How a Heat Pump Cools Your Home
In Kansas City, heat pumps can be a popular option for heating and cooling your home.
They seem very similar to an air conditioner. In fact, they work in a nearly identical way during the summer. Due to a reversing valve, they can shift humidity in the opposite direction as well as heat your residence when it's cold.
Not sure if you have a heat pump or an air conditioner? Simply track down the model number on the outdoor unit and look it up online. If it turns out you own a heat pump, or you’re considering installing one, find out how this HVAC system keeps residences comfortable.
How Heat Pumps Work
Heat pumps have a refrigeration system much like an air conditioner. Most can run similar to a ductless mini-split, as they can heat and cool. Heat pumps rely on an indoor evaporator coil and an outdoor condensing coil. Refrigerant is moved through these coils to move heat. The outdoor unit also contains a compressor and is enclosed by metal fins that function as a heat sink to help shift humidity properly.
Summertime Cooling
When your heat pump is cooling, the refrigerant starts in the evaporator coil. Air from within the house moves over the coil, and the refrigerant extracts humidity. Water in the air also condenses on the coil, dropping into the condensate pan below and drains away. The following cold air flows through the ductwork and back into your home.
Meanwhile, the refrigerant moves a compressor on its way to the outdoor coil. This concentrates the refrigerant, causing it to heat up even more. As it moves through the condensing coil, the outdoor fan and metal fins help to emit heat to the outdoors. The refrigerant moves back indoors, moving through an expansion valve that chills it considerably, preparing it to go through the process from the start.
When your heat pump is replaced and maintained appropriately, you’ll enjoy efficient cooling similar to a high-performance air conditioner.
Wintertime Heating
When your heat pump is set to heat, the heat exchange procedure occurs in reverse. By moving in the opposing direction, refrigerant removes heat from the outdoor air and adds it into your home to warm the inside.
Heat pumps working in heating mode are most efficient when the temperature is warmer than freezing outside. If it becomes too chilly, a backup electric resistance heater starts to keep your house comfy, but your heating bills go up as a result.
Heat pumps are on longer than furnaces since the air doesn’t get as hot. This helps keep a more stable indoor temperature. On top of that, because heat pumps shift hot air rather than creating it from a fuel source, they can operate well above 100% efficiency. You can anticipate 30–40% savings on your heating costs by installing a heat pump.
Book Heat Pump Installation or Service Right Away
Heat pumps are environmentally friendly and money-saving. They are an alternative to the regular AC/furnace configuration and require the same amount of maintenance—one inspection in the spring and another in the fall.
If you’d like to install a heat pump, Neal Harris Service Experts is the company to get in touch with. We’ll size and install your system to meet your heating and cooling demands. And then we’ll support our installation with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee* for a year. To learn more, contact us at 816-787-0500 right away.
