Imagine being in the market for a new furnace when your HVAC contractor recommends considering a heat pump. You like the suggestion until he explains how it works. But his explanation seems counterintuitive to you. Would you still go with a heat pump or choose a traditional furnace?
Heat pumps are counterintuitive in the sense that they work based on the principle of refrigeration. But how can that be? How can you keep your house warm during the winter months via the process of refrigeration? Hang on and I will explain it all.
A Heat Pump Transfers Heat
The first thing you need to know is what a heat pump does. For that we turn to Comfort Solutions in Utah. Comfort Solutions is a plumbing and HVAC contractor servicing customers on Utah’s Wasatch Front. They explain that a heat pump works by transferring heat.
A heat pump essentially takes heat from one location and moves it to another. By contrast, central air relies on some sort of heating element to heat cooler interior air before distributing it around the home. Central heating is more involved in that sense. A heat pump is considerably simpler in its operation.
It’s Based on the Refrigeration Cycle
Now we get to the counterintuitive part of the equation: the refrigeration cycle. Heat pumps are designed based on the cycle and its principles. As simply as I can put it, a heat pump utilizes a refrigerant to absorb heat before releasing it again. It works exactly the same way as the refrigerator in your kitchen.
The refrigeration cycle is a closed loop cycle. As cooler refrigerant moves through one end of the system, it absorbs heat. The refrigerant then moves to the other side of the system where it releases the heat by condensing. The heat is transferred into the new space. Then the entire cycle repeats.
From a practical standpoint, heat pumps need to absorb heat from a reliable source. That’s why most heat pumps are buried in the ground. Soil maintains a constant temperature at a certain depth, so it is ideal as a heat source throughout the winter months.
The Cycle in More Detail
With the basic principle now explained, let’s take a look at the cycle in more detail. We will begin with refrigerant leaving the home and traveling through a line buried in the ground. As it does so, the heat from the ground causes it to expand into a gas. This expansion is a result of the refrigerant absorbing heat.
The refrigerant then makes the return trip into the house. Once inside, it has more heat than the ambient air. The difference in temperature causes the refrigerant to condense, thereby releasing its heat energy into a transfer unit. That transfer unit then heats the spaces in the home.
An Efficient Way to Heat
A key benefit that comes with heat pumps is efficiency. Rather than generating heat on its own, a heat pump simply transfers it from one space to another. This is more efficient than central heating. Greater efficiency translates into delivering more energy (in the form of heat) than the system consumes.
Heat pumps can also double as air conditioning units simply by reversing the process. Heat is absorbed in the house and released outdoors.
Heating with a heat pump does have its disadvantages, so a homeowner needs to carefully consider the pros and cons of every option before making a choice. Though heat pumps seem counterintuitive due to their dependence on the refrigeration cycle, they are nonetheless effective. Knowing that, would you ever install one?
