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10-16-2017, 03:33 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Thor Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 10
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What's an AC with heat pump?
Hi,
I'm searching for a RV to buy. I often see rigs offering, say, a 13.5 kW AC unit with an option for a 15 kW unit with heat pump. I'm wondering what this means. Does the heat pump increase the air conditioning goodness in some way, or is the heat pump reversible so it acts as a heater?
Regards, Eric
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10-16-2017, 03:37 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Posts: 1,801
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It acts as a heater
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Jeanie, Ed & Slade the GSD(RIP)
Cape Cod, MA
2017 Entegra Aspire RBQ & Silverado Crew or GC
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10-16-2017, 03:38 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Foley AL
Posts: 7,138
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ericgbirder
Hi,
I'm searching for a RV to buy. I often see rigs offering, say, a 13.5 kW AC unit with an option for a 15 kW unit with heat pump. I'm wondering what this means. Does the heat pump increase the air conditioning goodness in some way, or is the heat pump reversible so it acts as a heater?
Regards, Eric
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The above.
__________________
2005 Newmar Essex 4502, 2013 Caddy SRX
1997 HR Endeavor 37, CAT, 1996 Geo Tracker
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10-16-2017, 03:38 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Damon Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Annapolis,MD
Posts: 1,458
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The heat pump provides cooling or heat by reversing the
cycles depending on what the thermostat is calling for.
Just like the ones at many homes.
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10-16-2017, 03:41 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Powell River, B.C.
Posts: 31,442
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The heat pump function reverses flow through the roof unit and pumps the heat into the RV, and vents the cold to the outside.
UP TO A POINT they function well ; the point being approx 45 f , below that temp they won't function .
EDIT: three post while I was typing.... boy I type slow.
__________________
99DSDP 3884, Freightliner, XC, CAT 3126B, 300 HP /ALLISON 3060
2000 Caravan toad, Remco & Blue Ox.
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10-16-2017, 03:41 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Brighton, MI
Posts: 775
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A heat pump is basically the A/C running is reverse. Instead of drawing heat from the inside and exhausting it outside it draws heat from the outside air and exhausts it to the inside.
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Hank & Lynda
2003 Winnebago Adventurer 35U, Workhorse W22
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10-16-2017, 03:49 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Wherever we are
Posts: 4,288
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These are air-to-air devices, and if the air it is drawing in is too hot or too cold, the unit performance will suffer accordingly. At 40d or thereabouts for heating, and 90-05 and above for cooling, seems to be where they stumble. Some of the units are tied into the furnace, and when they won't heat correctly, they turn the furnace on.
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'16 40QBH Phaeton
'21 Sahara HA toad
'15 38RSSA Mobile Suites--traded
'05 36TK3 Mobile Suites--retired but not forgotten
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10-16-2017, 04:02 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club American Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,767
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We have a heat pump on one of our ACs and very seldom use it. If it's cold enough for heat we turn on two portable Laskos or fire up the Aqua Hot. As noted above, the HP function does not work below around 40/45 plus they are noisy.
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2014 American Eagle 45T
DD 13, 500 HP
Pulling a Honda CRV
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10-16-2017, 04:18 PM
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#9
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Senior Member/RVM #90
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Columbus, MS
Posts: 54,758
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Hi Eric! Others have answered your question but I just wanted to say that we love our heat pumps! We use them for heat until the outside temps get down close to freezing! Saves us a lot of propane.
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Joe & Annette
Sometimes I sits and thinks, sometimes I just sits.....
2002 Monaco Windsor 40PBT, 2013 Honda CRV AWD
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10-17-2017, 08:33 AM
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#10
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Registered User
Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 215
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Between the use of our heat pumps and an oil filled electric radiator type space heater we rarely need to use our furnaces unless the outside temps dip down well below the freezing mark.
The heat pumps keep the humidity down which helps avoid condensation from building up inside the rig.
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10-17-2017, 11:40 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 4,283
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A space heater is $10-40. Throw away when bad. Just to repair a heat pump/AC unit is $100-1000. Which one do I use?
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Full Timers.
2015 Fleetwood Discovery 40E on a Freightliner XCS chassis with a Cummins ISL9 pulling 1 and/or 2 motorcycles, '07 Honda Accord OR a 17' Runabout Boat.
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05-09-2018, 07:15 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Northern California
Posts: 1,418
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Hoping this thread is still alive .... Question. I have a traditional 13.5 noisy ceiling A/C (cooling only). If I replace it with a heatpump (cooling only?) will I have .......
1) lower starting current (hope to run it on a Honda 2000 good for 1600W continuous).
2) same or better performance when it's hot out .. 90-100F?
3) maybe a lower profile? I'm already at 12 feet 9 inches with the conventional unit.
4) same or lower noise inside?
5) I've converted my factory 13.5 to throw air straight down (the ducts used up too much of the coolness). Heatpump can work similarly?
I could live with a bit less cooling than the 13.5 produces. Same would be nice but I'd live with 82F inside instead of 77F if I could run it on the Honda 2000i.
A bigger generator is out, the 46# Honda is my lift limit.
Any other suggestions?
Thanks much.
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05-09-2018, 07:58 PM
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#13
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 24,064
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Pretty much nothing will change between what you have and what you want to get. When your A/C unit is running and cooling the coach, the heat the A/C unit develops, exits the A/C unit exterior vents into the outside air. When you turn on the heat pump, the cold air goes outside and the hot air comes inside.
It's the same unit, doing the same thing, they just add some additional wiring and a reversing valve. You won;t be able to start and run your unit off of a single Honda 2000. The height will most likely be the same.
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Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
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05-10-2018, 07:37 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
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An "Air Conditioner" is any device that changes the condition of the air One air freshner used to advertise itself as the $1.89 Air Conditioner. But in standard practic when we say Air Conditioner we are talking about COOLING the air.
Now imagine if you were a window A/C installed backwards..So the outside was on the inside, IT would make the room WARMER by "Pumping" heat from outside to the Inside..
And this is what an A/C with Heat pump is.. A reversable A/C. only the "Reversing" is done with valves (Solenoids) inside the unit.
In teh Summer it "Pumps" heat out of the RV like any air conditioenr
In the Spring and fall it "Pumps" into the RV to help keep you warm
ANd in teh winter it just sits there and does nothing (one hopes you do not turn it on below freezing).
15,000 BTU will provide more cooling than 13,500 BTU. and I highly recommend it as the world warms. (I upgraded both my 13,500's to 15000 and it is still not enough.
Finally.. Warm air tends to rise. Your Heat Pump is at the top of the RV, of course the blower may push warm air down (Spring and fall) but the FURNACE ductwork is in the FLOOR, where a heater belongs.
That said. I'd much rather burn "Free" (included in teh site rental) electricity and relatively Expensive Propane.
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Home is where I park it!
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