Everyone’s Pumped About Heat Pumps, the “Climate Superheroes”

5 comments

1. By Lauren Goode and Michael Calore for this week’s #GadgetLab

   These electric appliances—which perform the same heating and cooling tasks as traditional HVAC systems, just much more efficiently—have been outselling gas furnaces for the past couple of years. Their proliferation seems to be pointing toward a more energy-conscious electric future in people’s homes. And four months ago, nine states in the US signed a memorandum of understanding saying that [heat pumps](https://www.wired.com/tag/heat-pumps/) should make up at least 65 percent of residential heating, air-conditioning, and water-heating shipments by 2030.

   Read the full story: [https://www.wired.com/story/gadget-lab-podcast-645/](https://www.wired.com/story/gadget-lab-podcast-645/)

2. I know I am looking forward to immediately replacing the furnance in my next home with a heat pump (hoping to move soon). If I could afford it, I’d do it to the current home I’m hoping to sell.

3. Don’t know much about ‘heat pumps’ for home heating and cooling as I have a gas furnace and gas appliances. I would love an induction stove top but would have to get the electrician over for that.

   Judging by my luck with LG refrigerators and compressors, good luck guys. How is reliability working out for you?

4. The climate crisis is actually helping more regions move to heat pumps but if we fix the situation well need to go back to baseboards. Talk about a double edged sword.

5. I am thinking about getting into a new career as a heat pump installer (spent too long at a boring desk job and need to be working with my hands and moving). 

   Can anyone help with suggestions and advice on this? Would I need to qualify as a HVAC Technician first? I have no interest in installing air conditioning and furnaces (for climate reasons obviously), only heat pumps. 

   Is there a faster way to get into it?