We get it—hearing the term “heat pump” if you’ve never known what it was probably doesn’t elicit thoughts of cooling comfort within your home. But a heat pump is actually a heating and a cooling system in one, and an effective system at that! Homeowners might assume that this means the system is a combo of a furnace and forced air cooling system in a single cabinet, but this is not how its set up—a heat pump uses the same components for both efficient heating and air conditioning.
Keep reading to learn more about these systems, to see if the installation of one is right for you, or to set up AC services in Nashville, TN.
How Refrigerant Powers Efficient Cooling
To understand how a heat pump works, it’s important to know the role that refrigerant plays in its operation. The cooling process of any AC system involves the use of refrigeration in order to transfer heat. Refrigerant does not create cooling, rather it moved it from one place to another in order to cool down a space.
Refrigerant is continuously cycled through the inside coil, compressor, and outdoor coil, among other components. Under the right temperature and pressure levels, it’s able to absorb heat form the air inside your home, and expel that heat outdoors. Refrigerant turns into a gas (evaporates) indoors as warm are blows over the indoor coil, and absorbs heat from the air. Then, as it condenses—turns into a liquid—it released heat outside, and cools down a coil to start the cooling process.
How Heat Pumps Deliver Effective Home Heating
Conventional heating systems, such as a furnace, would use combustion, the burning of fuel, or electric resistance in order to generate heat. However, a heat pump uses the same method it does for cooling, only in reverse.
A reversing valve on the heat pump system enables refrigerant to flow in the opposite direction. This way, refrigerant absorbs heat from the air around the outside unit of your home. It then deposits heat inside your home, and blows it through the ducts.
Are Heat Pumps Truly Energy-Efficient Systems
In a word, yes. While they do use electricity—which is almost always more expensive than the natural gas alternative, heat pumps use electricity differently than conventional HVAC systems. They move heat from place to place rather than generating it, as we mentioned above. This means that far less energy is required to get the job done, which means lower electric bills.
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that you can save around 50% over electric resistance heating by using a year-round heat pump for your heating. And when it comes to your cooling efforts, you can expect the efficiency ratings of your heat pump to compare nicely to the most efficient central air conditioners on the market today. Therefore, to answer the initial question, yes—heat pumps make very effective cooling systems!
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What exactly is a heat pump and how does it differ from a portable air conditioner?
Answer: A heat pump is both a heating and cooling system in one. Unlike a portable air conditioner, which only cools, a heat pump reverses its refrigeration cycle using the same core components to heat or cool efficiently depending on the season.
Question: Why do heat pumps use the same components for both heating and cooling?
Answer: Heat pumps use a refrigeration cycle that can be reversed via a valve. This allows the system to extract heat from inside your home and expel it outdoors for cooling, or absorb warmth from outside air and bring it in for heating, all using the same compressor, refrigerant, and coils.
Question: Is refrigerant what makes heating and cooling possible?
Answer: Yes. Refrigerant doesn’t create cool air—it transfers heat. During cooling, it carries heat from your home to the outdoors; in heating mode, it pulls warmth from outside and brings it inside, making the system very efficient.
Question: Are heat pumps efficient in both summer and winter?
Answer: Yes, heat pumps are highly efficient year-round. They cool like a traditional air conditioner in the summer and provide effective, energy-saving heat in the winter, especially in moderate climates. This dual capability makes them a smart long-term investment.
Contact Covenant Heating and Cooling today for your cooling needs. We are “Dedicated to the Promise of Serving You!”