(12-28-2022, 01:05 PM)mikesez Wrote:

(12-28-2022, 08:41 AM)jagibelieve Wrote: Not true.  Our heat pump maintains a comfortable 68 degrees in our home with outside temps in the low 20's.

In the US heat pumps are customarily installed with a resistance heating coil in the air handler.  If your air handler is on a 2 pole or 240V breaker, that's why.  The whole thing is sold as a package without explanation of the components.  I would be very surprised if your home did not have this.
Below 40F, the heat pump starts moving much less heat, even though the home needs more.  Below 25F, it moves no heat at all.  Below 32F, there is the possibility of icing over the coils, if the air is humid, which usually makes the thing shut down

Once again misinformation.

To the first point in bold.  I have never seen an A/C system on a house that doesn't run on 240V.  Much the same with a clothes dryer, water heater or an oven/range in the kitchen.  Two phase, 240VAC draws less current and is much more efficient.

To your second false statement, modern heat pumps are used in temperatures a lot colder than we experience.  Over the last few days our outside air temperature was below 30 by 8PM and was in the low 20's overnight into the next morning.  Daytime highs never got much over 40.  Our heat pump kept our home warm enough (to my set point of 65 at night) and warmed the house up in the morning when I bump the thermostat up to around 70.  After we wash up/shower/get dressed I drop it down to 68 where it runs on occasion.

The "emergency heat" coils never kicked on (honestly I don't even know if our unit has them installed).

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