Customer wants to change from radiant to heat pump!

Dave Bush

Nope, what they HAVE done is to improve the controls on the elctric backup heat.

You can't change physics, and it sounds like someone is feeding her bad info.

She won't be happy at all with a heat pump, if she has radiant now.

Mike Reavis_2

Customer wants to change from radiant to heat pump!

I can't stop her but I need to try.

They have a system dating to the 50's. It is a 2 temp. system combining radiant floor, and ceiling. They have neglected it to the point that she is having pipes burst due to freezing in the attic due to no water flow (failed zone valves). I gave a reasonable price to change zone valves, install a water meter on the boiler feed (concerns with the in-floor piping) and other required work. They do need to update their cooling--but not by installing a heat pump as the primary heat source. I can only shake my head. The house has a massive stone entry way that instantly warms you as you enter from outdoors. I told them that instead of meeting and greeting in that space, she will in the future quickly move from one carpeted area to another to avoid the icy coldness from those formerly warm stones. They say heat pumps put out warmer air than they used to?!
Mike

S Ebels

Why not give her both..............

Assuming they are talking about a ground source heat pump, why not use it to drive the radiant system in place with a small boiler for backup/hightemp. In the summer the HP copuld reverse and provide cooling for both the floors and the duct system.

Shoot for the moon my friend. I've sold more $40K+ heating systems in the past 8 months than I would have ever thought possible. All of them came about because I merely told the customer what the possibilties were. No-one else had even suggested some of the things I presented.

Paul Mitchell_2

How about

Repairing radiant and installing a hydro-air system. Could be pretty sweet...Show her the facts and leave...all you can do.

Mike Reavis_2

good idea

the only hurdle is that the existing boiler dates from the 50's also.

Mike Reavis_2

I can suggest this.

It is a possibility.
Mike

Constantin

All you can do is educate...

... your customers are not beholden to you. Give them the options, explain what happened, leave them with several options.

If they're too cheap, etc., to grasp your thoughts now, perhaps they will recognize the error of their ways once they have lived in a heat-pump forced-air home for a while. With any luck, you'll be called in to repair the old system at that time. Hopefully, the ceiling/floor based radiant won't have been butchered.

Joe Brix

If this is a 50's home

with poor insulation and in a northern climate, you better warn her of high electric bills when electric strip heat comes on when the temps drop. Does she have the electric service to handle the upgrade? Is the old AC ductwork all in the ceiling which is great for cooling but poor for hot air distribution? The boiler must be replaced and most of the old radiant piping cannot be saved. Offer a Hydro-air system and say you'll be able to add BB and radiant down the road.

don_64

Ditto

To what Joe said,heatpumps are or should be installed in home that the building envelope will support it.

Also your distribution system will need to be design around lower velocity.
And with today high efficent equipment you will have humidity issue in the summer,if you dont installed a variable speed blower couple with a humistat,more so with the heatpump.

Heatpumps have there place and they do work well,but it would be a painful experience for you and the ho if they chose this route.