Most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about their home’s heating and cooling systems, especially if it’s doing what it’s supposed to do. Even if your heat pump is heating and cooling as it should, we always recommend professional maintenance and routine check-ups. This will ensure the continued proper operation of your heat pump. To better understand how your heat pump keeps your home comfortable, here’s a brief overview of how this system works.
What Is A Heat Pump and What Does It Do?
A heat pump operates as a heating and cooling system. Pumps have two different components, one is the indoor air handler and the other is the outside condenser. The operating process uses extraction and transfers heat by circulating refrigerant through a condensation cycle. The compressor helps pump the refrigerant through heated coils.
Each coil has its own job. On one end, the refrigerant absorbs heat after it has been evaporated and compressed. On the other end, the compressed refrigerant enters the second coil and is placed under condensed pressure. After this, the absorbed heat is released which creates a warm environment.
These systems do more than just produce heat, they can also provide air conditioning and refrigeration by using a reversing valve to reverse the heating operation to a cooling operation.
The Heating Process
Air Conditioning and Heating pumps are more efficient than traditional heating systems because they use significantly less energy to generate heat. While these devices have a reliable system, they are primarily used in climates that are moderate and don’t experience extremely low temperatures. While they can still be used, an additional supplemental heat strip would be necessary.
The Cooling Process
Similar to the heating process, the cooling process evaporates and condenses refrigerant using coils. Instead of warming, the air that is pulled through the system cools down while the refrigerant is heated up. The warm refrigerant is then compressed as it passes the coils. From there, the cold air is pushed into your home. When in cooling mode a heat pump and an air conditioner are functionally identical, absorbing heat from the indoor air and releasing it through the outdoor unit.
A heat pump is an efficient heating and cooling system. For more information about installing a new heat pump, take a look at our AC installation page, or call us at (813) 758-4044.