Is it true that heat pumps stop working when it gets very cold out?
Yes – but it would have to get very, very cold for a heat pump to stop working entirely.
Different models of heat pumps have different ratings for how cold it can be before they stop being effective. For the sake of this example, we will use the rating for a Mitsubishi Hyper Heat™ heat pump, which is rated to provide sufficient heat output down to -13 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat pumps are rated for “output.” In this example, when it is 30 degrees out, a heat pump will easily produce 100% of its output at the highest efficiency. However, as temperatures start dropping, output starts dropping as well – and when output starts dropping, the heat pump will “work harder” to keep your home at temperature. Much like having to put your foot on the gas to get your car up a steep hill, this is where efficiency rates of heat pumps start to drop – more energy is used to produce less output.
With the Mitsubishi Hyper Heat™ heat pump, the efficiency rate will start to drop at around 2 degrees Fahrenheit. At -2 degrees, you will get around 87% of the unit’s output. And at -13 degrees, you will get around 76% of the unit’s output. It is unclear at what temperature the unit will stop working entirely – we haven’t yet had a day cold enough to demonstrate that with the Hyper Heat™ heat pumps, though some Mitsubishi documentation suggests a stopping point of -18 degrees.
In older houses with less insulation, large amounts of heat loss, or drafts, a heat pump will also need to work harder to accommodate the rapid loss of heat due to these issues. However, newer homes often have outstanding insulation and are built to prevent heat loss – in these cases, the heat created by a heat pump is kept inside the home and helps the heat pump perform with greater efficiency.
Can I heat my home with heat pumps without any other heat source?
In certain warmer climates, heat pumps can be the sole source of winter heat. However, here in Maine, we recommend that most homes have either a primary or backup source of heat for very cold days or long periods of low temperatures during which heat pumps would have trouble recovering from heat loss. These other sources can be oil, gas, propane, electric or biomass, through True North suggests biomass wood pellet heat or natural gas heat for lower heating fuel costs and lower carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.
What is a heat pump water heater?
A heat pump water heater uses the same heat pump technology described above to heat a home’s domestic hot water. Heat pump water heaters are very well-insulated, and water can hold heat very well – as such, heat pump water heaters can provide hot water for a typical family of four at a very low operating cost, most often $15 or less per month.
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