You’ve probably heard how heat pumps are more efficient and cost-effective than the separate AC and furnace systems. It’s only one system to maintain and will heat your home less expensively over the winter compared to a furnace, plus keep it cool during the summers. Take a few minutes to learn how these incredible systems work and why they’re sought after around Northshore, LA.
Heat Pumps Transfer Heat
The basic concept of heat pumps is transferring heat, either into or out of your home. The refrigerant cools enough to absorb the heat, then warms up enough to expel it. It’s conceptually simple, but it’s is a complex system to make it all work.
To cool the refrigerant, the system has to drop its pressure, causing it to expand rapidly. Once it’s moved through and absorbed heat, it then has to condense that refrigerant to heat it up.
The system absorbs heat from the air moving through the area with low pressure. Then the air absorbs excess heat where it’s moving through with high pressure.
Difference Between Heating and Cooling
What makes a heat pump so versatile is that it will both heat and cool your home. When you need heat, the parts inside become the high-pressure side of the system. When you need the system to cool, it becomes the low-pressure side.
The thermostat controls the unit to switch between heating and cooling. When you make the switch, the reversing valve in the system flips, changing the refrigerant’s flow.
Basic Heat Pump Parts
The heat pump has several parts to make it work. We’ve already mentioned the reversing valve, without which it wouldn’t have the dual function.
The compressor raises the refrigerant’s pressure, making it hot enough to transfer heat. Opposite the compressor is the expansion valve, which restricts the refrigerant’s flow. With less refrigerant moving through a space, it expands and drops the temperature.
There’s a coil inside the house and in the outside unit, through which air flows to absorb or expel heat. Without any one of these components working properly, the entire system fails to work properly. To keep the system working effectively year-round, it’s important it receives routine HVAC maintenance.
Join the club of people who enjoy better heating and cooling efficiency with a new heat pump. Call to schedule your heat pump installation consultation with one of the NATE-certified technicians at Caribbean Breeze Heating & Cooling.
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