Heat Pumps

Home & Living
1

Is it cheaper to run a heat pump 24/7?

2

I am not too sure. How about you explain a bit more about the situation that you are interested in. Do you mean cheaper than other forms of heating that might run 24/7, cheaper than running less than 24/7, or something else?

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3

Is it cheaper, if you have a heat pump, to run it 24/7, or turn it off at night, or if you go out?

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4

In other words, to just turn it on when you’re in the room?

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5

This was addressed in another thread.

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6

Thanks, the ABC just had an “expert” on peddling “it’s cheaper to leave it on all night” myth. He obviously doesn’t understand basic physics!

7

I believe there is a crossover point. Turning it off completely in a colder climate can become counterproductive noting there are a lot of contributing variables), but turning the temperature down 4-6 degrees is generally beneficial to the pocketbook as well as better for sleeping in a cooler room.

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8

I don’t have a heat pump, but some logs in the slow combustion heater don’t go out when you choke them off. They just smoulder. It doesn’t really keep the room warm, but if it smoulders fast enough to notice that it’s taken the edge of the chill off the room when you first walk in, you’ll see a noticeable portion of the wood has burned overnight. Most of my wood comes from my back yard, so cost is not an issue, but cutting the wood is.

Australian houses tend to have a high turnover of air with the outside. Most do not have double glazing nor a high level of insulation - e.g. ceiling but not walls.

On that basis, unless your house is well insulated and sealed, there’ll be a cost benefit crossover point (per @PhilT’s point) less than overnight - especially if you have solar panels.

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9

Ian 5
You suggesst “as well as better for sleeping in a cooler room”. The headin of this was Heat pumps. Are you talking about them when you suggest the above.

10

It was @PhilT who suggested turning the HP down at night. He will answer for himself but from my perspective it does three things.

  • We generally sleep better at a temperature that is lower that we would like through the day.
  • It saves power of any kind but particularly network power which is dearer than own-use of solar. This is a compromise compared with turning off.
  • If you turn it off the house may cool down too far which will mean much power consumption in the morning to warm it up again and discomfort while you wait, presumably having got out of a warm bed.
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11

Thanks for the tag @syncretic.

Heat pumps come in many forms, the most common being reverse cycle split system A/C units that cool and heat, so yes I was referencing them (as well as stand-alone heating heat pumps) in heating mode.

The same economy would apply to cooling mode and in ‘cooling season’ many raise the temperature a few degrees during the day and set it back down overnight.

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