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- America's dairyland
Heat pumps are AC units that have a reversing valve to provide heating through the refrigeration cycle, HERE. Sounds like most of these are heat only, so an AC unit without a reversing valve, but designed backwards to pull heat from the outdoors and pump it indoors. ASHP, Air Source Heat Pumps work good in mild climates, but have the issue of defrost in wet near freezing conditions, and drop off dramatically in cold weather (can get -40 here where air source heat pumps are mostly air to air so lower temp heat output than air to water, especially for radiators, and even more so for old radiators in old houses). GSHP, Ground Source Heat Pumps are expensive and rely on the installers knowledge because of the ground loop, borehole, water source etc. But GSHP aren't hurt in the COP by the outside temperature, but often need backup heat due to the higher heating demand.Five pages in and I'm not sure what a Heat pump is?
It seems it not what we call heat pumps in NZ, which are basically just AC units that heat as well. I've 2 in my house plus a log burner.
Hard to believe oil is preferred to ASHP in UK, here oil is competitive with resistance electric, if the climate was more suitable ASHP's would be cheaper than Propane, and Natural Gas even. Of course most houses here have hot air furnaces, and not nearly as many listed houses either.