Every day, more people embrace home energy solutions that are cheaper and cleaner to run. Unfortunately, not everyone is up to speed just yet, as one Redditor learned the hard way.
In a post on the r/heatpumps subreddit, they explained how they asked their townhouse's maintenance person about switching their HVAC system over from natural gas to heat pumps, and were flat out told it wouldn't be possible.
Heat pumps, if you haven't heard, are a groundbreaking piece of technology that can both heat up and cool down your residence with high efficiency, and for way less money than gas-burners. They are built to last decades, and make especially good sense if an old furnace or air conditioner is breaking.
Yet the staff person told them that it wasn't an option, supposedly because the house shared walls with other units on either side, leaving nowhere to put the outdoor part of the heat pump system, called a condenser.
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This advice, the original poster soon learned, was dead wrong. As other Redditors pointed out after photos of the home were added to the post, there were several places to fit an external condenser. Many also noted that installing it on the roof is almost always an option — unless an HOA gets in the way, which didn't apply in this case.
Figuring out where to put a heat pump system is one thing, but actually buying it is another. The cost of the units and installation combined isn't cheap. Luckily, the savings on bills each month mean the project can break even after just a couple of years.
There are also several ways to cut the price tag down under eco-friendly laws passed by the Biden administration. President Trump may try to roll back some of these programs, but he will need congressional support for any changes.
Still, it's probably best to get in the heat pump game sooner rather than later to make sure you can get the best deal. Want a hand getting started? You can shop around and compare installers with EnergySage's Heat Pump Marketplace.
"Plenty of folks have all the condensers for every unit on the roof of condos," one commenter wrote.
"Don't use this guy as your installer," another advised. "He doesn't know what is available or recommended mounting. He's probably not the one for the job."
"I had another company come out for an estimate earlier this morning," the original poster wrote in an update. "They confirmed that they would be able to install [heat pumps]."
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