Heat Pumps are Not Hard: Here's what it will take to start pumping
Technology Connections5 HN recommenders · recommended in 5 months, 2022–2023
explainer · general · evergreen · 2022–2023 on HN
Technology Connections' long closing video in his heat pump series, arguing that adopting heat pumps is well within reach. It explains how they work and what it takes to start using them.
HN recommends the series as an enthusiastic, entertaining deep dive into residential heat pumps whenever heating or climate threads arise.
Up next
8 mo on HNWhy Heat Pumps are Immensely Important Right Now
Technology Connections
9 HN recommender · 2022–2023
15 mo on HNHeat Pumps: the Future of Home Heating
Technology Connections
17 HN recommender · 2021–2026
6 mo on HNGround Source / Geothermal Heat Pumps and Other Info
Technology Connections
6 HN recommender · 2021–2026
9 mo on HNHarder Drive: Hard drives we didn't want or need
suckerpinch
12 HN recommender · 2022–2025
11 mo on HNWe Were Taught to Call Death a Blessing
CGP Grey
12 HN recommender · 2018–2025
10 mo on HNYouTube's copyright system isn't broken. The world's is.
Tom Scott
13 HN recommender · 2020–2024
1 mo on HNWhy the Soviet Computer Failed
Asianometry
1 HN recommend · 2022–2024
3 mo on HNWhy Japan Arrests Foreigners
Paolo fromTOKYO
3 HN recommender · 2020–2026
11 mo on HNJames Burke Connections, Ep. 1 "The Trigger Effect"
DRS_Education
12 HN recommender · 2019–2026
7 mo on HNWhat Really Happened During the Texas Power Grid Outage?
Practical Engineering
6 HN recommender · 2021–2026
7 mo on HNIt’s Time To Break Up With Our Gas Stoves | Climate Town
Climate Town
10 HN recommender · 2021–2025
5 mo on HNConnecting Solar to the Grid is Harder Than You Think
Practical Engineering
4 HN recommender · 2024–2025
7 comments from Hacker News
Highly recommend the YouTube channel 'Technology Connections' videos on heat pumps: link link link ▶ this video
He made several excellent videos explaining residential heat pumps: [2021-02-28] link "Heat Pumps: the Future of Home Heating" (35m14s) [2021-04-01] link "Ground Source / Geothermal Heat Pumps and Other Info" (28m03s) [2022-03-26] link "Why Heat Pumps are Immensely Important Right Now" (21m02s) [2022-04-13] ▶ this video "Heat Pumps are Not Hard: Here's what it will take to start pumping" (46m32s)
If you want an (entertaining) deep dive into heat pumps, I can recommend Technology Connection's ▶ this video and its followup, link
Yes, apparently there have been huge advances in the efficiency of heat pumps since then. And this is why ground source heat pumps are less of a thing these days: you don't need the help of that underground temperature as much. This guy gets really excited about heat pumps: link ▶ this video
Technology Connections on Youtube has a great video series on how heat pumps work, why they're important environmentally and what kind of power cost savings they can bring. The second video is a longer guide for people who want to get a heat pump. link ▶ this video
Heat pumps have gotten very good in the past couple of decades, especially in the east Asian markets, and even older homes have fairly drop-in options available, assuming the market demand is there. ▶ this video Yes, it's a solution that requires a significant investment in (individual) infrastructure, but so does almost every other solution to anthropogenic climate change. If the solutions were totally easy, we'd have done them by now. Moving to heat pumps is on the easier end of the spectrum, though.
Split systems are more efficient than ducted air anyway. Heat Pumps are Not Hard: Here's what it will take to start pumping ▶ this video