Thread by Marvin Brown IV

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A 🧵 on my parents recent experience with replacing their AC unit and the challenges of removing fossil fuels from homes. Recently, my mom texted me to say that their AC unit went out and she wanted to know what she should replace it with. 1/x
For years, I have been talking with my parents about the climate crisis and encouraging them to electrify their home. Not only for the climate benefits, but also for the MAJOR public health benefits of no longer burning natural gas in their house. 2/x

www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/news/natural-gas-used-in-homes/
For me the AC unit breaking presented a perfect opportunity to begin the process of decarbonizing their home. But for my mom, they just need it to be cool inside. So I suggested that she look into heat pumps. 3/x
We talked on the phone about the climate benefits of a heat pump, but also how they are the future of HVAC systems, and significantly more efficient than her old AC unit. She was sold. 4/x
But then she talked to her HVAC guy. My parents live in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. And while it is no Cleveland, it does get cold from time to time. And their HVAC guy said a heat pump wasn’t a good idea, and talked her out of it. 5/x
So I called him to talk about heat pumps and to see what his thoughts were. Right off the bat he stated that he “advises against heat pumps for every client that requests one.” First, he pointed out that it would be more expensive to install. 6/x
Second, he stated that in Ohio it gets too cold for heat pumps, and that they can’t handle the weather. According to him, they are not efficient enough in the winter and so customers complain about their increased electric bills. 7/x
And finally, he stated that customers complain about the air flow in the winter. Because the unit works differently, it doesn’t have the same warm air feel in the winter. And so customers complain that it “feels cold” in the winter, even if the unit is working well. 8/x
Rather than argue, I tried to ask about the different units he has in stock, and if he has experience with Lennox’s new cold climate heat pumps. He wasn’t a fan of them due to replacement part costs, and instead preferred Bryant. 9/x
Overall, I liked him and I appreciated that he wasn’t trying to upsell my parents. But I was disappointed that he was discouraging his clients from the obvious climate friendly choice. 10/x
So, I called a few HVAC companies in the area and got similar responses. Mostly, the response was that natural gas heating is best because it’s cheap and it’s the gold standard for heating. Almost universally, each salesperson tried to persuade me against heat pumps. 11/x
Meanwhile, my mom got tired of baking in the house while I tried to find a sustainable HVAC contractor and talked to the original HVAC guy about a hybrid system. It was a compromise and because he wanted her business, he discounted the original price. 12/x
For anyone into HVAC, they got a Bryant 288BNV heat pump and a Bryant 986T gas furnace. So far my mom is satisfied with the choice and likes the new thermostat. 13/x
Some lessons in the process: As @energysmartwv has said, until heat pumps are the only option, we are not going to install them widely. It’s way too easy to replace gas heating with gas heating. For most people it won’t be a climate choice but a practical and economic one. 14/x
Until the feds stepping in to phase out indoor gas units (which I think should happen), I don’t see an easy solution. We will have to rely on other forces at the state and local level to decarbonize homes. 15/x
I think city/state gas bans are effective at avoiding fossil fuel infrastructure in new homes. They can also drive up demand for heat pumps and induction stoves, which should hopefully lead to more supply and lower prices. 16/x
Until it’s cheaper or it’s the only option, many people will choose gas appliances over electric. We need more and we need cheaper heat pumps. 17/x
(It’s not the purpose of this thread, but I think it’s important to note that any city/state that enacts a gas ban should also be working to build more housing—hopefully, in a dense and transit friendly way. It’s not a climate friendly policy if no one can afford to live there.)
We also have to dispel the myth that heat pumps don’t work in colder climates. Norway has the highest per capita use of heat pumps worldwide, and Oslo’s average temperature in January is similar to Columbus, Ohio’s.

nextcity.org/urbanist-news/how-norway-popularized-an-ultra-sustainable-heating-method
Contractors should know this. They are the point person for homeowners; and homeowners talk to other homeowners. So when a contractor disparages a heat pump, we not only lose that house to needless fossil fuel infrastructure and use, but others. 19/x
My mom was willing and able to do the climate friendly switch, but was talked out of it by her HVAC contractor. Until we get contractors on board, most people will not electrify their homes. We need to work with contractors to provide the facts on electrification.
20/x
People place an enormous amount of trust in their contractors. Most of us do not have the time, or the experience, to research how HVAC units work. We need contractors to be the front line in helping people decarbonize their homes. 21/x
And finally, to the extent that heat pumps work differently, I think we have to talk openly about how they will *feel* differently than furnaces and AC units of the past. I think more people will be willing to embrace the change when they know what to expect. 22/x
I know a lot of us in the climate space are tired. I know I am. But I also think we need to talk about what our dreams of a fossil fuel-free future would look like. And that will also include changes in how we experience spaces. 23/23
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