Heat Pumps in 2024 | What You Should Know 

20 min of bullshit talk?

The lack of knowledge of most HVAC companies is amazing. Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland mostly uses heat pumps, with temperatures of -30 Centigrade common. In Maryland I tried to arrange an energy audit. The owner of the company asked what I wanted it for and I told him that I wanted to install a heat pump. He told me that heat pumps don't work in Maryland and that he had twenty years experience. As for geothermal pumps New York based Dandelion is putting them in for under $20k while Maryland charges over $50k

good information..glad to hear it happening in America finally..Peace from Ireland! Remember they work in Norway for last 40 years so they do work!

A few weeks ago we did a new HVAC system for our home. We live in a single story home of about 1500 square feet. We had a system composed of baseboard heating in the living area (big open floor plan with kitchen, family and living room as essentially one room) and two of the three other rooms. (Two bedrooms and an office) We then had a window unit in one bedroom and the office a 18000 BTU air unit in the wall of the living area. With no ductwork in the home we opted for a full ductless HVAC system. My initial plan was to use a single outdoor unit and then split to heads in the three rooms and the living area. After sitting down with the installers we decided to go with three separate external units. By doing this we do not need to run any condensation pumps, which is just one more thing that can go wrong. The living area has a single head attached to a 18000 BTU unit. The office is a single head on a 9000 BTU and the two bedrooms share an 18000 BTU external with a head in each room. The office was the problem child room for a number of reasons, it sits in the middle of the home and has real issues with cooling. The area is around 2000 square feet with three high powered computer systems running almost all the time. This means in the summer the office can be 10F to 20F warmer than the rest of the house EASILY, thus why I installed a window unit for just that room, initially. During the winter it needs substantially less heat. However the problem is the in between. When the outside temp in say 45 to 50 F it is not uncommon for the office to me in the low to mid 80F range. So we needed a way to keep the office cooled when the rest of the house might need to be warmed. This is where I got my first education on the heat pump system. It can only heat or cool at any time. So while a larger single unit with split heads might have sounded like the right idea, the office all but required us to look at separate system so it could switch between heating and cooling modes independent of the rest of the house. The other three "zones" are at opposite ends of the home and to avoid a lot of runs through the attic we choose to go with each end of the house on a separate unit. The result has been outstanding. We are drawing less than half the total daily KW usage with this system than we have drawn on similar temp days for the last year. The house has a stable temp, while we can independently control each room we keep the same temp house wide. There are no "hotspots" in the home on COLD mornings. You know those places near a heater where the air is much warmer. The whole house has a uniform feel to the air. I live at the South end of Illinois, where the Mississippi and Ohio meet, so we see some cold but nothing crazy. The units we got are Carriers rated to 100% heat capability at down to -4F and 70% at -22F so more than enough to handle a typical winter. They are near silent and we could not be happier. I get the desire to have a single external unit, however there is a lot to be said for the efficiency and options multiple external units offer.

truly great video and better even the presentation thumbs up to you sir

Thanks Howard! I am so glad you continue to publish these videos. I'm about to purchase an older home in Northern Wisconsin that is only heated via a pellet stove... Yeah, that's what I thought. I'm going to be renovating and insulating to modern standards. And, updating / installing something that doesn't require me to feed Seymour so often! FYI I sent you a PM, as well.

I switched from gas ducted hearing to Panasonic split systems (and solar panels) and am saving easily $1200/yr. The AC payback time is 4 years and solar panels are 6 years. Split systems are controlled with an app on my phone. Such a great upgrade. My hot water is also a heat pump. (Australia).

I've been an HVAC tech for many years, and learned some things from this video. Nicely done. I won't mention brands, but the single stage units are a very good, all around type ACs (especially for hot climates like Phoenix, Yuma, Las Vegas, Indio, Palm Springs, etc), and in my opinion is nearly always a good long term option because of its simple basic design, which was mentioned in the video. Also, the inverter types are the most quiet in operation, but the single stage type are being manufactured with considerable noise reduction in design, especially compared to 10+ years ago.

Good job mate, covered a lot of info & scenario’s. Daiken inverter splits are a great choice and are very quiet. I think to consider buying a propane based system is also a big plus for efficiency.

Super grateful I found this video and you covered examples for rentals. I have to replace 2 HVAC units in my rental properties and was wondering if it was worth upgrading past the simple air source heat pump. I'm currently running furnace heating, but singe stage air source heat pump seems to be the way to go.

