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I am looking at putting in an air source heat pump. My biggest concern is placement - the units would be on the back of the house, otherwise it would cost a lot more to run everything to the front.
I live in central
mass, and we get pretty deep snow sometimes. It is going to be a major challenge to have to go out every time it gets deep and clear away the snow. So I want to minimize the need to do that. I would definitely built a small roof over it. But the drifting snow will still present a challenge. What have other people done to try and minimize the amount of snow that comes up against the heat pump? I know they need air circulation.
I am looking at putting in an air source heat pump. My biggest concern is placement - the units would be on the back of the house, otherwise it would cost a lot more to run everything to the front.
I live in central
mass, and we get pretty deep snow sometimes. It is going to be a major challenge to have to go out every time it gets deep and clear away the snow. So I want to minimize the need to do that. I would definitely built a small roof over it. But the drifting snow will still present a challenge. What have other people done to try and minimize the amount of snow that comes up against the heat pump? I know they need air circulation.
Could you do what people do here in the flood zone and put it on a platform 3/4 feet off the ground? I've seen them as high as 10 ft. off the ground depending on the BFE.
What is your current HVAC system? How old is the home?
There are several ways to improve efficiency… keep money in your pocket. Starting with what you have now- and improving it with the least amount of money, for the greatest return of your money.
Just throwing in a heat pump maynot be the “best” way- regardless of its location! I also question the timing of your dilemma- if you have enough snow on the ground that a heat pump would not work efficiently- would you not most likely be past the point of getting the most efficiency out of a heat pump?
I’m quite familiar with the operation of heat pumps and their efficiency of moving heat molecules, but you have a lot of holes in this endeavor.
The installers around here won't put it on anything but an approved stand (I think that has to do with the building codes). I'm really not up for a debate about heat pumps. I've got oil heat which costs a fortune. Can't do anything about insulation because of vermiculite. Switching to an electric hot water system would cost much more. I'm fortunate to live in one of the few towns with low electrical rates. So of the options available to me, that makes the most sense.
It is sounding like just a really large roof is about the best I can do.
The installers around here won't put it on anything but an approved stand (I think that has to do with the building codes). I'm really not up for a debate about heat pumps. I've got oil heat which costs a fortune. Can't do anything about insulation because of vermiculite. Switching to an electric hot water system would cost much more. I'm fortunate to live in one of the few towns with low electrical rates. So of the options available to me, that makes the most sense.
It is sounding like just a really large roof is about the best I can do.
The installers around here won't put it on anything but an approved stand (I think that has to do with the building codes). I'm really not up for a debate about heat pumps. I've got oil heat which costs a fortune. Can't do anything about insulation because of vermiculite. Switching to an electric hot water system would cost much more. I'm fortunate to live in one of the few towns with low electrical rates. So of the options available to me, that makes the most sense.
It is sounding like just a really large roof is about the best I can do.
At a certain point, the heat pump is going to be ineffective and the auxiliary heat system will kick in.
An approved stand that will keep it above the nominal snow depth.
OP, will you be retaining your oil heat(er) as a backup? If so, good idea - you'll have 'dual fuel' heating and can switch to whichever is more economical at the moment, and have oil-heat in reserve for deep-cold or power-outages, and the heat-pump will significantly stretch out how long you can go before having to re-fill oil tank (refill in summer at better rates?).
Also, there are heat-pumps with 'Hyper-Heat' function which can warm nicely down to -20 degrees outside - be sure to check all your options.
I live in Maine in a house built in 1885. The roof is a 12/12 pitch. What you need to do is put your heat pump on one end or the other. Snow will be much deeper on the sides. If you have an end that faces south, put it there. Put your recliner near it.
I'm in eastern MA and some 'code' requires our miniductless outdoor units to be x" off the ground (18"? I don't remember). Our installer puts them on 'skiis' - metal legs. Never had a problem even with deep snow. Have owned 3 units - with 3 separate outdoor units, different sides of the house, for about 15 years now. HTH.
(PS While installing the miniductless units (ours are heat and AC combos) didn't require a permit from the town, our local electric dept's MassSave did - to get the rebate the outdoor units had to be x" off the ground. So when I say 'code' I have no idea what code, but putting the units on a stand got us $$$ via a rebate from MassSave.)
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