After decades of relying on a wood stove, an older couple turned to Reddit with a simple question: Could they safely turn on their new heat pump when temperatures were expected to drop into the 20s?
Here's what to know
The question came from a Reddit post in r/heatpumps, where the couple said they had turned the system off and asked whether inactivity meant they should do anything before using it for heat again.
Most replies suggested there was little to worry about beyond a few basic checks.
"Maybe check the filter is still clean as a baby, but otherwise nope," one commenter wrote.
"Maybe peek at the outdoor unit and make sure nothing's leaning against it or leaves piled up," another suggested, "but that's about it."
"Just flip it to heat and let it run," one more said. "It'll be fine."
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More background
When they responded, the couple wrote, "We've been living with a wood stove for decades; it's hard to get out of the habit," and said they were still having a few fires even after getting the heat pump.
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Several commenters also noted that heat pumps are designed to work year-round, and cooling use became part of the discussion. One commenter asked whether the couple had run the AC, and another explained, "If you used cooling at all this summer, then it's been running. The only change is the direction of the coolant flow. Otherwise, it will operate the same as it did this summer."
A second self-described older couple reported using 2,428 kilowatt-hours across 365 days and ending up with a negative bill after pairing the system with solar and a battery.
The thread also included advice on daily operation, with one commenter saying heat pumps generally perform better when they hold a steady temperature, recommending only a slight setback instead of asking the system to recover from 58 degrees back to 68.
What can be done?
Replies pointed to a quick routine: try the system before it's truly needed, ensure the outdoor unit is free of leaves or other obstructions, and confirm the filter is still clean.
Coil maintenance also came up, with one user recommending cleaning them at least once a year and another saying a garden hose works well on the outdoor coils after you remove the leaves from the center.
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The couple was glad for both the thread's advice and the new heat pump.
"Nothing like standing in front of a nice hot stove," they said, "But lugging wood from the shed through the snow, well…"
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