The key is to have a system that matches your load. DON'T OVERSIZE. Installers typically oversize because it makes them more $ and always provides enough capacity. However this capacity oversize comes with an enormous cost in efficiency. Always find what you building's heat loss is and match the system's capacity to that.

oh wow this is good to know about this monoblock system

If you have hydronic heat, an R290 cold climate monoblock heat pump can supply all your heating and cooling requirements in Canada. R290 is a superior refrigerant but because it is a hydrocarbon and flammable has not been used on whole house refrigeration/heat pump systems. Now that R290 monoblocks are available where all the refrigerant is contained outside the house, they are safe and more efficient than conventional split systems using R410a. They are UL and CSA approved and are even less expensive to build and operate than R410a due to the lower pressures and higher water temperatures possible even at outside temperatures down to -31C. Europe and Asia have already adopted R290 monoblock heat pumps and they are the future of hydronic heating/cooling.

Hi, great video as always. What is the difference between the Fit and VRV ? What would you recommend for costal Southern California 2500 sqft two story house?

Excellent information ! I have a Carrier Furnace and Carrier HVAC AC outside both installed in 2018 before I bought the home and i'm curious when do you think I should go with a dual fuel (HeatPump/Furnace combo) in Kansas (100F summers and some 0F and single digits during winter storms), should I run them until they are old and breaking down or should I change them sooner. Warranties are expired as the warranty papers were never filed so the warranty ended after 5 years on parts. I am also planning on going solar in a year or two (planning on it) so solar will help run the heat pump.

Another great Video . I'm in S Florida and recently installed a Daikin Fit Heat Pump and haven't had to have it on for heating and just a couple of days for cooling. I have it set to off and noticed that the outside unit does run occasionally which according to the installer is normal. Does that sound correct to you?'

We'd like to add an air source heat pump to our current gas furnace/AC ducted system. Our 3000 sf house was built in 2012, and we installed solar with battery in 2020. The original Carrier furnace is in good condition, but we're not sure if we should replace it at the same time. Our intention is to use the heat pump almost exclusively in this southern California climate, and reserve the furnace as a backup for power outages. We figure that the power draw on only an air handler for the furnace is low, so either the house battery can handle that, or in the event of limited solar production, the V to L battery on the Ioniq 5 can pick up the slack. Since the furnace will be used only sparingly, can it be replaced at a later date if necessary? What about the sizing of the heat pumps? There is a 4 ton and and 3 ton A/C unit in the current setup. We're thinking that with a dual fuel system, we could go smaller on the sizing. When I look for info about sizing to a design temperature, the figures I see for our county are 11° and 112°F. We've lived here for 35 years and never seen temperatures close to those. Anyway, your thoughts would be appreciated.

We just moved into our new home and we are getting solar panels put on in the next few months, so I was looking at options. I love the idea of a dual fuel system, especially if it can work with our existing furnace. Thanks for the video, if you service the Colorado Springs area let me know otherwise, if you have a referral for someone in my area, I would appreciate it.

If you put the outside unit of a air-sourced, single-stage heat pump underground, like in a detached cellar, it will operate over a wider range of outside temps.

Hello, I live in Calgary, AB, a very cold climate as we do reach -40F in the winter. My question is simple (I think?). Who makes the best performing CCASHP in the 3-5 ton range for this sort of climate? I’ve had a manual J completed and for heating it was at around 64,200 btu/hr and cooling it was around 30,350 btu/hr. (There is much latent cooling requirement in this area) I’ll be looking for a dual fuel system with a 3-4 ton ccASHP. So in heating I’ll be looking for units that have a performance curve that is flat as possible and reaches the coldest temperature possible before really starting to decline. It seems like a Daikin Fit Enhanced Enhanced is something that I should be looking at? But I’ve been told that the Mitsubishi HyperHeat H2i units probably offer the best overall cold climate heating performance?

Very informative video, thanks. I'm trying to replace my ancient (ducted) AC and gas furnace with a ducted heat pump. The installer has suggested a modulating inverter cold-climate heat pump but has said that if the system were sized for my heating load, it would be oversized for the cooling load, resulting in short cycling in the summer. He wants to size to the cooling load and cover the heating gap with gas or resistive heat. I thought that one benefit of the modulating inverter was that it can be sized for the heating load and simply modulate down during the summer. Is that right? I'm really hoping there's a way to adequately heat and cool-- with a heat pump-- a home in an area that gets hot summers and cold winters. The technology exists, right?

One big thing to remember is that most of the savings will be in shoulder season like spring and fall where you don't need to run the system at 100%. When that Noreaster or January cold snap comes it doesn't matter what you got. Steam, radiant floors, forced air etc. Your heating system is going to run at full throttle. To get a true sense of savings look at the energy usage for the previous year and the first year of the system. Don't install in January and be dissapointed that you didn't save money in February.

Sir. Great video. Quick question. We are building a custom home in Northeastern Wyoming where winter temps can average a low of -20 degrees F for prolonged periods of time; and summer temps can get as high as upper 80s. Why type of system do you recommend, and if you can include recommended vendors (ie Daikin or Trane, etc.). Thank you.

