Just looking at today's Diesel $3 to $3.20 locally (which tracks with home heating oil)
and the $0.201 per kWh that I'm paying, I think using the Sanyo is costing about 1/3 the cost of oil heat..
You comment about
"regularly tripping the high pressure limit switch" is interesting to me,
since maybe I've had the same kind of problem.
Even with a brand new outdoor unit, my Sanyo 24KHS72 still wants to
draw too much current when given a call for a large temperature change.
If I click up the remote thermostat by 4 or 6 degrees, the system
is likely to slowly increase power use up to 3 to 3.5 kw..
At about 3.5 kw, something gives, and it instantly cycles down to 40 watts..
I'm starting to wonder if my old outdoor unit developed a leak because of
over-pressure.?.
I did one short test with the new outdoor system (calling for 80 degrees) and
quickly backed-off when it got up to 3.0 kw..
Right now, we are being very careful to call only for 2 degree (F) increases
and the unit is working fine. We are getting the expected output per kW used.
During normal power peaks (2 degree increase), we see a 2.0 to 2.5 kW peak
which slowly coasts back down to 1.5 to 0.460 kW depending on weather.
We used the AC mode this week, when we had one day of summer, and found
out that the drain hose wasn't crushed during installation..
The heat mode is back on today and intermittently using ~460 watts to keep the house nice and warm..
April is mostly cool here and we are using the Sanyo every day. So far (as of 18:00 April 8) we are up to $2.26..
April is going to be a good month for the e-bill..
