Some plain info on the matter of heat pumps. Skipped a lot of pedantic detail and show a real world install that moved a large building from fossil gas to GHG Free heating.
I agree completely Bruce. We installed one 2 years ago in our 150 year old farm house ( insulation redone 25 years ago ) . It has made our home bearable on those hot humid days of summer in Eastern Ontario and cut my propane bill in half for the winter. I agree, They are awesome. Our electrical bill has only increased very moderately ( around $ 15 per month on an annual basis )✌.
I just bought a house that is equipped with a geothermal system. As I understand, it's basically a heat pump. Since this home is hundreds of miles away from my current home, I've spent little time in the new place. So far, my impressions of the system are mixed. First, the house is well built, and for the current climate conditions, well insulated. It appears to hold a steady temp. However, the geothermal system, as I've tried different settings like cooling or heating, I've noticed some oddities. If I want to heat, it seems to be a long cycle to start heating. Cooling seems to come much quicker. Then there's the noise. The system is in a basement, but it's the outlet vents that sound like a jet engine. It will be some time before I can fully assess what this new to me system is like. But, I'm having thoughts of just going back to a regular natural gas furnace and a/c system.
Yes, a heat pump. The part that is making the noise you mention sounds like the air handler part inside your house that takes the energy from the heat pump and distributes it. . A competent service person should be able to address this.
This guy is the typical homeowner. After 43 years in the HVAC industry I advise people to buy a brand name from a licensed contractor. The only reason heat pumps have become more efficient is due to variable speed compressors. The C.O.P.' is higher than with a constant speed compressor motor. Repair cost and warranty of parts is critical due to extreme cost of replacement parts. And a new twist maybe in the mix. See how many techs will stand outside in blizzard conditions to fix a broken one. Keep your fireplace and wood pile as a backup.
