[tilwidnk]

We've owned three homes, our first one had a heat pump. In Virginia. It generally sucked. It wasn't as good as real A/C in the summer and wasn't as good as gas or electric heat in the winter. I hope to never end up in a place that uses a heat pump.

[hasbot]

It may have been low on refrigerant. I'm in Virginia now and most of my neighbors have heat pumps including me. Mine is 17 years old and is definitely low on refrigerant so I use the original baseboard heat instead.

[ikiris]

... what do you think real ac is?

[tilwidnk]

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/heating-cooling/reviews/heat-pu...

"Heat pumps use refrigerant to condition the air in your home by adding or removing heat through thermal exchange."

"Air conditioning is a cooling system that circulates cool air into an enclosed space, creating a comfortable atmosphere and improving indoor air quality."

"Air conditioners generally last longer than heat pumps because air conditioners only run when the air needs cooling, while heat pumps operate year-round."

[lkbm]

> "Heat pumps use refrigerant to condition the air in your home by adding or removing heat through thermal exchange."

This is what air conditioners do, too.

> "Air conditioning is a cooling system that circulates cool air into an enclosed space, creating a comfortable atmosphere and improving indoor air quality."

This is what heat pumps do, too.

These are two sentences that describe the same process, just in different words.

The last quote is potentially relevant: a heat pump is an air conditioner that can run in reverse to provide heat in the winter, so you're running it in both situations, and thus for more time.

[ikiris]

My guy, a heat pump is effectively an air conditioner with some added reversing valves.