Too bad you did not investigate inverter style heat pumps as they are noticeably more efficient. We live some 100 miles north of you in NE Tennessee and heat with a HP only. As long as the temps are at least in the teens the HP wins. Single digits the supplemental heat may kick in. Fortunately that is rare in our area. And not having the extra fixed cost of gas pays for those few cold mornings.
Glad your heat pump system is working for you. Great news.
We do have a variable speed motor. As a geochemist, not an engineer, HVAC issues did not align with my past professional experience or training. But I'm happy with the emissions reductions and the comfort of our home. And I plan to test a transition point to alternate fuels at a lower outdoor temperature this next winter season.
I live in Seattle and have a similar range of winter temperatures as you. Mostly over 30, often 35-45 but sometimes down to the teens and twenties. My contractor recommended a dual fuel system a few years ago and I wondered if we couldn't have gone fully electric with a properly sized heat pump. I wonder what your thoughts are on that and why you chose dual fuel over full electric.
Vendors are great - especially when you can verify what they suggest. I am confident that you could go fully heat pump. You simply may have had to size a bit more heat pump to assure comfortable indoor living space in the low teens. I'd ask the contractor for names of customers you can talk to who have installed just heat pumps and then check in with a couple people to see how their system operates. ALSO - IMPORTANT - make sure you do not install a heat pump that reverts to electric resistance heating if the temperatures drop too low - that is an extremely inefficient method of heating.
Too bad you did not investigate inverter style heat pumps as they are noticeably more efficient. We live some 100 miles north of you in NE Tennessee and heat with a HP only. As long as the temps are at least in the teens the HP wins. Single digits the supplemental heat may kick in. Fortunately that is rare in our area. And not having the extra fixed cost of gas pays for those few cold mornings.
Glad your heat pump system is working for you. Great news.
We do have a variable speed motor. As a geochemist, not an engineer, HVAC issues did not align with my past professional experience or training. But I'm happy with the emissions reductions and the comfort of our home. And I plan to test a transition point to alternate fuels at a lower outdoor temperature this next winter season.
I live in Seattle and have a similar range of winter temperatures as you. Mostly over 30, often 35-45 but sometimes down to the teens and twenties. My contractor recommended a dual fuel system a few years ago and I wondered if we couldn't have gone fully electric with a properly sized heat pump. I wonder what your thoughts are on that and why you chose dual fuel over full electric.
Vendors are great - especially when you can verify what they suggest. I am confident that you could go fully heat pump. You simply may have had to size a bit more heat pump to assure comfortable indoor living space in the low teens. I'd ask the contractor for names of customers you can talk to who have installed just heat pumps and then check in with a couple people to see how their system operates. ALSO - IMPORTANT - make sure you do not install a heat pump that reverts to electric resistance heating if the temperatures drop too low - that is an extremely inefficient method of heating.