Regarding Heat Pumps Biting the Dust

 
We're ag'in it.

'nuff said.

But of course, you KNOW Ma can say more. And despite the fervent prayers of many, she will.

I may have mentioned it's been cold this past week. Nothing quite so bad as International Falls, MN, but around or below zero several times.

Tonight may be the coldest yet, with 15-20 below.

Needless to say, the furnace has been running pert near non stop. And being the happenin' kinda people we are, our heating system includes a heat pump and something called a heat strip.

I've never been quite sure what the heat strip does, but it sounds pretty wussy to me. Probably just enough heating capacity to warm a small closet.

We've been staying fairly toasty, as long as one keeps away from the side of the house bracing the wind. Since I moved my laptop to the living room everything is hunky dory, excepting that I haven't yet figured out how to do the alt accent marks...

But getting back to unexpected bills, yesterday we noticed a disturbing trend where the surge protectors were screeching at us in a fashion not compatible with your simple tree-branch-scraping-a-wire scenario.

Loren determined that the heat pump was working too hard and flipping the breaker, turning off the furnace completely. So he switched off the heat pump and we've been running the furnace alone.

Oh yes, he also called the heating guys and they stopped by this afternoon.

The compressor motor has burned out on the heat pump and that's what had triggered the overload and thus the furnace offage.

What does this mean?

It means a brand new heat pump. I guess 13 years is a good run for those kinds of things. I guess.

I'm hoping we can get the kind they advertise on TV...you know, the ones that come in different colors and teach you how to play the guitar.

Do you suppose they have those on Ebay?
 

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