I talk a lot about heat pumps. It’s a fantastic technology that uses a little physics exploit to get more heat energy out than energy you put in. The problem is that most of the time, the devices I’m talking about are for homeowners that can easily retrofit new installations into place. That’s definitely out of reach for most. So where does this leave renters?

Well, there’s a new type of heat pump hitting the market that’s a little more accessible: easy to install heat pumps that sit on your window just like an AC unit. It seems so obvious when you look at it that I can’t help but wonder…why didn’t we do this earlier? And how well do they actually work and at what cost?

31 sats \ 3 replies \ @k00b 11 Jun

We have a Mitsubishi heat pump in our current rental. I actually didn't realize it was a heat pump, or even acknowledge the existence of heat pumps, until watching this video. The principle of operation is super simple. It's just doing what an AC does already in reverse.

I like the design of that window unit a lot too. We have two window AC units that end up blocking half the window.

10 sats \ 2 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 11 Jun

This is the first heat pump idea I can see myself adopting, because I don't want to do a big renovation. The price tag is pretty daunting, though.

69 sats \ 1 reply \ @k00b 11 Jun

I suspect they'll come down a lot in a few years to at least make the energy+unit cost competitive with window AC units.

I'm not sure I'll ever love window units though. They tend to break the window's air/noise seal (which is already weak especially with the cheap construction going on in Austin these days), and as someone sensitive to noise, I'll usually avoid them.

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 11 Jun

They tend to break the window's air/noise seal

That's a great point. It looks so sleek in the ad, but then I'd also have to somehow get new window screens that work with it, plus the poor seal and who knows how many other minor irritations.

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @Coinsreporter 11 Jun

The temperature is already hitting +45° Celsius here. Now I see why is there not so much adoption for Bitcoin miners in my country. Can you please tell an opposite machine that works on the same principles, but instead of heating, it does cooling. We need them so badly these days!!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 11 Jun

Heat pumps do work in both directions: heat in the winter, cool in the summer.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @Satosora 11 Jun

I feel a lot of things are being pushed by companies to make profit, even if it isnt the best thing. Some older tech is actually still viable today, we just have forgotten to use them.

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