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this post was submitted on 27 Jul 2023
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I've never felt more stupid in my life, but i only just realized that the "AC unit" in my condo can also heat in the winter
I also have electric baseboard heaters. Which is more efficient? The heat pump? Or the baseboard heaters? I'm going to try using the heat pump this winter
Baseboard heating is 100% efficient but heat pumps can be up to 400% efficient. Depending on model and outside temperature. This is because hear pump is not generating heat its just moving it from one place to another. In AC mode from inside to outside of house and in heating mode from outside to inside.
I'm no engineer but I'm certain there is no such thing as 100% efficiency, let alone 400% lol
Mechanical engineer here!
What the OP is referring to as "Efficiency" is what's known in the industry as COP (coefficient of performance).
A system's COP is equal to the amount of useful heat energy supplied or removed by the system divided by the amount of energy used to do that work.
If your heat pump uses 10 Joules of electrical energy to move 40 Joules of heat energy from the outside into your house, that heat pump is operating at a COP of 4 (or 400%).
Only heat pumps can have a COP of >1, due to conservation of energy. A traditional gas or electric heater uses combustion or electrical resistance to lossily convert electrical or chemical energy into heat energy.
So he's not talking about efficiency.
Please explain to the down voting morons why 100% efficiency is impossible.
If everyone in the world had an engineering degree the distinction might have been important, but complaining about it in this context is just pedantic.
I really don't agree with that. "Baseboard heaters are 100% efficient" is an objectively false statement. And efficiency is a very common and basic concept that doesn't require a degree to understand.
I think instead of just dismissing it as pedantic, people could learn something.
Maybe try looking it up.
@nebula @Rodeo
Here’s how to compare baseboards to heat pumps.
Baseboards create heat through resistive loads. As all the energy creates heat, you can say they are 100% efficient, but that is misleading if you take that to be good.
Heat pumps simply move heat, in either direction, to heat, or cool, and they do this using 1/3rd the energy.
Today’s heat pumps work at much lower air temperatures, can also use ground loops, or exchange heat from water bodies. #HeatPumps
It works out that way because the heat pump isn't putting energy into making heat, it's just compressing a gas.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7J52mDjZzto
This video explains it better than I can.
It's in relation to a standard ac unit. It's capable of doing the same work with 1/4 the power or at the same power do 4x the work.
Thanks for the info. Will try it out this winter
Is it actually a heat pump, or just an AC with a heating element as well. That's what mine is.
Yeah, my old furnace had an AC on the outside, but electric heat coils on the inside.
The only big perk was that it acted like a dehumidifier in the winter - since I switched to a heat pump, I've had to put a dehumidifier in the basement.
It says "split type heat pump"
That just means it's got 2 separate parts inside and outside connected by refrigerant lines (i.e. not a window unit that's all one piece). Most AC-only units would also be considered "split type".
Ah, more than likely a proper heat pump then.
It's not unheard of, but uncommon to have resistive heating in a split unit.
Fun fact: The only real difference between a heat pump and a plain AC is a reversing valve to change the direction of refrigerant flow. Resistive heating is just cheaper to manufacture and not enough people think about the long term cost.
Heat pumps are 300% to 500% efficient
IOW: you get more heat energy out of a heat pump than the electrical energy put in.
Electric heaters are only 100% efficient
Use both stay warm
I've always relied solely on my AC for both my summer and winter needs. I'm also interested in learning what may be a more efficient option.
Direct electrical heating will always be less efficient because it’s 1 kWH of power = 1 kWH of heat. ACs are air-air heat pumps where in my country „heat pumps“ refer to water-air or water-soil heat pumps. Since they are literally pumping heat from one place to another, they are up to 5x more efficient than any infrared heater or electrical furnace
That makes sense. Thanks. A water-air heat pump looks worth considering.