Heat Pumps are not really looking down the road.................Winnebago has been using them since 2000/2001. We had one and their units have a single heat pump that heats and cools (no roof units) and a propane furnace for times when you need to conserve electric usage. Could be a weight or a cost issue because I have never seen a towable type rv with this set up.
Propane usage
- Thread starter Scott_smj
- Start date
2010augusta
Well-known member
If you are planning on using you water tank, you'll need to heat or at least insulate the suction line from the tank towards the pump. the line can be near the frame and the drain is "teed" into that line and it WILL freeze.
Even if the location in Summit County has water supply, in the middest winter CG water lines can freeze too, forcing you to use a tank.
danemayer
Well-known member
Alan, are you trying to say that a ceramic heater in the basement will not keep the tank/line from freezing, but the furnace would?
2010augusta
Well-known member
Nope, I saying from our experienced last year that even with the furnace running the tank drain froze and blocked the line from the tank to the pump.
You might be able to push the drain line up into the underbelly and protect from the cold, but I put about 6 feet of heat tape on the line from the tank along the drain and up to the more heated section of the basement.
2010augusta
Well-known member
We do the same, but not every one does, and if someone freezes and breaks everyone in the CG loses water pressure. it happened 3-4 times last year, so we keep the fresh water tank FULL all winter so we can shower at 5:45 am and get to work on time even if the CG is froze.
Take Care and good luck.
Take Care and good luck.
Buford445
Well-known member
That's a good Idea may have to try that
We had a heat pump on our Yellowstone. Worked well.
? #2 I'm leaving for two weeks to go home for the holidays do I need to drain my hot water heater? I will be leaving my furnace on 50* turning off the water,water heater and heat trace on the hose I don't really want to leave things in operation in case of a power outage or something? What should I do?
jimtoo
Moderator
Hi Scott,
Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and Family. We have a great bunch of people here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge if needed.
I don't know where you are in Tx, but if your North line from San Antonio to Houston I would for sure turn off the water and water heater and maybe even drain the lines.
Enjoy the forum and your new unit.
Jim M
traveler44
Well-known member
Hi. Scott, I tried figuring your dailey usage. If I got it right you had 80% fill of a 100 gal. tank or 80 gal. Propane weighs about 4.1# per gal.=328# 40% of the 328#/14 days= 9.35# perday You used less than the 11 to 12 lb.s that your supposed to use running the furnace flat out. Somebody said buying 80 gal. is cheaper than what we pay per pound. Our little 30# tanks only hold about 7 gallons. but they seem to last pretty well when we use the fireplace and the elec. heater but then we are there if the power goes off. Tom M.
Ray LeTourneau
Senior Member - Past Moderator
We are in the process of an experiment. I'm not sure how exact it will be but...
I read our meter at arrival here in the valley and have used LP for everything. Heat, HWH and fridge. We used the A/C for maybe 2-1/2 days maybe 10 hours total. Our usage was 110 KWH for 14 days. At that 14 day mark, I switched everything over to electric. We are still using the furnace but it doesn't run too often. During the first two weeks I filled 2- 30# LP bottles. Not sure how empty the first one was but from the time I switched to a full bottle a week passed before the 2nd ran out. So it looks like I'm using 1 bottle per week.
At the end of the next 2 weeks I'll read the meter to check the difference.
Propane here is $17.75 for a 30# bottle and electric is .19/hour, eek!
I read our meter at arrival here in the valley and have used LP for everything. Heat, HWH and fridge. We used the A/C for maybe 2-1/2 days maybe 10 hours total. Our usage was 110 KWH for 14 days. At that 14 day mark, I switched everything over to electric. We are still using the furnace but it doesn't run too often. During the first two weeks I filled 2- 30# LP bottles. Not sure how empty the first one was but from the time I switched to a full bottle a week passed before the 2nd ran out. So it looks like I'm using 1 bottle per week.
At the end of the next 2 weeks I'll read the meter to check the difference.
Propane here is $17.75 for a 30# bottle and electric is .19/hour, eek!
Propane is cheaper there than here. Based on your numbers your cost to heat is about $57 for electricity and $46 for propane. Those numbers are figured at the cost per MM Btu and using 60% efficiency for the Suburban heater. The Suburbans are very in-efficient. No cost for labor for changing out the propane tanks.
Ray LeTourneau
Senior Member - Past Moderator
I'm inclined to agree that using all propane may be a bit cheaper than elec at 19 cents. I'll know more in a week. Of course this is just for our situation. Costs for LP & electric vary all over the place.
jmgratz
Original Owners Club Member
We have found most parks include the electricity with daily and weekly rentals. Monthly rentals will usually have electricity as an additional charge. Some parks charge for electricity on weekly rentals as well. To be sure ask when making your reservation or when checking in. We have found our usual electricity for the month will run somewhere around $60-$70. I use this figure when planning our travel budgets. Also when you figure your monthly charge by the night it is usually substantially less than the daily charge. For example a parks daily charge may be $27.00 per night including electricity and the monthly charge would be $18.00 plus electricity.
Buford445
Well-known member
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