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Posted by rgoldste@gmail.com on July 2, 2008, 11:05 pm
> rgold...@gmail.com wrote:
> >> rgold...@gmail.com wrote:
> >>> I live in the upper Hudson River Valley(Albany, NY). The temperature
> >>> in the winter hovers around 25 degrees for about 2 months. My full
> >>> basement stays around 55 degrees. I know that it is considered very
> >>> impractical to install it outside. What are the pros and cons of
> >>> installing an air source heat pump in the basement? The relative mild
> >>> temperature there should allow for very efficient heating.
> >> Far too small a volume--you'd heat or cool the basement faster than the
> >> rest of the house. Not feasible at all.
>
> >> In that environment, your best bet is ground source of one kind or
> >> another. They're great--had one (Water Furnace brand, one of the best).
>
> >> --
>
> > I am not sure what you mean by small volume. The basement is 1400
> > square feet, 8 feet high and the floor is 6 feet below grade. Are you
> > implying that the basement would cool so much that the heat pump would
> > not work efficiently?
>
> Of course...what's the volume of the living space you're trying to
> heat/cool in comparison? On top of that, since the area is closed,
> there's no where for the now heated/cooled air to replenish from so next
> cycle you're starting from essentially the ending point of the last.
>
> Every degree you change the temperature in the living area will have to
> make a corresponding change in the temperature of an equal air volume
> plus the efficiency factor--the old saying of "you can't beat Mother
> Nature, the 2nd Law says you can't even break even" is still true.
>
> It simply can not work...
I am assuming that the replenishment of heat comes from the basement
walls, they are concrete block with no insulation. If the ground in
which they are in contact with is 55 degrees? or so, there would seem
to be a lot of heat transfer if the air in the basement got very
cold.. I will, however, consider what you have said.
Anyway, it was just a thought to try and save fossil fuels and money.
I should have pointed out that my house is very well insulated and we
keep things cool in the winter and supplement my gas furnace with
electric heaters. My total heating bill for last winter was less than
$600.(natural gas at $1.40/therm).
Richard
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