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And while I was being facetious with the motor/laptop/DVD suggestion, I did run into this. Our lab doesn't allow space heaters in offices, probably for good reason. An older colleague was perputually cold in his office, so he went to the IT surplus pile and picked up a couple of old intel...

Conservation of energy is a thing in physics. While we may not agree with the laws of physics, we do have to obey them. All the electrical energy that goes into the motor needs to go somewhere, unless there is a drive shaft sticking out the side of the pump house, then that somewhere is...

I couldn't find a spec sheet from Mr Cool that shows the output and COP vs temperature, which is kind of a red flag. The only thing I did find was their entry on the NEEEP list (linked above) which is where I got the numbers. https://ashp.neep.org/#!/product/182266/7/25000/95/7500/0///0

Absolutely - specifying appropriate equipment is part of the job. If you want to heat with a heat pump in Alburquerque, then an inverter systems would probably be the right equipment. The problem is most HVAC contractors just sell what ever brand they are familiar with, regardless if it is...

What do you think happens to that light when it hits the walls of the pump house? It all turns to heat. I agree that heat tape that directs the heat to what actually needs to be heated is a better option. But otherwise it doesn't really mater what you use, an electric motor, a laptop, a DVD...

Watts are watts, so a lightbulb is the same efficiency as a heater. However, it may be better to target the heat as at just what needs to be kept warm. A couple of cold clouds days may do a number on your solar/battery system. The heat tape and some insulation are a great suggestion.

We just built a house in Colorado front range, so similar to Albuquerque, but maybe 5-6F colder in the winter. We ended up with a ground source heat pump for the house and an air source mini split heat pump for the detached garage. Both work fine without any sort of backup heat, so your...

The more recent Mr Cools are definitely better, but still not great at low temperatures. For example the 24 kBtu Gen 5 advertises that it 'works down to -13F' but if you acually look at the specs the output at -13F is only 10 kBtu. Even at 17F you have already lost 1/3 of the capacity...

I think this regulation is particularly important in areas that have large scale disasters, like fires and earthquakes (in California). These seem like the situations where you may loose power and need to evacuate quickly, preferably in a vehicle. If your area is not at risk of this sort of...

Our elderly neighbor experienced this exact thing - our neighborhood burned down in a wildfire, but before that, the power went out. This neighbor couldn't lift her garage door high enough to get it to the point where it would stay open so she could drive out. Understandably she was...

Check the install specs on the outdoor unit - they typically show minimum clearances from walls, and I am guessing it is way more than that. That said I also wouldn't want to move it any further out until it is actually solidly mounted - those suckers are heavy and the brackets need to go into...

Good call - the Mr Cool DIY units are good air conditioners, but not great heat pumps for a cold climate.

I find the concern over the cost and excess of these outlets to be pretty amusing. This is GJ and there is a whole forum here we people spend months agonizing on what to paint their garage floor with, followed by spending thousands of dollars on actually doing it. An $80 outlet is amongst the...

I have some of the Legrand Adorne outlets in the kitchen - definitely more interesting than the standard decora outlets, but still confined to the 'one gang box'.

Looks like you just loosen the 'wings' and they pull out from the front - easier than a 'regular' outlet.

Hardie panel over Zip.

I have not tried these, but they look like they would be great for specific situations where traditional boxes and outlets are too large of unsightly. It has always seemed odd to me how little innovation there has been in residential electrical - maybe with the exception of Wagos, it seems like...

I think those can only handle 99A, they fail at 100.

Assuming you have other landcare type things to do, then a tractor, particularly one with a loader, is WAY more useful than an ATV. I have a Kubota BX23s (admittedly more than $10K), and can't imagine how I ever lived without it. Edit to add - not just land care type stuff, also workshop type...

If you are going to try the unvented heater option, at least get some sort of air quality meter to have some idea how bad things get. While CO2 itself isn't a super health concern, it is a great proxy for combustion by products. A cheap CO2 meter will give you some sense - it will likely go...