about a quarter what electricity does for the same amount of delivered energy. 366 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:39,306 That has meant that heat pumps basically never  made any sense here. 367 00:25:39,306 --> 00:25:49,680 Locally we need a consistent COP of 4 just to break even with the cost of gas, and attaining that is, frankly, hard.   368 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:50,829 Even now. 369 00:25:50,829 --> 00:25:53,575 But especially 20+ years ago. 370 00:25:53,575 --> 00:26:00,187 Around here, people just wanted air conditioning in the summer and already had some sort of cheap heat 371 00:26:00,187 --> 00:26:02,406 which a heat pump couldn’t touch on cost. 372 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:08,684 And so the typical air conditioning system in my climate is super basic. 373 00:26:08,684 --> 00:26:14,320 In most cases it’s a single-capacity, single-speed  system that is either on or off.   374 00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:20,000 And, of course, it’s tacked on to the gas-fired  heating system made by the same manufacturer.   375 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,920 Makes you wonder if they don’t want to  cannibalize their furnace sales, doesn't it? 376 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:28,820 Now, most all of these manufacturers do make reversible air conditioners 377 00:26:28,820 --> 00:26:30,895 and have for many years. 378 00:26:30,895 --> 00:26:37,807 But in general, they’re the same basic, one-speed, one-capacity condensing units that we install here, 379 00:26:37,807 --> 00:26:41,917 but equipped with a reversing valve and some sort of defrost timers. 380 00:26:41,917 --> 00:26:46,960 As a matter of fact, if you’ve ever wondered why a  thermostat terminal board has so many connections, 381 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:52,503 well the O terminal tells the condenser to reverse flow for heating. 382 00:26:52,503 --> 00:26:55,681 Now, those heat pumps, although they’re mediocre, 383 00:26:55,681 --> 00:26:59,722 work well-enough in the regions  of the US with milder climates, 384 00:26:59,722 --> 00:27:06,837 and those regions typically don’t have widespread gas infrastructure  so many homes are all-electric from the start. 385 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:12,597 These factors have combined to create little  reason for American HVAC manufacturers 386 00:27:12,597 --> 00:27:17,280 to develop their air conditioners into competent, cold-climate heat pumps. 387 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:22,531 And the lasting effect of all this is that we are  currently in a place 388 00:27:22,531 --> 00:27:27,714 where getting a cold-climate heat pump is just… not easy here. 389 00:27:27,714 --> 00:27:30,800 Even though we are pumping out heat pumps right and left. 390 00:27:31,360 --> 00:27:33,767 We make loads of air conditioners, 391 00:27:33,767 --> 00:27:39,723 but relatively few are made reversible and fewer still are equipped with the tech to make them heat 392 00:27:39,723 --> 00:27:42,216 when it gets Chicago-levels of cold. 393 00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:46,998 This limited supply, combined with the sudden interest in heat pumps, 394 00:27:46,998 --> 00:27:52,995 has led to many suppliers and installers charging rather absurd premiums for these systems - 395 00:27:52,995 --> 00:27:56,333 if you can even get them to give you a quote. 396 00:27:56,333 --> 00:27:57,793 Let me tell you a story. 397 00:27:57,793 --> 00:28:00,560 A friend of mine had their AC unit die last summer. 398 00:28:01,120 --> 00:28:07,375 Their heat source is propane which, while cheaper than electricity, isn’t that much cheaper. 399 00:28:07,375 --> 00:28:11,212 I suggested that they should look into  getting a Mitsubishi hyper heat unit, 400 00:28:11,212 --> 00:28:16,720 and I helped arrange quotes from the local HVAC company who is one of Mitsubishi’s authorized contractors. 401 00:28:17,360 --> 00:28:19,666 A basic replacement of the air conditioner, 402 00:28:19,666 --> 00:28:22,655 including a new evaporator coil and lineset, 403 00:28:22,655 --> 00:28:24,942 was quoted at $3,000. 