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How Heat Pumps Work:
What makes the heat pump so efficient is the way it
operates. Instead of burning costly fuels such as propane or oil, the
heat pump moves heat without a flame. It does this by extracting
available heat from the outside air and transferring or ''pumping'' it
inside your home. During the summer the heat pump reverses this
operation extracting heat from the air inside your home and pumping it
outside.
The way the heat pump operates can be explained without
getting too technical. Two basic physical principles are at work in the
heat pump:
- Movement of heat from a hot object to a cool object
- A pressurized gas allowed to expand becomes cool
To
achieve year round comfort, the heat pump uses the same basic
components as the refrigerator:
Coils to carry refrigerant gas, a
compressor to increase the pressure of the gas, and fans to circulate
air.
During the winter a fan pulls air over the outdoor coil which
extracts heat from the outside air. Even though winter air feels cold
to us, it holds a great deal of heat. The compressors pressurize the
gas in the coil, raising the temperature even higher. The heated gas
moves inside your home to the indoor coil. A circulating fan blows air
across the indoor coil and through heating ducts, the heat is drawn
from the gas in the indoor coil and transferred to the air in the
ducts.
During the summer this process is reversed automatically by a valve or switch on the heat pump.
Like any other machine, the heat pump will perform best if it is properly maintained.
The most common type of heat pump is an "air-source" system. Split air-source systems have an outdoor unit, which includes a compressor, outdoor coil, fan, and reversing valve. That unit is connected with refrigerant-filled tubing to an indoor component. The indoor unit contains a fan, indoor coil, which transfers heat between your house and the outside air.
Air Conditioner Heat Pumps uses its compressor year round to heat or
cool. In warm weather, it efficiently captures heat from inside your
home and pumps it outside for cooling. In cool weather, it captures
heat from outdoor air and pumps it into your home
Heat Pumps are ideal for climates with moderate heating and cooling needs, heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners. Like your refrigerator, heat pumps use electricity to move heat from a cool space into a warm, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer. During the heating season, heat pumps move heat from the cool outdoors into your warm house; during the cooling season, heat pumps move heat from your cool house into the warm outdoors.
Because they move heat rather than generate heat, heat pumps can provide up to 4 times the amount of energy they consume.
Heat pumps give off less heat at one time than does a conventional gas furnace. This means that they offer a mellower type of heat, do not turn off and on with the same frequency as a gas furnace, and therefore circulate more air throughout the house.
They are controlled by the same type of thermostat used for forced-air systems.
If you heat with electricity, a heat pump can trim the amount of electricity you use for heating by as much as 30% to 40%. High-efficiency heat pumps also dehumidify better than standard central air conditioners, resulting in less energy usage and more cooling comfort in summer months.
On really cold days, a heat pump must work especially hard to collect heat and the efficiency of most air-source heat pumps as a heat source drops dramatically at low temperatures, generally making them unsuitable for cold climates, although there are systems that can overcome that problem. Click here to view average temperatures in your area.
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NOTE: Heat Pump Disclaimer
Ductless Mini-Split units are Heat Pumps and will operate in ambient (outdoor) temperatures down to about 20 degrees F (other conditions i.e. humidity and wind may increase or decrease working temperature and efficiency). Keep in mind, even with our state of the art, variable speed inverter systems, which have heating operating ranges down to 0 degrees F outdoor temperature, the heating capacity (output) drops dramatically, moving approximately 40% of the heating capacity at 10 degrees F. Climates that routinely drop below 20 degrees F Ductless HVAC Supply recommends a back up source of heat. We highly recommend, a supplement heater, perhaps an oil filled portable heater with its own thermostat or installing a permanently mounted baseboard heater with high wattage outputs, for the colder climate areas. Consult your HVAC Professional before selecting a Heat Pump as the only source of heat.
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