Can we pair a HEHP with oil furnace ? Where can we find out if the heat pump can be installed as add on vs heat pump to be installed as combo with its matching furnace.

Great video , but won't you also have to have a 200 amp service coming into your home. I know you mentioned solar but that too is a big expense. This is especially true if you are having an electric vehicle? For Canadians I think Insurance will make you have a furnace also if you want coverage. I don't know if that is the same for Geothermal. So you save money for 10 months of the year perhaps as oppose to 5 months of the year when we actually turn our furnace off. Not sure what system needs to be in place in order to prevent your hot water tank from using natural gas.

Awesome video. However, you are incorrect about the IRA tax incentives and rebates. The tax incentives are available now for anyone and you are correct most likely won’t be applicable to low income individuals. The rebates that are income dependent are an upfront rebate off of the purchase price so it becomes more affordable at the time of purchase or low to moderate income families. For low income individuals, the rebate is 100% of the total installed cost up to $8000. For median income individuals, the rebate is still an up front rebate and covers 50% of the total installed cost up to $8000. This is the intent from the federal level however, each state has the ability to implement it however they see fit. I am in Michigan and the rebate funds should be available later this year.

You didn't mention the new more efficient R290 (propane filled) heat pumps.

What would you recommend for a new construction home, about 2500 square feet in the Northeast? I'm looking for something reliable, 10+ year warranty and high efficiency. The home will be on natural gas. Thank you!

I believe the $8000 incentive is a rebate that is applied at the time of sale rather than as a tax credit. This explains the income requirement in that it incentivizes low income home owners who normally wouldn't be able to upgrade to a more efficient heat source to do so. Unfortunately the rebate program is being very slowly implemented and varies from state to state and is probably going to be influenced by political considerations.

My AC needs to be replaced and my furnace is 18 years old (still works). My HVAC guy recommended a heat pump (inverter) to cover both heating/cooling. I live in a condo (750 sq feet) and am pretty conservative with both heating and cooling, live in the Bay area. Is the decision to move towards a heat pump pretty no-brainer? I had estimate for AC + furnace installation and it pretty much cost wise was about the same (after federal tax and local rebates)

I have a 1800 square foot home and need a new AC. The SEER2 are higher than SEER. I have a 3 ton. Should I get another SEER: 15 vs SEER2: 15.2?

Does Daikin pay you for promoting their products on your platform? I’m in the SE considering changing out a 20 yr old tired 4 ton AC unit with an air handler with electric heat strips to a Daikin FIT heat pump. Looking for honest unbiased opinions.

I came to learn how heat pumps will get me off of that natural gas monopoly racket. It's cold, but I do not want dual fuel and no room for geothermal. What's plan C? What's the cold climate heat pump that actually works? Do I need an R290 or a C02 unit?

2-stage is for comfort, not primarily saving energy! the parts aren't always more expensive for 2-stage.

I'm building a new construction home in Strasburg VA. What Heat Pump brand would you recommend that's high value (Rheem? Carrier? Bosch? Lennox? Trane?)?

Plumber here.. Im very interested in these Monoblock systems... can you refer us to some products that are being used in north america? I cant seem to find any

Very good info but one thing you are leaving out is the expected life span of these heat pumps. In NE PA we have customers that are use to cast iron boilers with lifespans that exceed 50 years. Condensing boilers if run at lower temps have so far made it 20 years and I have a few that are even older although we have seen some miserable failures of some of the first ones. A/C units usually will give us 20 years of service here as well as gas furnaces and finally heat pumps usually only last 10 to 12 years if used for heating in our climate. Furnaces can go to 120k BTU and boilers exceeding 200k are commonplace but heat pumps only go to 60k which means many homes require two. Two high end heat pump systems that last 10 years definitely need the replacement cost figured in to the "cost" of operation. Monoblock systems seem to offer many advantages such as factory sealed refrigeration, simple PEX hydronics for floor heat and domestic, replacements can be installed with limited skill and also breakdowns that require opening the system can be performed in a heated shop and brought back to the home instead of trying to repair something in snow and freezing conditions. I have seen some of the CO2 units that can produce water over 150f. The monoblock system, because it is hydronic allows for multiple units tied into a single system if piped primary secondary including other boilers such as wood or fossil fuel as backup and redundancy.

I want a heat pump that can integrate with my oil boiler to use my baseboard heat and water heater. The hybrid water heaters are useless in Maine, where they steal their heat from an area you are paying to heat... but an outdoor unit wouldn't be doing that.

I’m not clear on how home owners are more gentle on HVAC systems. Do renters drive their cars into them on a regular basis? Just don’t install anything if it’s that risky.

