Any R32 Heat Pump Owners?

Submitted by metalandmeeples t3_10oatzg in Maine

It looks like R32 heat pumps started getting installed in Maine in June of 2022. I did not want to buy heat pumps in our new house until R32 models were readily available due to how bad R410A is for the environment. All installers claim that they are more efficient, but I'm interested in some real world numbers from someone who owns an R32 unit and has also owned one of the older R410A units. We have a glut of solar production and a heat pump seems like a great use of the excess. Thanks in advance!

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DifferenceMore5431 t1_j6dzpct wrote

The best way to compare efficiencies is via the Energy Star ratings. Those tests are done under carefully controlled conditions. Anecdotal remarks from Joe Homeowner are not going to tell you anything since there is no real way to do a perfect comparison due to changes in heating needs from one winter to the next, changes in electric rates, other differences in the exact models, etc.

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metalandmeeples OP t1_j6ee2zd wrote

Yeah, I have all of the submittal sheets and whatnot but if there's someone here who has used both at the same residence they might have an idea of the kWh impact each one had on their monthly usage.

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DifferenceMore5431 t1_j6eets4 wrote

...but that's exactly what the Energy Star tests are for, so you can compare the actual difference. How could anyone get data like that in their house?

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metalandmeeples OP t1_j6efnk6 wrote

Energy Star reports simply list SEER/EER and HSPF. Heat pumps perform differently depending on the outdoor temperature. When I was sizing heat pumps for my Portland house I used degree-days data along with the Energy Star rating of my existing boiler and the setting of my thermostat to determine how many BTUs I used. Any response I get here might be anecdotal, but the response could still be cross-referenced against degree-days data.

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tab9 t1_j6dy8vn wrote

I don’t have a response, but I like the questions you are asking. I hope you get an answer!

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WickedMainah2020 t1_j6gonly wrote

https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/daikin-looks-to-replace-r32-in-2023/ This is an article on how Daicon moving on from R32 and how it is a temporary solution.

And this is an article of how others are moving on from R32 https://terrysacandheating.com/refrigerants-and-your-ac-unit-another-phase-out/

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metalandmeeples OP t1_j6hoots wrote

I mean, there are almost 200 million R32 units deployed worldwide. It's North America that took forever to adopt it because of Honeywell. The alternative A2L refrigerants, R452B and R454B, are less efficient and proprietary blends. Honeywell's own R-466A isn't getting much traction either.

Regardless, even if companies are going to eventually move away from R32 - they are already mandated to move away from R-410A so R32 is still a better purchase at this time.

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