Energy Sense

Which Heat Pump Option is Right for My Home?

By Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen

Heat pump technology has improved a lot over the past 10 to 20 years, and the systems work double-duty, heating your home during winter and cooling during summer months. There are a few different types of heat pumps, so learning about each can help decide what works best for your home and climate. There are a few main types: air-source — both ducted and “mini-split” systems, and ground-source.

1Ducted heat pump If your home has a forced air furnace, a centralized air-source heat pump can work well. A compressor outside your home that looks like an A/C unit is connected to your home’s existing duct system. Like your furnace, the temperature is controlled through one main thermostat. This is a solid solution if your system has quality ductwork that heats and cools every room evenly, which is rare.

Ductwork in most homes is not designed to heat or cool every room evenly. Long supply runs provide little air to some rooms, and it’s typical for some rooms to lack return air registers. Also, ductwork is often leaky, which creates comfort issues. If leaky ducts are located in unheated areas such as crawl spaces or attics, it will increase your heating and cooling costs. Poor ductwork will render any kind of central heating or cooling system much less effective. Some HVAC contractors can repair ductwork problems if the ductwork is accessible.

Heat pumps vary in efficiency, and this is measured in two ways. The Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) rating measures heating efficiency and the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating measures cooling efficiency. The minimum ratings for a new heat pump are HSPF 8.2 and SEER 14. Heat pumps with the Energy Star® rating are significantly more efficient than the minimum standard. The quality of the installation also matters, and some contractors will have more experience and training than others.

Also, newer models of heat pumps can operate effectively in sub-zero weather, but sometimes they do so by switching to electric resistance mode, which is much less efficient. In a colder climate, it may be worth investing in a dual-fuel system, where propane or another fuel provides supplemental heat on extremely cold days. 2 Mini-split heat pump Ductless mini-splits are an excellent option if you don’t have central air ducts, your ducts are leaking, or you only want the new ductless heat pump to heat or cool one portion of the home. With a mini-split heat pump, tubes connected to the outside compressor carry refrigerant to one or more air handlers, which are mounted high on a wall to distribute air. Thermostats regulate each air handler, providing control of different zones in the home.

In climates that don’t experience extreme cold, a ductless heat pump could supply all the heating and cooling in a small home. They are also often used in combination with a central heating and cooling system.

3Geothermal (or ground-source) heat pump Several feet underground, the temperature remains constant year-round — typically between 50 and 70 degrees in North Carolina. Heat is transferred into or out of the ground by pipes buried in a loop 10 feet underground or drilled up to 400 feet into the earth. The pipes carry water to a compressor, which uses a refrigerant to transfer the heat to or from your home’s ducts.

A geothermal heat pump system is extremely energy efficient, since the earth’s temperature is warmer than the outside air in the winter and cooler than the outside air in the summer. But I should note this efficiency comes with a high price tag, which is the initial cost to install the pipe loop or drill the hole for a vertical pipe. For this reason, ground-source systems are relatively rare.

For additional information and guidance on heat pumps, give your electric co-op a call. If you have a qualified energy auditor in your area, an audit could be a great next step, especially if it includes a duct leakage test. Then you’ll be ready to reach out to contractors and request a few quotes.

Peter Stevens An air-source heat pump compressor located outside the home can distribute hot and cold air through your existing duct system.

The condenser for a mini-split is often mounted on an exterior wall. This column was co-written by Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen of Collaborative Efficiency. Visit carolinacountry.com/your-energy for more ideas on energy efficiency.

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Steaks & Spirits

The Country Squire is a local haunt in more ways than one

By Emory Rakestraw

It’s a typical night at The Country Squire Restaurant, Inn and Winery. Diners sip martinis and Manhattans when suddenly, from the idle dartboard, darts whiz through the air unprovoked. Speechless patrons are mixed with nonchalant guests partial to the Squire’s haunting legend.

This story recounted by current owner Iris Lennon doesn’t exist on a singular spectrum. Aside from the colorful dinner menu of Korean beef, New York strip and stuffed potatoes, the labyrinth of rooms lend themselves to tales more infamous than the restaurant’s 72-ounce “Kilt Buster” steak.

