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Point of view
Posted by HKestenholz on January 11th, 2005 11:43 AM
In reply to Good Point..... by Unregistered-Dodgeman on January 11th, 2005 11:03 AM [Go to top of thread]
I've recently discovered that laymen do not know what efficiency means. Most likely the marketing managers of companies do not know either.
Their meaning of efficiency means that the heater must heat them EFFECTIVELY, not cost much, and not operate at high cost. Thus the wood stove loses efficiency (not really) below freezing. It just isn't big enough to satisfy te heat loss below 21F (a balance point.)
A heat pump loses efficiency as the weather gets colder to the point of being useless at 10F when the electric strip heat is on. Electric strip heat is often the most expensive heat to use in many areas, especially when the electric backup heat of a heat pump comes on to make up for the heat pump's ACTUAL loss of efficiency as the temperature drops. The fact that ANY of the heat pumps made would be useless anchors when it is below 21F outside has no meaning if the electric backup heat that would cost the same no matter what brand is on and EFFECTIVELY heats the house.
The danger here is that the heat pump would be turned off while the wood stove can heat the house and only come on below 20F when the wood stove can't handle the needed heat any more. This is a known killer of heat pumps having to start with thickened oil and most of the refrigerant in the outside unit due to temperature migration.
If ductwork MUST be installed, then an electric furnace would be sufficient. Heat pumps are meant to be used when the wood stove can still provide adequate heat, above 30F which is much of the heating season, then backup heat is required, like the stove to make up the rest. The danger to the heat pump is that it might be used the other way around, during the coldest weather.
After spending big bucks to install ductwork, potentially leaky, to increase the need for heat, the stove would be less effective. Adding another wood stove would do the job, or adding electric baseboard to make up the difference would be economical where wood is free.
The perceived meaning of efficiency is an amusing dilemma.
www.heatpro.info heat/cool right-sizing
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