Heat pumps can keep your Southshore, LA home comfortable throughout the year. The more you know about your system, the more prepared you will be when something goes awry. Let’s explore five critical heat pump components and what they do in your system.
1. Compressor
The compressor works with the refrigerant, compressing it into a high-pressure liquid that gets hot during the process. This allows it to vent the heat it absorbs either inside or outside your home. If you suspect the compressor isn’t working well, schedule heat pump repair quickly to prevent system failure.
2. Condenser and Evaporator Coils
A heat pump has two refrigerant coils, one inside the house and one outside. The condenser coil is the high-pressure hot side, and the evaporator coil is the low-pressure cold side. Where the high and low-pressure sides are depends on whether it’s in heating or cooling mode.
3. Reversing Valve
The reversing valve controls where the high-pressure refrigerant flows after coming out of the compressor. During heating mode, it directs the compressed refrigerant inside, while directing it outside in cooling mode.
4. Thermostat
The thermostat acts as the system’s brain and tells it when to run a heating or cooling cycle. It also works with the control module to determine if it needs to run a defrost cycle. Thermostats can cause problems as they age, so you may need to replace yours every 10 to 15 years.
5. Compressor’s Contactor and Capacitor
The outside compressor unit has two critical electrical components: the contactor and the capacitor. The capacitor stores a large electrical charge to start the compressor and fan. The contactor closes when it receives a cycle start signal from the thermostat to allow the high-voltage charge through.
Without all of these components working effectively together, your heat pump won’t be able to keep you comfortable. Routine heat pump maintenance helps extend the life of each component and gives you peace of mind throughout the year. Call to schedule a heat pump maintenance visit with one of our expert technicians at Caribbean Breeze Heating & Cooling in Southshore, LA.
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