404 00:28:24,942 --> 00:28:30,875 This option would continue to use the existing furnace as the air handler - and thus propane for heat. 405 00:28:30,875 --> 00:28:33,647 A three-head ductless system from Mitsubishi— 406 00:28:33,647 --> 00:28:37,557 a perfect solution for their small home in a number of ways! 407 00:28:37,557 --> 00:28:38,834 —would cost… 408 00:28:38,834 --> 00:28:41,811 more than $12,000. 409 00:28:41,811 --> 00:28:44,616 That’s a gigantic price difference! 410 00:28:44,616 --> 00:28:49,581 And if we dig a little into it, we find what can only be described as greed. 411 00:28:49,581 --> 00:28:56,192 Yes, the equipment from Mitsubishi is expensive compared to  the commodity grade Carrier equipment in the other quote. 412 00:28:56,192 --> 00:28:59,647 But it’s not $9000 more expensive. 413 00:28:59,647 --> 00:29:05,231 This online wholesaler would sell me similar equipment for about $5,500 shipped. 414 00:29:05,231 --> 00:29:11,323 Let’s say that with the linesets and a few other ancillary things the equipment cost is $6500. 415 00:29:11,323 --> 00:29:19,407 Now I know that mounting wall units and drilling holes for them is more and different work than what is required to replace a condenser and lineset, 416 00:29:19,407 --> 00:29:23,067 but I can’t see it being $6000 worth of work. 417 00:29:23,067 --> 00:29:27,311 Especially when I did it myself that one time in a day, learning as I went. 418 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:32,080 Actually, when you consider that the technician  who ended up replacing the air conditioner 419 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,082 needed torches for brazing, 420 00:29:34,082 --> 00:29:41,209 had to run copper lines through utility spaces rather than the exterior of the building as they would have for the ductless install, 421 00:29:41,209 --> 00:29:50,200 and needed to fit a new evaporator coil into a cramped space above the furnace which ended up taking pretty much an entire work day to complete, 422 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:57,814 I can honestly say that I feel like installing the three head system would have been easier for an experienced technician. 423 00:29:57,814 --> 00:30:04,865 And, by the way, there was already sufficient electrical power at the location for the outside unit. 424 00:30:04,865 --> 00:30:08,182 I will admit I’m not in the HVAC business, 425 00:30:08,182 --> 00:30:14,859 but my gut tells me the company could have made  more money on that job in the end if they quoted it at $9000 426 00:30:14,859 --> 00:30:19,146 - a much easier-to-swallow price that  made the payback period reasonable - 427 00:30:19,146 --> 00:30:23,691 but trying to get another $3000 out of it lost them the sale. 428 00:30:23,691 --> 00:30:29,667 If I were to guess, that company puts a fixed percentage markup on all the equipment they sell 429 00:30:29,667 --> 00:30:33,116 which I would not call savvy, but that’s just me. 430 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:37,032 Now if you think that’s bad, here’s a real head scratcher. 431 00:30:37,032 --> 00:30:39,319 My brother lives in San Diego. 432 00:30:39,319 --> 00:30:43,645 If you don’t know, San Diego… really doesn’t get cold. 433 00:30:43,645 --> 00:30:51,206 And for some silly reason, his home has central AC with a gas furnace - pretty much the same system you’d find here in Illinois. 434 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:57,726 Electricity is very expensive there, yes, but  there’s just hardly a need for heating. 435 00:30:57,726 --> 00:31:02,051 He tells me he and his partner used the furnace for just  four days this winter. 436 00:31:02,051 --> 00:31:08,756 He wanted to get quotes to replace his aging AC with a heat pump, and the first company that came out? 437 00:31:08,756 --> 00:31:15,440 First, they said he’d probably want an expensive hybrid fuel system  so he could keep using gas for backup which…   438 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:16,186 no. 439 00:31:16,818 --> 00:31:17,739 No. 440 00:31:17,739 --> 00:31:22,101 And second, the quote they gave him for a Lennox heat pump and air handler? 441 00:31:22,101 --> 00:31:25,693 It came in at over $16,000. 442 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:28,240 And that was the cheap option from this company. 