How a Heat Pump Cools Your Home

In Canada, heat pumps can be a popular solution for heating and cooling your residence.

They appear almost like an air conditioner. In actuality, they run in a similar fashion during hot weather. Since they have a reversing valve, they can shift warmth in the opposite direction as well as add comfort to your home when it's cold.

Not sure if you have a heat pump or an air conditioner? Simply locate the model number on the outdoor unit and look it up online. If it turns out you own a heat pump, or you’re thinking about installing one, discover how this HVAC unit keeps houses comfy.

How Heat Pumps Run

Heat pumps have a refrigeration system similar to an air conditioner. Most can work similar to a ductless mini-split, because they can heat and cool. Heat pumps have an indoor evaporator coil and an outdoor condensing coil. Refrigerant is pumped through these coils to transfer warmth. The outdoor unit also uses a compressor and is encircled by metal fins that function as a heat sink to help transfer warmth properly.

Summertime Cooling

In cooling mode, the refrigerant begins in the evaporator coil. Air from within the house is set over the coil, and the refrigerant sucks out warmth. Moisture in the air also condenses on the coil, dropping into the condensate pan below and moves away. The resulting dehumidified air moves through the ductwork and back into your home.

During this time, the refrigerant moves a compressor on its way to the outdoor coil. This constricts the refrigerant, causing it to get hotter. As it goes through the condensing coil, the outdoor fan and metal fins help to exhaust heat to the exterior. The refrigerant travels back inside, traveling through an expansion valve that cools it significantly, preparing it to begin the process all over again.

When your heat pump is put in and maintained correctly, you’ll enjoy efficient cooling equivalent to an energy-efficient air conditioner.

Wintertime Heating

When your heat pump is heating, the heat exchange procedure occurs in reverse. By traveling in a different direction, refrigerant extracts heat from the outdoor air and disperses it into your house to warm the inside.

Heat pumps operating in heating mode are most efficient when the temperature is above freezing outside. If it turns too frigid, a backup electric resistance heater starts to keep your residence comfy, but your heating expenses go up as a result.

Heat pumps run longer than furnaces as the air doesn’t get as heated. This helps maintain a more stable indoor temperature. On top of that, because heat pumps transfer hot air rather than generating it from a fuel source, they can work well above 100% efficiency. You should receive 30–40% savings on your heating expenses by using a heat pump.

Book Heat Pump Installation or Service Right Away

Heat pumps are a green choice and money-saving. They replace the standard AC/furnace configuration and need the same amount of maintenance—one checkup in the spring and another in the fall.

If you want to install a heat pump, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning is the company to call. We’ll size and install your equipment to match your heating and cooling demands. And then we’ll support our services with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee* for a year. For more information, contact us at 866-397-3787 right away.