Are you renovating your house and looking to replace the HVAC equipment? Today, the HVAC market offers a wider range of options for cooling and heating the space. In specific, heat pumps have gained significant popularity over the last decade due to the convenience they offer. However, with that comes the occasional need of getting help from heat pump repair services. After all, maintenance is crucial.
However, if this is the first time you are hearing about heat pumps, you might wonder what they are and how they work. In this article, we will put together everything that you should know about heat pumps.
What are heat pumps?
In simple terms, heat pumps fall in the category of HVAC devices. They can be used to cool and heat a space, even though the name says, “heat pump”. Heat pumps rely on the fundamental principles of thermodynamics.
They absorb the energy from the air and either move it inside a closed space or outside in the environment. In the former case, it would heat the closed space while the latter will result in cooling.
Overall, heat pumps are quite environmentally friendly as compared with other options. That is because they do not burn fossil fuels for heat. For instance, electric heaters might also sound like a convenient option, but they rely on electricity that comes from fossil fuel burning plants.
The working of a heat pump
When the weather is warm, the heat pump absorbs the excess amount of heat from the closed space and releases it outside, resulting in an air conditioning effect. Similarly, when the weather is cold, the heat pump absorbs heat from the outside and releases it inside.
This might sound counter-intuitive at first. After all, how can you move heat from a cold body to a hot body? Well, despite the temperature, there is always some heat energy present in the air. But this also means that heat pumps are less efficient in extreme temperatures.
So, if you live in a region where the winters and summer seasons reach extreme temperatures, heat pumps might not work as efficiently. In that case, you might want to look at some alternate options.
Different types of heat pumps
Just like other HVAC equipment, different types of heat pumps are available in the market. First, we have the split system heat pumps. These feature an outside and an indoor unit, just like a typical air conditioning unit. However, unlike regular air conditioners, split systems work both ways.
Similarly, rooftop units, also known as packaged heat pumps, are also available. These are typically installed on the rooftop and extract/deliver heat via ductwork that passes through the walls or the roof of the building.
Finally, the third most common option is a ductless heat pump. In certain conditions, using ducts will not make much sense especially when the system is being installed on an old building. In this case, a ductless heat pump would work the best as it would require no additional building costs.
Another popular option is a variable refrigerant flow heat pump. This is a new technology that is quieter and far more efficient. However, with that, these heat pumps are also slightly more expensive than their other counterparts.
Conclusion
We hope that you now understand everything about heat pumps and their working. The next step would be to figure out which heat pumps are suitable for your house and to purchase one accordingly.
For more information, you might want to consult with HVAC companies and furnace services Arlington near you. Getting advice from professionals is the best way to start with the buying and installation process.
