If you have a heat pump or similar..

[hc18flyer]

I live in NE Nebraska, -26 last night. I have a air source heat pump, but I also have an efficient wood stove in my basement. Below about 30 I switch to auxiliary electric heat, but it seldom runs, we heat with the wood stove. Two good weekends working on fire wood and I am set for the season. It sure is nice to have a 'slave' (14 year-old Grandson) to help, makes everything go quicker and more fun! Today we had our first ever 'rolling blackout', because of the wide spread extreme cold. We have another 2 days of this and our temps will moderate to more seasonable. AMEN!!!!

[hc18flyer]

I’ve been considering a heat pump. I’ve been told there are hybrid units that can also run on heating oil when the temperature is low. Anyone know anything about these hybrids?

We see a lot of them 'coupled' with propane furnaces here for the cold weather. That is what my next one will likely be. hc18flyer

[bangerjim]

Both my heat pumps have "auxiliary radiant heater elements" in the air handlers that come on if the temp is REEEAAAAL cold outside. I paid extra for them ( about $200/unit) so the wife would have warm air when the air handlers come on during very chilly mornings. To date, I have not seem them come on....I have a whole house 12 circuit data gathering system so I can see everything about everything running that is electric! Great graphs and data on my computer for energy calculations. I can see from my office computer (or cell phone) when the wife turns on the dish washer or clothes dryer! And look back several years by day to see what was going on. I just notice as of yesterday our HP's have not come on for almost 2 weeks! Not that cold here now. Hitting low 80's in a few days.

[chambers]

Air heat pumps tend to freeze moisture on cycle as saw first hand at friends place. New unit( less than 6 months old), we had early in year 20 deg to 32 deg. F high humidity weather( where the trees frost white every night), unit iced up completely. Called manufacturer and asked if defrost cycle could be increased, no luck with this idea. Recommended to either defrost unit with gas torpedo heater to deice to stop fan from rubbing on ice. Did that twice this year, since cold weather is here and less moisture in air, seems to work. It does have small electric resistance heat build in.

[jim147]

They have defrost thermostats in them that should take care of it. You can cover part of the fan if you know what you are doing. It's not easy charging a heat pump after repair in the winter.

Sounds like that unit might have an install problem. Hard to tell unless looking at it.

[mrmachinist]

My heat pump works well in south Louisiana. At 32 degrees it switches to the heat strips automatically. I have been keeping a fire going in our fireplace that has a stove insert with a blower and keeping the central unit fan going to circulate the heat. Our house has been nice and warm through this cold snap. 14 last night which is very unusual.

No shortage of firewood down here thanks to hurricane Laura......


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[45DUDE]

I have a heat pump. you couldn't give me another one. 28 degrees and mine don't work and the 220 heat kicks in and makes you mad when you get the bill. I went to window units and propane and bills are ok and you can service them yourself and end the service calls. A reconditioned 350 gallon propane tank rents for $75 a year and propane is $2.15 on the last refill. They are costly to keep propping them up. I do have a fireplace for backup but haven't needed it in 12 years. When the electricity goes off they are useless. The 220 still works since 1985 if I need fast heat. Natural gas is 5 miles away but not available to me. I am not really having a problem other than the internet crashing every hour for 1/2 hour or so. It has been zero degrees the last 3 nights and 3 burners keep 2100 square feet at 73 degrees.

[10x]

Here in the Sonoran desert, my snow shovel hangs where I left it. My heat pump power bill for January is $160, twice the July A/C bill. We have had two frosts so far! Now it's raining.
C'mon Algore, where's the global warming?

Thank you for that information.
You live in a dessert paradise.
It takes a great deal of electrical power to extract heat from air when the ambient temperature is -40degrees (F or C all the same thing) It would be cheaper to use electric base board heaters at that temperature.
The only economically viable option here is natural gas and the new Canadian carbon taxes are going to kill that.

[rbuck351]

Natural gas would be great if there was any in my area.

[10x]

Natural gas would be great if there was any in my area.

It used be great here until the federal government decided to tax it with carbon taxes

[HATCH]

I’ve been considering a heat pump. I’ve been told there are hybrid units that can also run on heating oil when the temperature is low. Anyone know anything about these hybrids?

I am not familur with the hybrids that use heating oil as I live in South Carolina.
Homes here have 4 types of HVAC systems.

(1) Heat Pump with electric strips
(2) Standard AC with Gas furnace
(3) Heat Pump with Gas Furnace (hybrid)
(4) GeoThermal

My house has a AC with gas furnace downstairs and a heat pump with electric strips upstairs.
My should has a mini-split. It is the "HIGH HEAT" model meaning it will produce heat when the temps are down to the 20s. Its basically a heat pump.

Now I use to work for a company that deal with HVAC controls.
There was a school district that installed GEOthermal units in a new school.
The underground liquid lines ran 30 feet under the school. It saved 35% on its HVAC yearly cost compared to the exact same floorplan when compared to standard HVAC units
If I were to build a brand new home, it would be a hybrid system.
Natural gas isn't a issue here. I have a instant water heater, fire place and stove that are gas in addition to the furnace downstairs.
The only additional thing I wish I had was a whole house natural gas generator. But I really think that would be a waste of $10K has we rarely lose power here and when we do its only for a couple hours. We did lost power for 9 hrs one day last year. Wasn't even long enough to burn a tank of fuel on my 7500 portable generator.