443 00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:33,990 I know that’s California, maybe there are some  weird permitting costs, but c’mon. 444 00:31:33,990 --> 00:31:39,871 My brother would be perfectly served with a reversible 2-ton  system, maybe three at most. 445 00:31:39,871 --> 00:31:45,388 He does not need a hybrid system, and he certainly doesn’t need a true cold-climate heat pump. 446 00:31:45,388 --> 00:31:51,132 And thanks to the Internet, we know that the equipment cost for a 16 SEER 2.5 ton system 447 00:31:51,132 --> 00:31:56,138 is probably less than $3000 - I mean, these people are making their money, too. 448 00:31:56,138 --> 00:31:59,016 Plus the lineset and whatever other miscellaneous stuff. 449 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:04,025 I cannot see the quote he got as anything  but a dishonest company 450 00:32:04,025 --> 00:32:11,231 taking advantage of someone looking to install a “trendy” heat pump,  and just hoping they don’t know what that is. 451 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:18,106 This is probably happening all across the country, and indeed the world, and it sucks. 452 00:32:18,106 --> 00:32:22,800 Heat pumps are not miracle machines, they’re not even new tech! 453 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:28,790 And installing one is either much the same  process as the air conditioners we’ve been installing for many decades 454 00:32:28,790 --> 00:32:32,066 or potentially easier as is the case for mini-splits. 455 00:32:32,066 --> 00:32:38,800 I mean, I would not go out and buy a torch, some gas bottles,  and learn how to braze copper piping on my own, 456 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:42,407 but I was pretty confident I could tackle  a few pre-formed flare fittings. 457 00:32:42,653 --> 00:32:43,364 And I did! 458 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:45,170 Hi, it’s me again. 459 00:32:45,170 --> 00:32:48,162 I gotta cover a few more things in voiceover before the end. 460 00:32:48,162 --> 00:32:51,398 First, to make the last few minutes more explicit, 461 00:32:51,398 --> 00:32:58,279 the obfuscation of equipment pricing by installers is a serious problem and one that, well, 462 00:32:58,279 --> 00:33:00,542 I couldn’t tell you how to solve. 463 00:33:00,542 --> 00:33:05,932 Businesses are gonna business, but a real danger here that’s worth a hard look into 464 00:33:05,932 --> 00:33:12,858 is that many of the incentives we currently use to push people towards better equipment such as rebates for installing it 465 00:33:12,858 --> 00:33:16,122 are ripe for abuse by these installers. 466 00:33:16,122 --> 00:33:22,025 Whatever savings the rebate might bring can simply evaporate if the installer builds it into the quote, 467 00:33:22,025 --> 00:33:26,650 and when they’re inventing their own markups on equipment cost, anything goes. 468 00:33:26,650 --> 00:33:31,092 It would be great if everyone  could simply purchase their own equipment directly 469 00:33:31,092 --> 00:33:33,983 and then hire installers for their labor only, 470 00:33:33,983 --> 00:33:41,360 but a lot of rebate programs make this impossible and of course few people have the expertise to determine the equipment they need. 471 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:49,358 The best thing I can do is remind everybody that  heat pumps are just air conditioners and are not actually special. 472 00:33:49,358 --> 00:33:53,256 Hopefully the more people  that know this, the less gouging will occur. 473 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:58,792 Alright, and the other thing I need to talk about  is the wrinkle that is subpar ductwork. 474 00:33:58,792 --> 00:34:04,397 Thanks to the operational limits of heat pumps, airflow may  become a challenge in existing homes 475 00:34:04,397 --> 00:34:06,445 thanks to ductwork restrictions. 476 00:34:06,445 --> 00:34:13,055 As amazing as refrigeration is, the refrigerant can only get so hot - it’s a function of the system pressure. 477 00:34:13,055 --> 00:34:19,301 And that means you need a greater volume of air moving over the heat exchanger to get all that heat out. 478 00:34:19,301 --> 00:34:25,119 Ductless systems don’t pose a challenge here because the heads are designed to attain a certain heat output 479 00:34:25,119 --> 00:34:29,413 and the heat exchanger is huge compared to the air it needs to move. 480 00:34:29,413 --> 00:34:36,801 But when you’re dealing with a relatively small coil shoved into some ductwork, you need as much airflow as you can get - 481 00:34:36,801 --> 00:34:40,857 and regrettably often, the ductwork wasn’t designed with that in mind. 482 00:34:40,857 --> 00:34:45,895 A furnace which heats with fire can make the air leaving it extremely hot, 483 00:34:45,895 --> 00:34:51,235 so the ducts didn’t need to be designed for the  same volume of air as is ideal with a heat pump. 484 00:34:51,235 --> 00:34:56,162 It's the same problem with undersized radiators in countries that don't use ducting. 