The Cold Chill of the Heat Pump Reality

[rangerrebew]

The Cold Chill of the Heat Pump Reality
by Sallust 30 March 2025 7:00 PM

It may come as a surprise to the most dedicated eco warriors that heat pumps don’t last forever. Those installing them now are in for a nasty shock 15–20 years down the line when their costly noisy power-hungry government-subsidised outdoor heat exchangers come to the end of their lives and need replacing. There won’t be any grants or subsidies around then.

According to the Telegraph some of the early birds are already suffering from buyer’s remorse:

Peter and Anne Watts made headlines when they became one of around four British households to have an air-source heat pump fitted in 2008.

That Mr and Mrs Watts, 88 and 82 respectively, had installed a heat pump a decade before the likes of Boris Johnson seized upon them as the future of home heating was highly unusual.

“We had a reporter up from the local paper asking us about our solar panels and our heat pump,” recalls Mr Watts. “In the days afterwards, we got a call from the BBC – I thought it was a prank call from the neighbours.”

https://dailysceptic.org/2025/03/30/the-cold-chill-of-the-heat-pump-reality/

[MeganC]

Heat pumps are useless when it's actually cold outside.

[DefiantMassRINO]

Aren't heat pumps air conditioners in reverse?

When it's really cold and dry, there is no heat to pump.

The colder and dryer it is, the more electricity that is consumed.

In New England, that is problematic because we're overly dependent on natural has for electricity.  The limited supply of natural gas could not meet demands for both heating and electricity generation.  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has been warning about this for years as New England has shutdown coal, nuclear, and LNG facilities.

Diversification is necessary for risk management.  There should not be an over-dependence on any one source or fuel for electricity generation.

[roamer_1]

Heat pumps are useless when it's actually cold outside.

Not anymore. They always have worked even far below zero - They're just not able to extract enough heat to be sufficient in really cold temps. But most are now equipped with a supplemental electric element to make up the difference.

Yes it is more costly when the electric element is kicked in. But the savings throughout the rest of the year more than make up for it.B

When my furnace dies - which it will pretty soon - I will be replacing it with a heat pump, with the added benefit of central air, basically for free. That's my electric bill going way down in the summer, which more than makes up for any winter deficit. A deficit which, btw, doesn't count, because I largely heat with wood anyway.