Do inverter heat pumps require a different type of thermostat as compared to single stage and multistage heat pumps? Especially in regard to smart thermostats? My manufacturer says I need to use their thermostat since it's an inverter heat pump but it's clunky, ugly, and doesn't have great iOS/android app support. I'd prefer to use a Nest or Ecobee that supports multistage, but no one seems to have information about inverter heat pump related thermostats. Thanks!

I recently had a heat pump installed. My heating costs quadrupled over what I payed for oil fired hot air heat in 2023.

Most mini-splits have variable speed compressors anyway.

How efficient are they when it is -40C for a 2 week period? How efficient are they for a full winter period in Manitoba/Sask/AB in Canada?

how much does a monoblock system costs to a single stage system

I need 10 mini split air conditioners 5,000 btu for small rooms of 9sqm each.

The heat pump is simply the REFRIGERATION process. Refrigeration can appear to be like magic, meaning, the efficiency can be 300% or more. The amount of energy pumped can be 3 or more times the amount of energy required to do the pumping. The magic takes place in the condenser unit. The compressor compresses the refrigerant gas into a hot gas (not a liquid). When this hot gas flows through the condenser cooling coils, it condenses into a liquid. This change of state from a gas to a liquid is where the magic is. If the condenser cooling coils are large enough, not even a cooling fan is necessary to achieve this change of state.

most renters really dont take care of any property they may be renting because it is not theirs to worry about

you talk alot about people useing solar with the dakin fit .is it ac/dc dual voltage or are you talking about useing solar with a inverter to change voltage to ac

When will we see less expensive heatpumps?

I live in an old drafty house its not airtight like newer homes even with the work done insulation etc its still 100 years old I have wood and oil dual furnaces also a new pellet stove ..Electric bill is not so bad and i had hvac come in one day and try ( TRY) to sell me three heat pumps lol man I laughed so hard Big house like this and still not air tight could not imagine giving up my wood furnace for anything other than that no way ..I would freeze to death I am 72 and dont want to end my life this soon lol

My heat pump stops producing heat at minus 29C

aka "The DAIKIN FIT COMMERCIAL SHOW"

The IRA tax credits are refundable tax credits. As a result, the income requirements benefit the people with lower incomes the most. They’ll receive a tax refund for the entire amount of the tax credit, regardless of how much income tax they owe. It makes no sense to subsidize people who can afford to pay for the efficiency upgrades themselves.

We pay $.45-50 here in Commiefornia. No thanks. I’ll keep my MasterCool I’ve had for 20 years.

As a european viewer your hype about new products is a littlebit funny... These units have been sold for years here in Europe, but I'm assuming your main viewing group is from states. Never the less great technology and should be used ALOT more. I have air-to-air heatpump from 2019 for heating in fall, winter and spring and cooling in summer and air-to-water heatpump installed last fall for underfloorheating + preheating my hot water before electric boiler.

I'd love to watch but not with all the over-editing! I don't have ADHD. The zooms in and out and the cuts drive me crazy.

I found the comment about not doing something because you will not get a return because you rent it really sad. If you are not willing to invest in your tenants then get out of the game.

the word is coefficient , a math term.

This should not be named Heat Pumps in 2024. Instead call it how heat pumps work for dummies. Had to stop it and move on to a video that gets to the point of what is new in 2024.

There seems to be a lot of confusion between a tax "deduction" vs. a tax "credit". Let's say I quit working in 2023 and had no income and therefore no income taxes are due and I paid $0 in income tax. Now if I had purchased a qualifying heat pump for $6,000, I would have a $6,000 tax credit and uncle sam will send a $6,000 "refund" despite having paid no income tax for 2023. That's how a tax credit works.

1:45 Since when were air-source heat pumps 'revolutionary'? Those are standard heat-pumps fitted on millions of homes for many years, at least in Europe. I know air-air is more popular in the US, but these have been around a long time and are not 'revolutionary'!

Did AI write this script? All generalizations. C'mon ...

Very long

It was tough listening the incorrect use of words, and concepts, but when you moved on to suggesting crap products for "rentals", that was the line. Why dump huge energy bills on renters? Smart choices cost the same or less over their lifecycle. Why not make the home as efficient as possible and charge a bit higher rent, so that THE OWNERS essentially become the power company, and we save a bit of planet in the process, and all the other benefits of making a sane choice? Your mindset of crapping, or suggesting to crap, upon renters, and to be a lazy slumlord, pulls back the curtain of your ethos. Very, very sad to see this.

Wtf, this is hilarious. Air to water heatpumps and monobloc units have been around for years, “new this year”? Also inverter is the standard around the rest of the planet, and you can buy a 15000btu(7kw) inverter heatpump for less than $1000usd…

Too long man!

You are talking a lot but it doesn’t make any sense.

If you're above washington d.c. then don't bother.