485 00:34:56,320 --> 00:35:00,045 But, to be clear, this is a situational problem. 486 00:35:00,045 --> 00:35:04,857 Your ductwork could be just fine for a heat pump without any reconfiguration. 487 00:35:04,857 --> 00:35:09,228 One possibility is to simply force more air through them with a stronger blower, 488 00:35:09,228 --> 00:35:12,523 but that has limitations and can get noisy. 489 00:35:12,523 --> 00:35:15,045 But even if it is a problem in your case, 490 00:35:15,045 --> 00:35:20,020 the good news is that a situational problem can be dealt with situationally. 491 00:35:20,020 --> 00:35:28,376 It might be that to match the output of your current heating system, you’d need to have a much larger heat pump than your existing air conditioner. 492 00:35:28,376 --> 00:35:33,232 I saw someone on Twitter bring up that they were told they’d need a 5 ton heat pump 493 00:35:33,232 --> 00:35:38,143 (which is 60,000 BTU/hr or 17.5 kW by the way) 494 00:35:38,143 --> 00:35:42,629 but their ducts were sized only for a 3 ton air conditioner. 495 00:35:42,629 --> 00:35:47,600 So, they were told the only path  to a heat pump was expensive ducting upgrades. 496 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:52,919 But I say - don’t let “but sometimes” thinking stop you! 497 00:35:52,919 --> 00:35:57,375 The fact is you rarely need the full output of a heating system anyway. 498 00:35:57,375 --> 00:36:01,889 Around here they all seem to be oversized by a factor of about 2. 499 00:36:01,889 --> 00:36:06,270 So it could be that even if you’ll only be able to have a 3 ton heat pump, 500 00:36:06,270 --> 00:36:09,683 that's gonna be all you need for the majority of the winter anyway. 501 00:36:09,683 --> 00:36:12,955 I can tell you that this is exactly the boat that I’m. 502 00:36:12,955 --> 00:36:21,521 My 70 thousand BTU furnace only runs about half the time even when it’s well below zero outside, so, a three ton heat pump 503 00:36:21,521 --> 00:36:27,503 - which is 36,000 BTU - would actually be more than enough almost all the time. 504 00:36:27,503 --> 00:36:30,880 And by the way, this problem might very well be temporary. 505 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:35,106 With new refrigerants and technologies  on the horizon, who knows what’s possible. 506 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:41,144 From what I can tell, there’s regrettably a lot of  old-school thinking permeating the trade. 507 00:36:41,144 --> 00:36:46,000 Some of it is understandable - it’s hard to explain  to customers all the nuances involved here,   508 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:49,649 and they just want an HVAC system that works. 509 00:36:49,649 --> 00:36:52,988 But some of it is also... just weird! 510 00:36:52,988 --> 00:36:57,382 My friend’s quote for a three-head mini split  seems absolutely bonkers to me, 511 00:36:57,382 --> 00:37:04,400 but it’s become clear from conversations I’ve  had that lots of HVAC companies are charging similar amounts. 512 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:07,760 They’re seemingly allergic to mini-splits for some reason,   513 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:12,911 which is a real shame since they’re a great option  when you have limitations like poor ductwork.   514 00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:20,480 We’re entering a strange new phase of indoor  comfort - much of it is the same, but refined.   515 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:24,820 And yet there are also entirely new opportunities to be found. 516 00:37:24,820 --> 00:37:28,830 We just need equipment to get a little bit better, easier to obtain, 517 00:37:28,830 --> 00:37:33,040 and for companies to sell it to you and to do the work for a fair price. 518 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:36,700 OK, I’m starting to run out of hot air. 519 00:37:36,700 --> 00:37:40,437 So I want to talk about a couple more things before the jazz hits. 520 00:37:40,437 --> 00:37:43,087 First, ambient noise. 