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Why Heat Pumps Are the Future, and How Your Home Could Use One
(www.nytimes.com)
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this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2024
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I have a few people I know that installed heat pumps about 10 or 12 years ago, and they have failed at this point. The cost to repair is more than a new heat pump and they are just getting a standard Ac unit and using the backup gas furnace that has minimal hours on it as the main heat source now.
I feel like this is more inherent obsolescence of the companies making parts and not so much the tech itself?
It's definitely possible to buy low-quality appliances and end up with something which fails sooner than you'd want. That's true of every appliance out there.
There's a reason there are Consumer Reports reliability ratings for heat pumps — like they have for every other major appliance.
I agree that it might be a problem of lower-quality appliances. Anecdotally, mine is 20 years old and was repaired recently (some parts had to be manufactured as they don't make them anymore) and still works.
Is there an open alternative for Consumer Reports? The content of this link is blocked without a subscription it seems like. Thx!
There are other similar publications like the New York Times Wirecutter, but they're not generally available without a subscription.
I recommend paying a visit to your local library if you're thinking of buying a major appliance; in the US at least, libraries tend to have all the relevant subscriptions and can get you access.