How a Heat Pump Keeps Your Home Comfortable Through The Seasons
You may have heard of a heat pump, or you may even have one already installed at your home or office. But how does a heat pump actually work, and what are the benefits of installing one? We will quickly review this, along with some of the maintenance tips you will need in order to ensure that your unit is working properly and efficiently.
How to use Heat Pumps in the Warmer Months
Like an air conditioner, a heat pump can absorb heat from one area, like your home, and discharge it out to another. The process of transferring this heat uses a liquid called a refrigerant, which is self-contained within the heating pump system. However, unlike an air conditioner, a heat pump can be used for the opposite purpose as well: moving heat from the outdoor unit into the house and discharging it for heating purposes. This can serve as a great benefit in areas of the world that alternate between higher extremes of hot and cold, depending on the season.
The process of air conditioning may seem to be intuitive: moving the hot air out of your house, making it cooler. But where does the warm air to heat your home come from during the winter months? Above absolute zero, there is always a certain amount of heat that can be taken from the air. This is what your heat pump is designed to do. If you live in an environment that it often gets below freezing (around 32 degrees Fahrenheit), it may be more efficient to have a backup gas heater alongside your heating pump system.
Heat pumps in the Colder Months
A defroster is built into the unit to ensure that some of the heat is used to keep the components of the pump working properly in colder months. This is very important should it get cold enough in your environment that the internal components and external vents of the heat pump could freeze over. If you already have an all-electric home with forced air heat, the heat pump will still help you save money on your electric bill. In either case, the heat pump will take heat out of the air, use it refrigerant to maximize the transfer of this heat, and distribute it into your home.
Maintenance on Heat Pumps
Maintenance on heat pumps keeps them operating safely and at a high rate of efficiency. If your heating bills are coming in higher than usual, or your heat pump’s defrosting unit isn’t working properly, it is important to have the unit serviced. In addition, in order to keep your heat pump functioning properly and efficiently, it is very important to keep your air filter clean.
Hopefully, after reading this article you have some clarification on what a heat pump is and how your heat pump is working for you all year round.
Are you interested in having a heat pump installed in your home? The experts at Forquer Heating and Cooling have got your back. Contact Us today and we’ll get you a quote.
