Do you use a heat pump for your home heating? Few homeowners that use this equipment fully understand how it works or how it benefits you. Continue reading to learn more about heat pumps.
Heat pumps are essentially an air conditioner working in reverse. In the summer, your air conditioning system pumps heat from inside the home and sends it outside. In winter, the heat pumps shifts and pumps heat into the home.
So, how does it work? The pump contains an expansion valve, cooling an outdoor coil so that it is colder than the outside temperature. Then, it is warmed by the cold (but less cold) outside air. These coils can reach as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. Once as much heat is picked up as possible, the heat pump compresses refrigerant in the coil to extremely high pressures. This process can raise its temperature to as much as 130 degrees. The hot gas is them pumped inside.
High efficiency: Many newer heat pumps can reach efficiency ratings between 300 and 400 percent! Rather than burning fuel like a furnace, heat pumps use electricity to simply transfer heat. A heat pump can burn 100 watts of electricity to produce up to 400 watts of heat, while a gas furnace burns 100 watts of natural gas to produce only 95 watts of heat. Of course, on colder days the pump will need to work harder, therefore using more energy.
We know how cold Chicago winters can be. For this reason, many homeowners use heat pumps while still having a back-up furnace just in case. If you have other questions regarding residential and/or commercial heating this winter, contact Heatmasters today at 1-800-HEATING.
Courtesy of Watkins Heating & Cooling
