If you know how air conditioners work, you already know how a heat pump works. What? Are you confused? Heat pumps cool, and they also heat. Heat pumps are devices that move heat from one location to another, thus providing heat in the winter and cool air in the summer.
How a Heat Pump Works
Heat pumps are extremely energy efficient. They provide a great way to heat and cool a building, whether your home or office, especially in moderate climates. While there are many different kinds of heat pumps, they all work basically the same way. They operate on a heat transfer system. They don’t burn fuel to create heat, they just move it from one location to another. That’s what makes them so energy efficient. Heat naturally moves from a location with a high temperature to a location with a lower temperature. Think about when your hands are cold and you grab the hand of someone whose hands are warm. Your hands get warmer. A heat pump pulls heat out of a low temperature area in cooler weather and transfers that heat to a building to warm it. To cool a building, that process is reversed.
Cooling and Heating
In air-conditioners, the warm air from outside is passed through a coil that absorbs the heat, cooling it, and then a fan blows that cool air through your home’s air ducts. To heat a home, the heat pump takes the heat from the cold air – yes cold air does contain some heat – then creates a vapor within the coil and releases that heated air to heat your home.
Pros and Cons of Using a Heat Pump
The biggest pro of using a one of these units is that it can save you money on your utility bills – even up to 40 percent on those bills. They are also wonderful dehumidifiers. The biggest cons are they can’t be used in all climates. If you live in a place where the winters are very cold or the summers very hot, these units would use more energy to convert the air into warm or cool air.
Before installing a heat pump, think about these factors. While this is an energy efficient way to heat and cool your home, you need to weigh all the factors to determine if this is the best option for you.
R.A. Heating can help you find the perfect indoor climate solution for your home or business.
