A Heat Pump Will Keep Your House The Right Temperature
By randomguy. Filed in Random |
Heat pumps have been around for several decades and may be an option for regulating the temperature in your home. Think of a heat pump as an air conditioner with a few perks.
Split systems refer to cooling and heating systems that have an indoor component and an outdoor component. The indoor part of an air conditioner is called the evaporator which is often part of the furnace. The outdoor component of an air conditioning system consists of the condenser and compressor. The outdoor system (condenser and compressor) contains a gas called freon.
When the air conditioner is turned on, the compressor squeezes freon gas and pushes its molecules closer together. As more and more molecules get packed closer and closer together, the gas becomes hotter. Next, the hot gas flows into the other outdoor component called the condenser. There, the hot gas cools down and changes phases into a liquid.
Changing phases draws a large amount of heat out of the air. This cool air is then pumped back into the house and to the evaporator where it is pushed out by a fan and then down through the air vents. The cool freon then returns to the compressor where the process begins again. Heat pumps cool the air in homes and buildings the same way as air conditioners, however, they also have the benefit that they can act as heaters as well.
This allows home owners to have an all in one solution rather than separate heating and air conditioning systems. In the winter, the process of air conditioning is essentially reversed. The heat pump takes ambient heat from the air, or the ground depending on the type of heat pump, and lets it flow over the coils that contain freon.
Heat pumps are also outfitted with electrical heaters that turn on for particularly cold days. Heat pumps generally work best in regions where the temperature is moderate throughout the year. In areas where the temperature does not drop below 40 degrees, a heat pump may cost less to operate than a furnace.
The industry measures heat pump efficiency based on cooling and heating. The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is a rating of the cooling efficiency of the unit. A rating between 14 and 18 is ideal. The Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) rates the heating efficiency of a heat pump. An ideal heat pump has an HSPF rating between 8 and 10. Heat pumps also have two-speed models in which air moves faster or slower as needed, thus saving energy.
Beverly Services are electrical contractors Washington PA with complete service installation and sale of all plumbing, heating and air conditioning services throughout most of western Pennsylvania. Call 412-851-1000 for 24 hour emergency service.