EP. 60: Designing Heat Pump Systems That Won't Come Back to Haunt You, with Eric Fitz

Ready to design heat pump systems that really work? Grab our free manual S cold-climate heat pump selection tool - the same systematic approach that helps contractors get sizing right the first time. 👉 https://bit.ly/heat-pump-manual-s-fre... ---------------------------------------------------------- Heat pumps fail homes for one reason more than any other: someone guessed instead of measured. In this episode, Amply co-founder and co-CEO Eric Fitz shares his complete heat pump sizing playbook in a talk recorded at the Building Performance Association's annual conference in Columbus. Eric is a mechanical engineer and a self-described Manual J nerd, and he takes you through the whole chain of system design: how Manual J defines what the home needs, why duct capacity is its own separate check that can make or break a retrofit, and how Manual S picks the right equipment. Along the way he shares the quick field tricks that remove the guesswork — the ten-second flashlight test for low-E glass, the $3 tool for checking wall insulation, and why a thicker filter actually fixes high static pressure. You'll also hear plenty of audience Q&A from the room. Expect to Learn Why accurate Manual J load calculations are the foundation of successful heat pump system design. How infiltration, windows, insulation, and duct leakage dramatically affect heating and cooling loads. Methods for measuring duct capacity and identifying airflow restrictions before equipment selection. How to interpret heat pump performance data, including capacity, COP, latent cooling, and airflow requirements. The tradeoffs between oversized and undersized systems, and how proper sizing improves comfort, efficiency, and indoor air quality. Timestamps [00:00:00] - Episode Teaser [00:04:06] - Heat Pump Design Fundamentals and the ACCA Design Process [00:07:27] - Understanding Load Drivers: Temperature, Windows, and Infiltration [00:14:02] - Window Performance, Low-E Glass, and Shading Effects [00:20:11] - Verifying Insulation and Building Envelope Conditions [00:26:26] - Duct Leakage, Static Pressure, and Measuring Airflow [00:44:48] - Heat Pump Performance Data Explained [00:52:57] - Manual S Sizing Rules and Heat Pump Selection [01:11:07] - Balancing Comfort, Efficiency, Auxiliary Heat, and Real-World Constraints [01:17:05] - There Is No Perfect Heat Pump: Making the Best Choice [01:19:37] - Closing Remarks Follow the Hosts: Ed Smith:   / ed-smith-5aa8716   Eric Fitz:   / ehfitz   Amply Energy Website: https://www.amply.energy/ Amply Energy YouTube:    / @amplyenergy   Amply Energy Facebook:   / amplyenergy   Amply Energy Instagram:   / amply_energy   Listening Links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3pJxxoC... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Podcast Site: https://info.amply.energy/blog/tag/he...