subject: How Does A Heat Pump Work With Air Conditioning? [print this page] How Does A Heat Pump Work With Air Conditioning?
Most homes use an air conditioner or furnace to cool or heat the air. However, few people give any thought to how this process occurs. One of the main ways to keep a home warm is a heat pump, which can work with an air conditioning unit to keep a house comfortable year round.A heat pump keeps the temperature in a home warm or cool. It works by pulling the heat from the air or ground and circulating it throughout the house. During the summer, the process is reversed, pulling the hot air out of the home, cooling the temperature inside. Heat pumps can work as both a heater and an air conditioning system, meaning that a home can be kept comfortable using only one unit.Heat pumps can be more efficient because they do not require an additional source of energy to move hot air either in or outside of a home. Also, because hot air tends to move downhill, they can pull hot air from a cooler area and send it to a warmer one. They tend to perform best in moderate climates and can have problems in colder areas of the country. In places where temperatures tend to drop to freezing or below for long periods of time, heat pumps are not considered to be an energy saving feature.This is due to the pump having to draw energy from a supplemental source, such as electrical heater, oil burner, or an adapted gas furnace, in order to keep the air inside comfortable. Colder climates may also require a heat pump to work non-stop, thus using more energy. Further, many people find that the hot air they generate is not as strong as that created by a furnace. However, unlike a furnace, heat pumps send hot air throughout an entire home, eliminating cold spots.Some of the different types of systems that can be installed in homes include a split system and a two speed unit. Split systems have a compressor, consisting of an outdoor coil, fan, and reversing valve, which are outside of a home and a separate unit inside, containing a fan, indoor coil, and another heating unit. The two parts are joined by a refrigerant. On days which are especially cold, an additional heat source must be used to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the home.Whereas with a two speed unit, the heat pump is only used to generate the amount of energy needed at that point in time to heat or cool a house. This type of system uses less energy and the heat pump tends to last longer. A two speed unit also can work with a zone control system. This allows the homeowner to maintain rooms at different temperatures.There are two main types of heat pumps, air-source and geothermal, depending on where a home is located in the country. The air-source variety uses the hot air in a home to heat or cool the inside temperature. This type of heat pump is usually not seen as efficient in all climates because as the temperature in the home changes, the pump may be required to work harder in order to keep the air warm or cool. Also, in colder areas of the country, another heat source may also be required.By comparison, a geothermal heat pump can be used in almost any climate because it uses heat from the ground to keep a home comfortable. Since in most areas, ground temperatures tend to be moderate, a geothermal heat pump can be utilized in more parts of the country than an air-source pump. Also, geothermal heat pumps can be adjusted to either use the heat from the ground or a hot water source and this process can be reversed in the summer. Heat pumps can be an energy-saving device when used to heat or cool a home which certainly appeals to environmentally-minded people.
