Sorry if I'm posting in the wrong spot, but I wanted to get some opinions on Bryant's Evolution Extreme (variable speed compressor) and didn't see an area for air source HP's. Building a 1700 sq ft ICF cottage in Manitoba and was planning on installing a 3 ton Bryant Evolution Extreme. I know 3 ton is oversized on the cooling side of it, but with normal lows of -30degC (-22degF) and occassionally colder, it's probably not oversized on the heating side. Trying to get some info on low end operation of this unit is like pulling teeth. I've heard from 17 degF down to -20degF. Anyone have any experience with this unit and is it worth the extra $$ over a 2 stage system that everyone else sells. I should clarify I'm installing a ducted sytem feeding mainfloor and crawlspace with a fan coil with electric back up. Any opinions appreciated. Thanks, Greg

I'm not sure whether the GreenSpeed or Evolution Extreme can operate at ALL at -30C (and if they do the efficiency performance is pretty abyssmal down there.) About -15C is about as low as they can go while still getting a COP of ~2. If your outside design temp were -10C or warmer you'd get pretty good efficiency out of them, but that's not Manitoba.

Below -10C both efficiency and capacity start falling pretty quickly. The 3-ton Greenspeed can only deliver about 12000BTU/hr at -25C. Play around with the settings under using the "Heating Capacities" tab on this tool:

http://www.tools.carrier.com/greenspeed/

If the cottage has a reasonably open floor plan you can probably do pretty well with the Fujitsu Halcyon XLT-H mini-splits. They will have a COP of about 1.8 @ -25C running flat-out. The AOU-15RLS2-H puts out 15,000 BTU/hr @ -25C. But it's a mini-split- not ducted, so if you have a lot of doored off rooms with significant heat loads where the doors are normally closed, it's probably not going to work for you.

All good heating systems start with a room by room heat load calculation. Only then can you come up with reasonable solutions, but I doubt the GreenSpeed or Evolution Extreme will come even close to meeting your needs.

Product data I have for Greenspeed shows that the max output / minimum temperature point on the capacity graph for a 3 ton nominal system is about 18 kBtuh at -20*C. The graph doesn't go below -20*C, but assuming the thing will keep running at -25*C, Dana's observation that max delivery is 12kBtuh at that temperature is probably about right.

It is probably worth the extra $ over a standard 2 stage system since it is head and shoulders above them at low temps, but you'll still need some sort of backup during Manitoba cold snaps. Dana's points are all well taken...a properly selected minisplit may have an edge in an open floor plan. Doored off rooms might be handled with some supplemental resistance heat.

Alternatively, consider setting something on fire during cold snaps, such as gas, wood or oil.

"......... and didn't see an area for air source HP's. "

Don't we know it, literally started asking years ago.

Dana's point about figuring out your needs first (heat load calcs) is the big one. Deciding the best way to attack a load starts with knowing what the load is first.

I'm in the same boat looking to heat an 850 sq/ft home with heated 5 ft crawlspace in Kenora.

Have you spoken to the owner of CustomVac Heating/Aircond in Winnipeg. He has a Mitsubishi unit up and running at his shop and seems to be the local expert.

I have yet to make a decision but am leaning toward the minisplit with electric forced air as backup, emerg heat (when its toooooo cold for the minisplit to work).

And FWIW I wonder how many people surf by looking for info on ASHP and move on when they cant find a dedicated forum!!! ITS TIME :)

how many people surf by looking for info on ASHP and move on when they cant find a dedicated forum!

Who cares? Literally thousands of questions about minisplits have been asked and answered here. They're ridiculously simple and at least one forum member has more insight into the best use of them than almost any expert I've ever seen.

Well....I care!

If this board could create a dedicated forum for ASHP and migrate those "thousands of questions and answers" to it those peeps that surf by would stop here specifically to read about ASHP and learn and maybe ask a Q or two and keep this place hopping...

I for one don't have any continued interest in the GSHP forum (until the price comes way down) other than to find the ASHP info that is hidden in there.

The mods have never replied to our request for a seperate forum, very few object.
The mods do continue to invite me to subscribe to their referral list (touting the same 3 year old opportunity).

"I for one don't have any continued interest in the GSHP forum (until the price comes way down) other than to find the ASHP info that is hidden in there."

The price will come way down as soon as the cost of labor, insurance, copper, steel, fuel, vehicles etc. comes down......oh and the technology stops improving every few years.

You could always wander over to HVAC-Talk and get slapped around by the defenders of the secret sauce there.