What is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump not only heats your home
during the winter, it also cools it
during the summer. It does not burn
fuel to produce heat nor does the
electricity it consumes go through
an element. The heat pump functions
on the same principle as
refrigerators and air conditioners:
A liquid absorbs heat as it turns
into a gas and releases heat as it
returns to a liquid state.
During the summer, the heat pump
operates as a standard central air
conditioner: It removes heat from
the house and vents it to the
outside. A liquid refrigerant is
pumped through an evaporator coil of
tubing. The liquid expands as it
moves through the coil, changing to
its gaseous state as it absorbs heat
from the air surrounding the coil.
A blower then pushes air around the
cooled coil through ducts and into
the house. The gas, now carrying
considerable heat, moves through a
compressor and begins the liquefying
process. It then moves to a
condenser coil outside the house,
where the compressed gas releases
its heat and returns to a liquid
state.
During the winter, the heat pump
reverses this process, extracting
heat from the cold air outside and
releasing it inside the house. The
heat pump is very efficient when the
outside temperature is around 45
degrees Fahrenheit to 50 degrees
Fahrenheit, but it becomes less
efficient as the temperature drops.
When the outside air temperature is
very low, an auxiliary electric
heater must be used to supplement
the heat pump's output.
©2006 Publications
International, Ltd.
In cold weather, the
heat pump extracts heat from
the cold air outside and
releases it inside the house. The
process is reversed for
cooling during warm weather.
Like standard electric heating
systems, this auxiliary unit is more
expensive to operate. Thus, in areas
where the winter temperature is
below freezing, a heat pump is not
practical. It has few advantages
over conventional heating systems in
areas where air conditioning is not
necessary, but it is very efficient
in warm to hot climates.
Heat pump maintenance is important.
Small problems that are not
addressed early can lead to very
expensive compressor problems later.
And since maintaining a heat pump is
more technical than caring for the
average heating system, you should
call a professional service person
when the pump malfunctions. You can,
however, keep the system free of
dirt by keeping the filter clean and
by removing any other obstacles to
the flow of air.
Click the Picture below for a video
on how a Heat Pump works
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