521 00:37:43,087 --> 00:37:47,840 Heat pumps, unfortunately, make noise and this has some people worried. 522 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:51,920 Now, for the record, and I know this  doesn’t make it right or anything,   523 00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:57,153 we’re surrounded by pretty loud heat pumps in the summer and we’re… 524 00:37:57,153 --> 00:37:58,576 mostly alright. 525 00:37:58,576 --> 00:38:04,257 However, modern heat pumps are so much quieter  than the air conditioners we’re used to now. 526 00:38:04,257 --> 00:38:06,946 Some of that is simply because they don’t do the whole 527 00:38:06,946 --> 00:38:09,451 [imitates A/C starting] 528 00:38:09,451 --> 00:38:12,931 thing old-fashioned AC units do when they startup. 529 00:38:12,931 --> 00:38:18,549 That’s when you notice an air conditioner the most - once it’s running, you tend to just filter it out. 530 00:38:18,549 --> 00:38:22,366 Inverter-driven compressors have a slow ramp-up in speed, 531 00:38:22,366 --> 00:38:24,813 and you basically don’t even notice it. 532 00:38:24,813 --> 00:38:27,375 Plus, aside from the whole hard start thing, 533 00:38:27,375 --> 00:38:29,790 they’re just much quieter in general. 534 00:38:29,790 --> 00:38:34,421 Mostly because unless it’s so cold or so hot that it needs to give it all it’s got, 535 00:38:34,421 --> 00:38:37,694 it’s running at a slow, barely-audible speed. 536 00:38:37,694 --> 00:38:43,895 Like this. This is me talking to you in my normal speaking voice right next to a heat pump. 537 00:38:43,895 --> 00:38:46,720 And this one is actually working pretty hard right now. 538 00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:50,713 Let’s wait ‘til it gets to temperature and see  how much quieter it gets. 539 00:38:50,713 --> 00:38:58,236 OK, so now the indoor temperature is at the set point and the heat pump has slowed down to basically an idle speed.   540 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:02,223 The great thing about the inverter compressor  technology that you find 541 00:39:02,223 --> 00:39:07,757 even in pretty cheap heat pumps like this is that they will  operate at whatever capacity 542 00:39:07,757 --> 00:39:10,193 they need to for the given load. 543 00:39:10,193 --> 00:39:13,670 Rather than run for 10 minutes and stay off for 30, 544 00:39:13,670 --> 00:39:16,788 this can actually run at 25% output. 545 00:39:16,788 --> 00:39:20,617 That means it’s less disruptive because  you don’t hear it starting and stopping. 546 00:39:20,617 --> 00:39:23,937 But it also just means it’s quieter from the start. 547 00:39:23,937 --> 00:39:29,472 This is the ambient noise level that this heat pump operates at for the vast majority of the time. 548 00:39:29,472 --> 00:39:35,517 The only thing you notice in the winter is when it defrosts you hear it stop, start, stop, and start again. 549 00:39:35,517 --> 00:39:38,072 So, while I [clunk as compressor stops]... 550 00:39:38,072 --> 00:39:40,078 Oh it just stopped [laughs]. 551 00:39:40,078 --> 00:39:47,089 So while I understand that people are concerned about the outdoor ambient environment and the additional noise, 552 00:39:47,089 --> 00:39:49,621 it’s honestly not as bad as you might think. 553 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:53,611 I saw a Tweet about someone looking to install a  heat pump in Seattle 554 00:39:53,611 --> 00:39:58,644 but they were told it would be illegal thanks to strict noise ordinances. 555 00:39:58,644 --> 00:40:01,586 Uh, guys, ya gotta update those. 556 00:40:01,586 --> 00:40:07,767 I mean, for one, I kinda doubt a good mini-split  would actually violate that ordinance, but if it does - 557 00:40:07,767 --> 00:40:10,520 well, looks like there’s an ordinance we gotta toss out! 558 00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:15,709 Not only are they just not that loud anymore, but if slightly louder outdoor environments 559 00:40:15,709 --> 00:40:20,604 are the price we have to pay to help reduce carbon emissions and increase energy independence, 560 00:40:20,604 --> 00:40:23,505 I think it’s worth it, don’t you? 561 00:40:23,505 --> 00:40:28,946 If NIMBYs get in the way of installing  heat pumps, may god have mercy on our souls… 562 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:32,694 Lastly, let’s talk about packaged heat pumps. 