What Is a Heat Pump?
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For me a heat pump is a very useful machine that moves heat from one place with a lower temperature to another place with a higher temperature. It pulls in cold air, heating it up, and then pumps it to an area that we want. What I like on a heat pump, is that it can obtain its heat source from air, ground or water, making it very versatile.
The great thing about heat pumps is that it can be used for both cooling and heating purposes, unlike air conditioners which are used only for cooling. It uses the same refrigeration cycle for cooling and heating. Another thing that I like is its reverse valve; a heat pump is able to offer the reverse operation during warmer periods which will pull the warm air out of the desired area to make it cooler.
Reviews on Heat Pumps
Consumer Reviews of SEARS heat pumps
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Here’s what I found out on heat pumps, particularly at Sears. There are 44 of 57 brands of heat pumps that are popular, 14% of customers recommend them.
One costumer of sears which is located at Clare, Michigan is very satisfied of the product. The costumer said, “The heat pump I purchased about 3 years ago came at a great price and a useful buy. The biggest difference in this product was the simplicity of installation and assembly. A mechanic I am not but i seemed to manage just fine. Three years into this pump and I have had no issues. It’s a good piece of equipment for a good price.”
The following costumers are not satisfied for various reasons. Here are the things I’ve found out from them:
According to Craig Johnston who owned a heat pump for 2 years is very unsatisfied. Here’s what he said, “Since the unit was first installed a couple of years ago, it has been nothing but a loud, inefficient piece of junk. I had problems from the day it was installed. Had it completely replaced 3 months later. Sued Sears (and won) for the amount of time I had to be at home when the machine was serviced. The replacement unit is loud and inefficient and I’m having them come on site again to tell me why.”
Mr. Cadle who owned 5 years was also very unsatisfied. The reviews stated that he was Devastated about Kenmore heat and cooling product. Here’s what he said, “ever since I bought this unit I have been having problems. Sears replaced all duct work after 5 years of complaining. Within 5 yrs they always had to repair something. Over all I have been frustrated with this particular product for not getting hot or cold enough. I never had a full year of satisfaction with this unit. I will like a replacement unit at this time. 10/18/09. As of this date product is still not working properly.”
Another costumer Nell G. McMakin who lives at Belton, SC, was also very unsatisfied. He owned a heat pump for two years and concluded that it was a real disappointment. “A piece of junk!!!” he said, “For 18 months, this unit will not cool when it hot, and will not heat when it is cold. I have had service people out here at least 8 times and it is still not right. The first mistake they made was to disconnect the heat strips. Therefore, when it is really cold, there is no second source of heat to bring up the temperature. I was even told by a service man that I did not need it in this part of the country. They did not install a complete new system. They used the existing duct work, circulation fan and electrical wiring. I have a piece of a Sears’s heat pump and it is not working.”
Mr. Peter E. Wilcox a resident of Spokane, WA is somewhat unsatisfied for his three years of ownership. He said, “Sears does not provide an owner’s manual with this unit, therefore I have no idea what to expect from it when operating as a heat pump. I don’t know what temperatures it will support or in what outside temperatures it should be used. I suspect it was oversold to me and is not appropriate for temperature conditions where I live.”
Consumer Reviews of LOWE’S heat pumps
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Here are some negative feed backs that I found out from costumers.
A Frustrated customer from Maryland complained about a heat pump failure. “I purchased the unit in May of 2010 and in November of 2011 the Heat Pump Failure code went off. The unit comes with a 1 year labor and 10 parts warranty. So if I didn’t purchase an extended warranty (I did) I’d be footing a bill for labor. Heat pump failure appears to be a common issue for this unit, which is really annoying. I didn’t expect to be dealing with an issue just 1.5 years after the initial purchase. GE will send 3 parts and a technician will have to do the fixing. I am really disappointed and caution folks that are interested in purchasing the unit. Also, i just learned that Lowes no longer sells the unit, which is added caution for folks looking to buy. I have to note that before the failure all seemed to be working great. Even with the failure the unit now operates in another mode still providing us with heated water. Still, for a unit that costs so much money I as a consumer expected so much more. I wouldn’t recommend taking the risk to anyone!” the costumer said.
Another costumer said that, “Lowe’s DOES STILL sell the unit. It isn’t on the website any longer because they have ample stock in your local stores now. I specifically asked why it wasn’t available on the website. Sorry you had a bad experience.”
“Heat pump stopped working after 14 month of use” a costumer from Vancouver said. “Actual saving is not significant. I installed it in my garage. Price is too high. Low quality, not durable, hard to fix” he said.
A costumer from Texas stated that the product is too noisy. He said, “Do not buy if it is near any occupied areas. Fan and compressor sound is audible 30 feet away through a closed door! Called GE service and was told “if fans are running, sound is normal”. Also told they don’t have factory service in this area, nor would the service tech they recommend check for anything other than are the fans running and if so, it would be classified as “normal”. Unless Lowe’s responds to the issue, we will pull it out and return.”
Here are some positive feedbacks from the costumers
An HVAC Supervisor at Lexington, South Carolina said, “Installed a brand Carrier water source heat pump at my house in 2008. Has the hot water desuper heater option. Problem is, the desuper heater only increases the temperature to 80 – 95 in winter; so you have to supplement with expensive electric resistance heat. I purchased the Geo Spring (ON SALE! saved $500.00!) to use as the 2nd (final) tank working WITH my heat pump. By doing so, I maximize savings. In summer the first tank furnishes 106 degree water to the GE, in winter probably raises incoming cold water temperature 30 degrees which provides large capacity, faster recovery, and excellent economies. Note that the difference between temp off / temp on is 5 degrees. (Dead band) I do not know how it will hold up long term; does anyone? But it worked out of the box, draws 2 amps at 240 volts, and has a reasonable recovery rate in heat pump mode. When G.E. did the rollout and promotions in the spring, the promoters claimed that the Geo Spring used porcelain insulation, which if it is true, would indicate high quality.”
Last September 27, 2011 another costumer from Nottingham said “I have had this water heater for 18 months now and just had my first problem. The heat pump malfunctioned so it defaulted to standard heat. I called GE and even though I am past the 1-year labor warranty, they offered to pick up the bill. They are really standing behind their product. My electric bill has dropped significantly as well and I didn’t have to sacrifice comfort.”
Another costumer named Dani from Malibu, California said “We bought this water heater to save money on our electric bill – and it has saved us quite a bit. But none of the reviews mentioned how loud its fan is! Our garage is our bottom floor of the house, so we can hear this whirring all the time, no matter how much water we use.”
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