Any HVAC Folks Out There? (Vanity?

[plinyelder]

This was a tough one to figure out what category this should go in!

Well .. Anyway .. I need some advice from an expert on electrical use.

Been out of work for over two years now and I am 'squeezing' every dime to survive!

Here is my question: I live in a two story, vinyl sided home.

I have an electric fireplace downstairs (12.5 amps +120 volts= 1500 watts) and the same upstairs.

I also have .. what I think is a 2.5 ton 'Heat Pump'.

I have No Clue, (being from Florida) What or how a heat pump works so .. Would it be 'cheaper' to run the two fireplaces to heat the home, (heat pump off) or should I just use the heat pump?

The fireplace upstairs is in the master bedroom and Really does the job but the one downstairs, really only warms two of the four rooms on the lower level.

I think that electric runs between 11 and 13 cents per Kilowatt hour.

Oh yea .. Both fireplaces can be set to turn off and on as needed (thermostat?) but the one on the lower floor has to run on high .. all the time to do the job.

Thanks Everyone

[gorush]

"What is the other building in the forefront of the pix?"

That's the wood shop and summer kitchen/brewery.

[presently no screen name]

Your place is like a resort. The front design of your home reminds me of Gonstead Clinic in Mt. Horeb, unless it’s changed since 1995. Who deserves it more than a FReeper! Thanks for sharing it.

[riri]

Bfl

[Eric in the Ozarks]

As posted earlier, your loops don't have to be vertical. They can be in a trench or even a pond.

[shoff]

To answer a few of the questions
1) A heat pump is like turning a window AC around. During the summer you notice the hot air that blows off the outside. Turned around it blows inside
2) The efficiency of the Heat pump is dependent on SEER. Like MPG the higher the better. I bet your existing is a 10 SEER
3) The Geothermal systems use ground water instead of outside air. It is like the outside air is always 50 deg. Not too far to heat or cool
4) Insulate, insulate insulate. Keeping what heat you have inside is the cheapest.
When your AC Heat pump comes on unless you have more than one thermostat it heats/ cools the entire house. Electric heat is not that efficient but a smaller heater in a room will cost less than the heat pump for whole house.

[driftdiver]

Energy for heating a home isn’t a problem here. The primary problem is cooling.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The ground source heat pump does a marvelous job cooling our place. The Missouri Ozarks is very hot and humid in the summer. Keeping direct sun light out is also a good idea. Our house faces west so the architect designed the house with very large overhangs to protect the windows.

[jrushing]

I have an electric fireplace downstairs (12.5 amps +120 volts= 1500 watts) and the same upstairs.
I think that electric runs between 11 and 13 cents per Kilowatt hour.

Just FYI in case you don't know,
2 X 1500W=3000W=3KW.
3KW x .13=$.39 per hour
x 24hr=$9.36 per day
x 30 days=$280.80.