563 00:40:32,694 --> 00:40:39,343 They exist, but right now seem to have some performance challenges which, well I’m not surprised by. 564 00:40:39,343 --> 00:40:46,343 One very common packaged heating and cooling thingy is the PTAC, which stands for packaged terminal air conditioner. 565 00:40:46,343 --> 00:40:51,106 If you’ve ever stayed in a low-to-medium tier hotel in the US, 566 00:40:51,106 --> 00:40:57,349 you’re probably familiar with the beige lump of cooling sitting below the window - that’s a PTAC. 567 00:40:57,349 --> 00:41:00,772 They’re also kinda common in certain residential settings, too. 568 00:41:00,772 --> 00:41:06,261 Luckily, the PTAC has been developed into the PTHP, or packaged terminal heat pump. 569 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:13,481 Right now, NEEP barely has any data on these and  what they do have isn’t… great… 570 00:41:13,481 --> 00:41:21,440 the PTAC is a design optimized more for ease-of-installation by way of standardization than objective performance. 571 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:24,863 Hotels love them because they can be swapped  out in minutes 572 00:41:24,863 --> 00:41:31,267 and just by keeping a few spares on-hand, out-of-order rooms due to heating and cooling issues can be largely avoided. 573 00:41:31,267 --> 00:41:35,146 Until recently these provided heat via resistive heating elements, 574 00:41:35,146 --> 00:41:38,748 but lately the refrigeration circuits are becoming reversible. 575 00:41:38,748 --> 00:41:42,386 I suspect these are going to have some upper performance boundaries because, 576 00:41:42,720 --> 00:41:45,581 well, their design is quite a compromise. 577 00:41:45,581 --> 00:41:48,712 If you actually were to remove the PTAC from its sleeve, 578 00:41:48,712 --> 00:41:55,032 you’d discover that the PTAC is the only thing separating the inside from the outside - 579 00:41:55,032 --> 00:41:59,280 that vent you see from the outside of a building that utilizes PTACs 580 00:41:59,280 --> 00:42:02,325 is literally a large hole in the wall. 581 00:42:02,325 --> 00:42:03,840 PTACs are really more like… 582 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:10,240 the guts of a window unit made to slide into  a standard sleeve, with strip heaters, too. 583 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:17,760 It's likely the case that buildings which currently  use PTACs would be better off to de-PTAC.   584 00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:23,440 Hotels might consider replacing banks of 10 or  15 rooms with a large roof-mounted VRF system,   585 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:27,280 and apartments might want to convert to ductless mini-splits.   586 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:35,260 Actually, my old apartment building would be much better served by ductless heat pumps. 587 00:42:35,260 --> 00:42:39,289 With the bathrooms on interior walls,  I would only have needed a three-head system for my two-bedroom apartment. 588 00:42:39,289 --> 00:42:41,106 Two small heads for the bedrooms, 589 00:42:41,106 --> 00:42:44,642 and a large one for the living room, kitchen, and dining area. 590 00:42:44,642 --> 00:42:46,000 Speaking of my old apartment… 591 00:42:46,720 --> 00:42:50,644 Another less-common packaged system is the… 592 00:42:50,644 --> 00:42:54,973 well actually I don’t know what its non-trade-name is but the MagicPack. 593 00:42:54,973 --> 00:42:58,998 This thing is a packaged furnace and AC system. 594 00:42:58,998 --> 00:43:04,864 Kind of a clever idea, but anyone who has to replace one of these - you have my sympathies. 595 00:43:04,864 --> 00:43:10,298 They’re not made by many manufacturers and you’re pretty much stuck with a single option. 596 00:43:10,298 --> 00:43:14,453 But apartment buildings in my area are still getting built to use them - 597 00:43:14,453 --> 00:43:18,993 it’s obvious from the outside because they have a very particular vent arrangement. 598 00:43:18,993 --> 00:43:23,029 I imagine these will have the same airflow issues as PTHPs, 599 00:43:23,029 --> 00:43:28,000 so again, buildings which use these  might be best served by mini-splits. 