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A heat pump is one of those appliances that we depend on but may not know much about how they work. Heat pumps provide heating and cooling. Here, you can learn more about the heat pump types and how they work. You will also learn factors to consider when choosing the right heat pump and how plumbing contractors can help. Read on!
What is a heat pump?
A heat pump is considered a home heating and cooling system component installed outside your home. It can cool your home and provide heat as well. Some home heat pumps use split systems consisting of outdoor and indoor components.
Heat pumps use the same operating principle of heat transfer. In other words, your heat pump moves heat from place to place. The heat pump transfers heat from cold outdoor air into your home during cooler weather.
When the weather is warm, it removes heat from your indoor air and cools your home. Refrigerant transfers heat, and electricity is used to power the unit. Furthermore, reversing valves helps the system to heat your home.
The heat and cool functions of heat pumps
Did you know that specific heat pumps can act as water heaters? Some can heat water for washing and storage in a domestic hot water tank. Meanwhile, you should note that a heat pump can both heat and cool your home. Moreover, some of its applications separate the heating and cooling systems.
How heat pump systems work
Heat energy naturally tends to move to areas with lower temperatures and pressure. They use different air or heat sources to transfer heat from one place to another. The heat pump extracts heat from low-temperature sources and transfers it to a higher-temperature area. If your home is the source, thermal energy will be removed to cool the space.
Similarities between heat pumps and air conditioners
Like air conditioners, heat pumps can cool homes when in cooling mode. You can even completely replace your HVAC system with a heat pump. After all, it can heat, cool, and dehumidify air in an energy-conserving way.
Heat pumps simply absorb heat from your indoor air and release it through the outdoor unit. This means that in this mode, instead of pumping heat inside your house, heat pumps remove it. Your heat pump applies heat to cooler environments and then naturally moves.
The heating function of heat pumps
Alternatively, there’s a flow reversal where the outside air becomes the heating source. This can occur even with low outdoor temperatures. As a result, heat energy is released inside your home.
Here is a description of how a heat pump works:
- Heat is sourced from outside air or the ground and pumped over the heat exchange area.
- The heat then causes the refrigerant liquid to evaporate into gaseous form.
- The gas passes through the compressor. This increases the pressure and temperature.
- Next, the heated gas is moved over the internal heat exchange surface.
- The heat is passed into a central heating or hot water system or blown around your home.
- The temperature of the gas reduces and turns liquid as the heat is transferred into your home.
- This cycle continues until your home meets the required temperature setting on the thermostat.
Types of heat pumps
The two major types of heat pumps are air-source heat pumps and ground-source heat pumps. They both happen to be the most common types of heat pumps. When heat pumps are paired with fossil fuel gas furnaces, they are called hybrid heat pumps.
Meanwhile, other heat pump types include absorption and cold climate heat pumps.
How air-source heat pumps work
Generally, air-source heat pumps collect heat from the air. They then boost the heat to a higher temperature. These air-source heat pumps are popularly used for residential heating and cooling. The two major types of air-source heat pumps are air-to-water and air-to-air. There is also a third category called absorption heat pumps.
Air-to-water heat pumps
Air-to-water heat pumps collect heat from the outside air. It then feeds it into a central heating system. These pumps are typically used in homes with water-based heat distribution systems (hydronic heating) like radiant floors or fan coil units.
Air-to-water heat pumps have electrical resistance heating elements that supply more heated water when needed. Install underfloor heating or bigger radiators to make the most of these pumps.
Air-to-air heat pumps
The heat air-to-air heat pumps collect from the outside air is fed into your home through fans. You can typically use this system for heating as it does not produce hot water.
Depending on the type of installation, you can have the following:
- Ductless heat pumps
- Mini-split heat pumps
- Multi-split air-to-air heat pumps
However, multi-split systems can have a single outdoor unit serving multiple indoor units.
