Quote:
Originally Posted by jimhoward
As I am sure you know, a heat pump runs most efficiently when it is running continuously. So a system would use step 20 on a cooler day and 60 on a warmer one. In both cases running the unit continuously.
It is amazing that your whole home never deviates more than 1 degree (F) from the thermostat set temperature. That is such a tiny number. You have only one thermostat so you must keep a thermometer in every room in order to know that. and you must really fine tune the dampers as the heat load differs from room to room. But I am just speculating. Regardless, congrats on having an incredible home. In my house the temperature in the corners of the house differs by more then 1 deg F from the temperature at the thermostat.
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Personally, I am not sure how a variable speed heat pump is programmed. Apparently, you are saying that the run speed is based on the outside air temperature? If so, there must be other factors involved. Summers in The Villages seem to have consistently high temperatures in the 90's, so there is not that much deviation in outside temperature when you need cooling. I would also point out that, if you have temperature deviations throughout the house, a variable speed heat pump will not solve that problem. The heat pump can only try to satisfy one thermostat regardless of at which speed it is running. So, if your thermostat is set to 75 degrees, that is what you will get at the thermostat, regardless of whether you have a single speed or a variable speed heat pump. Also, regarding efficiency, I don't agree that running a heat pump continuously is the most efficient method in terms of electricity usage. It takes very little electricity to start a heat pump.