Heat pumps are versatile systems as they can be used to both cool and heat your home. The process they use are much like the way a refrigerator uses to keep food fresh and cold. Have you seen the hot coils at the back of your fridge? They are responsible for releasing heat from the inside. You might be wondering how it works. So, provided below is a guide to help you understand the process a heat pump uses to transfer heat energy to cool and heat an enclosed space.
Heat Pumps: How Do They Work?
Heat pumps use refrigerant to take up and produce heat energy through a process that involves pressurizing gas to heat it up and then depressurizes it so it will cool down. There are different kinds of heat pumps, like air to water and geothermal, but the most common ones are the geothermal heat pumps.
Imagine a bicycle pump and an aerosol can. If you release air, the released gas will feel cold. When you add pressure, the tire of the bicycle will heat up. If the refrigerant will change states, from liquid and then to gas, the temperature will also change. The refrigerant is made to reach specific temperatures at certain pressures for efficiency.
Heat Pump For Cooling
In summer and spring, the heat pump will absorb heat from indoors using the units evaporator and then releases it outdoors through the outdoor unit.
The liquid coolant will move to the evaporator where it will get depressurized and become gas. This gas will become very cold and it will absorb all of the heat it could from the inside of your house before it travels to the outdoor compressor and become a hot liquid.
The hot coolant will then go through the condenser coils while a high powered fan starts. The air will flow over the condenser coils to help in releasing heat energy. After the heat from the refrigerant is dispersed outdoors, the refrigerant will then cool down and returned to the evaporator to begin the entire process again.
Heat Pump For Heating
The closed loop coolant unit works just the in the fall and winter, but the other way around. The refrigerant does not pick up heat indoors. Instead, it gathers heat from outdoors. Once the refrigerant has taken up all of the heat it possibly can, the outdoor compressor will pressurize the gas into a hot liquid. The hot refrigerant will move to the indoor coils and the blower will help release the heat from the refrigerant and then to your duct system.
You might believe that if it is cold outside, there will be no heat to absorb. The good news is that there is still a lot of heat that can be harvested, even if the temperatures are as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
On the other hand, if the temperatures drop below freezing point, the effectiveness of the heat pump will go down drastically. That’s why those who reside in areas with extreme climates are most likely to use a different type of heating system.
You will also find hybrid systems that offer the best of both worlds. During mild temperatures, the heat pump Myrtle Beach will keep the operating costs low but during the colder season, the backup heater will start to make sure that everything is energy efficient.
If you need help with your heat pump, whether it’s installation, repair, or maintenance, do not hesitate to call DuctWorks Heating and Cooling, Inc.
DuctWorks Heating and Cooling, Inc.
303 Main St
North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
(843) 427-7411
https://www.ductworksheatingandcooling.com/
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