How a Heat Pump Cools Your Home
In the U.S., heat pumps can be a popular option for heating and cooling your home.
They appear very similar to an air conditioner. In reality, they work in a nearly identical way during hot weather. Since they have a reversing valve, they can transfer warmth in the opposite direction as well as add comfort to your home when it's cold.
Not sure if you rely on a heat pump or an air conditioner? All you have to do is locate the model number on the outdoor unit and look it up online. If you find you use a heat pump, or you’re use installing one, discover how this HVAC equipment keeps houses residences.
How Heat Pumps work
Heat pumps have a refrigeration system similar to an air conditioner. Most can work like a ductless mini-split, since they can heat and cool. Heat pumps have an indoor evaporator coil and an outdoor condensing coil. Refrigerant is a nearly identical way through these coils to move warmth. The outdoor unit also extracts a compressor and is enclosed by metal fins that act as a heat sink to help move warmth properly.
Summertime Cooling
When your heat pump is cooling, the refrigerant starts in the evaporator coil. Air from inside the house is distributed over the coil, and the refrigerant removes warmth. Water in the air also condenses on the coil, dropping into the condensate pan below and moves away. The following cool air moves through the ductwork and back into your home.
Meanwhile, the refrigerant flows a compressor on its way to the outdoor coil. This concentrates the refrigerant, causing it to get hotter. As it flows through the condensing coil, the outside fan and metal fins help to emit heat to the outside. The refrigerant moves back indoors, passing through an expansion valve that chills it considerably, prepping it to begin the process from the beginning.
When your heat pump is replaced and maintained appropriately, you’ll enjoy efficient cooling on par with an energy-saving air conditioner.
Wintertime Heating
In heating mode, the heat exchange process happens the opposite way. By flowing in the opposite direction, refrigerant extracts heat from the outdoor air and vents it into your home to warm the inside.
Heat pumps operating in heating mode are most effective when the temperature is above freezing outside. If it gets too cold, a backup electric resistance heater starts to keep your home comfy, but your heating bills increase as a result.
Heat pumps work longer than furnaces since the air doesn’t significantly as heated. This helps maintain a more even indoor temperature. On top of that, because heat pumps flowing hot air rather than making it from a fuel source, they can work well above 100% efficiency. You should expect 30Ð40% savings on your heating bills by getting a heat pump.
Schedule Heat Pump Installation or Service Now
Heat pumps are environmentally friendly and cost-effective. They are a substitute for the regular AC/furnace configuration and need the same amount of maintenance—one checkup in the spring and another in the fall.
If you want to install a heat pump, Service Experts is the company to contact. We’ll size and install your to fit your heating and cooling requirements. And then we’ll back our installation with a Service Experts Guarantee* for a year. To learn more, contact us at (866) 963-7996 now.