“Many years ago, one of the waitresses saw a wee girl sitting on the steps,” Iris says. “Years after, four folks came out for dinner. One of the ladies wanted to take a picture. As she was snapping it, her friend turned and the wee girl was standing beside her, wearing exactly what the waitress described years ago.”

Over the years, paranormal investigators have flocked to the Squire, including Port City Paranormal of Wilmington, and Haunted North Carolina Paranormal Research and Investigations. Iris welcomes each, allowing them to explore the multitude of rooms after she locks up for the night. Introduced to the Squire by a group of paranormal investigators, Michael La Chiana has been researching here since 2010 — Iris refers to him as the Squire’s in-house investigator.

Using thermal cameras, audio recorders and a DSLR camera, he has captured a multitude of phenomena. Michael has recorded a girl’s voice asking the whereabouts of the Squire’s (now deceased) outdoor cat: “See Hannah Thistle?” There’s a thermal image of a woman floating midair, and a picture of what he believes is a disembodied head poking up from a planter.

Piecemeal history

With history that predates the Revolutionary War, the Squire was originally surrounded by 300 acres of family owned land. Today, it’s a seven-acre tract off NC Highway 50 between Kenansville and Warsaw. Michael believes the ghosts are a mix of souls who predate the Squire and others who tagged along with the mixed materials used by original owner Joe West, a former schoolteacher, when the restaurant was built in 1961.

A photo of the farmhouse, with what could be the “wee girl” visible in the lower-left window

“Joe West was a scavenger. He’d go in and anything he could find he would put it in here. The brick, the wood, this whole place is built from different places,” Michael says. “The McGowan Farmhouse dates to 1780 — Joe moved it to the Squire as an addition.”

Today, the McGowan Farmhouse serves as the Tartan Wine Tasting Room and Gift Shop, showcasing the original hardwood flooring. Ask Iris, and she’ll show you the sepia-toned photo of the decrepit farmhouse, wherein the lower-left window sits what appears to be the wee girl’s apparition. From the Jester’s Court to the Pantry Room, an array of makeshift spaces comprise the Squire. Yet the heart and pulse is the original cabin restaurant that Joe built by hand.

“Terry Southerland has worked here since the Squire opened. When Joe West was teaching school, Terry was his student. For the log cabin, Joe hired some of his students and men to cut down the trees,” says Squire employee Jenny Bratcher. “They used crosscut saws, axes and a horse team. Terry was one of the kids, he still comes in and hand-cuts meat to this day.”

Preserving a landmark

Inside the cavernous restaurant, daylight seeps through small windows amid a void of time and space. There are candles dripping wax and tables hung by chains that rattle in darkness. In the Wine Cellar Walkway, a bowl of apples sits beneath paranormal certificates, while jester puppets dangle about the Tavern windows. Turn a corner toward Mead Hall, and you’re greeted by a live tree the structure was built around. The 460-seat Squire isn’t just a steakhouse but a landmark, one Iris has preserved since Joe’s passing in 1995.

While the eclectic décor remains untouched, Iris has added her native Scotch touch. The Burns Supper, her January event filled with bagpipes and dancing, honors Scottish poet Robert Burns. In her 44 years as employee-turned-owner, she has felt respectful to both guests and ghosts.

“The Squire was Joe’s passion. He’s definitely around here somewhere — he might even be listening to me,” laughs Iris. “I’m like every employee. I’ve heard voices, music and witnessed things that made me say, ‘hmm?’”

Guests range from beachgoers to Duplin County locals. Iris says while some know of the hauntings, others don’t. What was Joe’s life work is best summed up by a sign out front, which reads: “Who passes thru this friendly gate comes neither too early, nor stays too late.”

Emory Rakestraw is a Wilmington-based freelance journalist. Her love for North Carolina and its history has inspired a wide range of stories — read more of her work at emoryrakestraw.wordpress.com.