What Is a Heat Pump System?
Are you looking for an efficient way to heat and cool your home? A heat pump system might be the perfect solution. Heat pumps operate differently from the traditional heating and air conditioners you may be familiar with, so it’s important to understand what is a heat pump system and how they work before investing in one. Let’s break down the parts of a heat pump system and how this energy-efficient HVAC system works.
Definition of Heat Pumps
A heat pump system is a type of heating and cooling system that uses electricity and refrigerant to transfer thermal energy between two sources. This makes it possible for the same piece of equipment to both warm and cool your home.
In a typical setup, air source heat pumps have two major components: an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit (also called the air handler) is where the blower components are housed to circulate conditioned air throughout the house, as well as the indoor coil. The outdoor unit (the heat pump unit) contains the condenser coil, compressor, reversing valve, and other critical parts.
What Are The Different Types of Heat Pump Systems?
Heat pump technology is evolving every day, and there are now multiple ways to harness heat energy and transfer it to where the heat pump system wants it to go:
Air Source Heat Pumps
Air source heat pumps absorb heat from the outside air and release it inside using the vapor-compression refrigeration cycle. In cooling mode, the refrigeration process is reversed, and the thermal energy from the inside air is transferred to the outdoor unit.
Geothermal Heat Pumps
Also known as ground-source heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps transfer heat to and from the ground. This type of heat pump is incredibly energy efficient because it takes advantage of the extremely consistent temperature of the ground.
How Does A Heat Pump Work?
When you turn on your heat pump to heat your home, the fan motor in the outdoor heat pump unit draws in outside air through the condenser coil. This coil uses refrigerant to absorb thermal energy from the outside air and transfers it inside your home as warmth. The air handler uses the blower to pull in air from throughout the home, and the indoor coil releases heat energy from the refrigerant in the form of warm air to raise the air temperature before it cycles back into your living spaces. A heat pump doesn’t generate heat using natural gas, so you should see a decrease in your energy costs.
During summer months when you need an air conditioner, the process is reversed; instead of transferring thermal energy into your home as warmth, it transfers thermal energy out of your home to get rid of excess heat in the air. The refrigerant within the indoor coil extracts heat as air circulates through the air handler, and that refrigerant makes its way outside to the heat pump where it is released into the environment.
What is a heat pump system? It’s a way to both heat and cool your home! No matter what time of year it is—winter or summer—your heat pump will always be able to provide comfortable temperatures for you and your family!
Heat Pump System Installation
Heat pumps are HVAC systems that can both heat and cool your home all year long! If you’re considering installing a heat pump system in the Indianapolis area, call Mission Mechanical today—our experts can help make sure that you’re getting the best service possible for all of your needs! With expertise in installation services as well as repairs and maintenance on existing systems, Mission Mechanical can help give you peace of mind knowing that you have reliable heating and cooling services at all times. If you have questions about what is a heat pump system or how they work, our team will be happy to answer your questions so you better understand this great HVAC technology!