Absorption heat pumps
Instead of being powered by electricity, absorption pumps are powered by other means, such as natural gas, solar power, or geothermal heated water. Absorption heat pumps differ from standard air-source heat pumps because they do not compress a refrigerant. Instead, they absorb ammonia into water.
After that, a low-power pump pressurises it. Next, the heat source boils out the ammonia from the water. The cycle is then repeated all over again.
How ground-source heat pumps work
Ground-source heat pumps are also called geothermal heat pumps. You can choose to get ground-source systems if you want to reduce your heating and cooling costs. It has up to 65% heating energy cost savings compared to electric furnaces.
A ground-source heat pump system absorbs heat from underground or groundwater sources. Standard ground-source heat pump systems directly absorb heat through buried pipes filled with water or refrigerants.
The heat pump effectively increases the temperature and supplies heating or hot water. Instead of burning fuel to produce heat, these heat pumps utilise ambient heat from the ground.
- First, a water and antifreeze mixture is pumped around the ground loop.
- Naturally occurring heat is absorbed from the ground.
- Then the mixture gets compressed and put through the heat exchanger.
- The exchanger extracts and transfers the heat to your heat pump.
- Finally, the heat is passed to your home heating system for use in underfloor heating systems, radiators, or hot water units.
How hybrid heat pumps work
Another name for a hybrid heat pump system is a dual-energy system. It integrates the air source or ground source heat pump with a gas furnace or boiler heating system.
Typically, hybrid heating systems monitor outside temperature and use an energy-efficient method to warm your home and keep your water hot.
How cold climate heat pumps work
Cold climate heat pumps are air-source heat pumps specially adapted to function in cold climates. Your cold climate heat pump will first detect the required minimum amount of energy for the level of heating or cooling you need.
Then it will adjust the output to avoid wasting energy. These heat pumps have variable capacity compressors and improved heat exchanger controls that maximise the heating capacity.
Components of a heat pump system
Air-source heat pump systems usually have two major components. There’s an outdoor unit that appears just like a split system air conditioning system. In addition, there’s an indoor air handler unit.
Components of the outdoor unit
Here, you will find a coil and a fan. When in cooling mode, the coil will act as a condenser; in heating mode, it will serve as an evaporator. Meanwhile, the fan facilitates heat exchange by blowing outside air over the coil.
Components of the indoor unit
The indoor unit is sometimes called the air handler unit. It contains a coil that acts as an evaporator or a condenser, depending on the cooling/heating mode.
There’s also a fan for circulating heated or cooled air throughout the ducts in your home.
The other parts of a heat pump system include the refrigerant, compressor, reversing valve, and expansion valve. Note that the scroll compressors of heat pumps are more efficient than that of traditional compressors.
Choosing the right heat pump
When choosing what heat pump to buy, you must consider its performance, energy savings, capital, and operating costs. Remember to check out the heat pump operating characteristics. These factors can determine the amount of heating it provides and its effect on your energy bills.
Energy savings of heat pumps
Check out the efficiency of the heat pump. This is indicated by the Coefficient of Performance (COP). Although heat pumps are already quite energy-efficient when used for space heating, a higher coefficient of performance number means greater efficiency.
If you want even more energy savings, use programmable thermostats to get some temperature setbacks during unoccupied periods. Ultimately, many efficient heat pumps earn the ENERGY STAR label. This is an essential factor when upgrading your home heating and cooling system.
The life expectancy of heat pumps
The average life expectancy of heat pumps is 10 to 15 years. However, this depends on how you use and maintain it. For instance, neglect can reduce heat pump efficiency with time.
Hiring a plumbing contractor
By now, you know more about how a heat pump works, the various types of heat pumps and their technologies. Maybe you want to replace or upgrade your heat pump. Or perhaps what you need is a new heat pump installation.
In this case, you can decide to hire a plumbing contractor. They will ensure you get the right heat pump for your needs. Apart from heating and cooling your home comfortably, the energy saved can be a huge plus.