600 00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:32,061 And then of course, there’s the venerable window  unit. 601 00:43:32,061 --> 00:43:36,879 These… actually could probably be turned into pretty decent heat pumps. 602 00:43:36,879 --> 00:43:40,972 The bigger issue there is that window units, as a rule, 603 00:43:41,200 --> 00:43:45,185 aren’t making a good seal between inside and outside. 604 00:43:45,185 --> 00:43:50,323 So while a window unit-esque cold-climate heat pump can certainly be built, 605 00:43:50,323 --> 00:43:56,366 it would probably be better if it were put through a wall and sealed up with expanding foam. 606 00:43:56,366 --> 00:44:02,895 And I suppose at that point you’re just re-inventing the PTAC, but with perhaps better outside airflow. 607 00:44:02,895 --> 00:44:05,030 This is why mini-splits are pretty cool. 608 00:44:05,030 --> 00:44:09,261 Oh, and yes I’ve seen that neat-looking low-profile heat pump thingy. 609 00:44:09,261 --> 00:44:15,704 I’ll be interested in its performance numbers, because assuming they’re good and you can seal it and the window up well-enough, 610 00:44:15,704 --> 00:44:18,160 that could be a very powerful idea for certain places. 611 00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:21,818 But for now, I think we can leave it here. 612 00:44:21,818 --> 00:44:26,578 Remember, heat pumps aren’t some miracle tech we’ve never played with before. 613 00:44:26,578 --> 00:44:32,860 We’ve been using the technology for ages, and there are many directions we can take it from here. 614 00:44:32,860 --> 00:44:40,057 One fun one that so far hasn’t been seen much outside of Japan is the use of supercritical carbon dioxide as  a refrigerant. 615 00:44:40,057 --> 00:44:42,240 Over there it’s called EcoCute, 616 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:44,487 and I’m not kidding. 617 00:44:44,487 --> 00:44:52,944 Even now, though, we’ve got incredibly powerful and relatively easy-to-deploy options sitting at our feet. 618 00:44:52,944 --> 00:44:55,941 We may disagree on how best to move forward. 619 00:44:55,941 --> 00:45:02,065 And however we do it, it will take time and a lot of effort to get us where we need to go. 620 00:45:02,065 --> 00:45:04,065 But when has that ever stopped us? 621 00:45:04,451 --> 00:45:05,780 Thanks for watching. 622 00:45:06,587 --> 00:45:09,246 ♫ egregiously smooth jazz ♫ 623 00:45:10,861 --> 00:45:12,484 I’m certain something needs to… 624 00:45:12,484 --> 00:45:14,000 why’d I emphasize “should” like that? 625 00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:21,323 Well, we went a while without needing retakes and  now we’re at this line which is taking forEVER.  626 00:45:21,680 --> 00:45:25,874 Working on refrigeration equipment  yourself… ooooowhat? 627 00:45:26,857 --> 00:45:29,748 You can’t change the wording on the fly, you know that. 628 00:45:29,748 --> 00:45:32,033 But you can argue about…. Ugh. 629 00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:35,859 Yeah. 630 00:45:35,859 --> 00:45:38,347 That was a decent take. But I still wanna do another one. 631 00:45:38,347 --> 00:45:39,978 Finally. 632 00:45:39,978 --> 00:45:42,313 Ugghhhhh 633 00:45:42,313 --> 00:45:44,656 don’t do that. Don’t do that. 634 00:45:45,253 --> 00:45:48,103 [a series of really strange noises] 635 00:45:48,454 --> 00:45:50,435 [whoop… whoop …. whoop] 636 00:45:50,435 --> 00:45:51,220 [snorts] 637 00:45:51,536 --> 00:45:54,080 As a matter of fact, I didn’t even consider a uni… 638 00:45:56,960 --> 00:46:00,718 They can go through attics or wall cavities, they can be rung al.... 639 00:46:01,350 --> 00:46:03,842 I just… did it a gain. Run! Not rung. 640 00:46:04,720 --> 00:46:07,169 Rung…. is on a ladder! 641 00:46:07,169 --> 00:46:10,394 A couple of caveats. First, I have… 642 00:46:11,412 --> 00:46:12,618 FURST! 643 00:46:12,640 --> 00:46:15,105 Is that, was that weird?  Probably would’ve been OK. 644 00:46:17,527 --> 00:46:21,194 Did you like how I put stock footage of ducks over the part where I was talking about ductwork? 645 00:46:21,194 --> 00:46:23,884 If you didn't think that was deliberate you were sorely mistaken. 646 00:46:23,884 --> 00:46:28,367 In fact, I almost decided to try and make every piece of stock footage some kinda pun on whatever I was talking about, but I couldn't be bothered. 647 00:46:28,367 --> 00:46:31,430 This video really was a slog at times. 648 00:46:31,430 --> 00:46:33,475 Next, something that isn't heat pumps!