Throughout the year, keeping your home comfortable can come down to one versatile system: a heat pump. In Tasmania, heat pumps are even more important because they can bring warmth during cold days and nights while also keeping your home cool when temperatures rise.
But how do heat pump systems actually work? Rather than generating heat through fuel combustion or electric resistance, heat is transferred from one location to another. This process requires less energy than generating heat from scratch, which is one of the main reasons heat pumps are known for their energy efficiency.
What Is A Heat Pump?
A heat pump is an HVAC system that uses refrigerant to transfer heat from one place to another. At the core of a heat pump is a simple principle of physics. Heat naturally moves from warmer areas towards cooler ones. Such movement will continue until both areas reach the same temperature. Once that balance is reached, thermal equilibrium occurs.
Using a relatively small amount of electricity, a heat pump transfers heat to where it is needed. By transferring heat rather than generating it from the beginning, a heat pump can operate with significantly less energy. This is compared with a gas furnace or electric resistance heater.
While using less energy, a heat pump can still provide the comfort your home needs. In some situations, only around one-third of the energy required by traditional heating systems may be enough.
The Main Parts Of A Heat Pump
Heat pumps come in different types, with each system varying in size plus configuration. Even with those differences, the same four main components are responsible for moving heat through the system.
The Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil absorbs heat from the refrigerant as it changes from liquid to gas. The coil operates outdoors during heating mode. This then becomes the indoor coil when the system switches to cooling.
The Compressor
The compressor is often considered the “pump” of the heat pump system because it pressurises the refrigerant gas after it leaves the evaporator coil. This prepares the refrigerant to give off the heat it carries once it reaches the condenser coil.
The Condenser Coil
The condenser coil releases the heat collected by the system as the hot refrigerant changes back into a liquid.
The Expansion Valve
Once the refrigerant leaves the condenser coil, the expansion valve lowers its pressure before it returns to the evaporator. By controlling refrigerant flow, it prepares the refrigerant to return to the evaporator coil, where heat absorption can begin again.
How Do Heat Pumps Operate In Cooling Mode?
In cooling mode, a heat pump works much like a central air conditioner. Heat from the indoor air is absorbed at the evaporator coil. As that happens, the refrigerant changes from a liquid into a gas. Meanwhile, the cooled air is circulated back through the home. The refrigerant will then travel outside to the compressor.
Inside the compressor, the refrigerant is placed under higher pressure. This pressure change also increases its temperature, allowing it to continue through the heat transfer cycle. At this point, the stored heat is released into the outdoor air. As the refrigerant cools, it changes back into a liquid. After that, the refrigerant continues through the system before the cycle repeats.
How Do Heat Pumps Operate In Heating Mode?
The true distinction of a heat pump becomes clear when heating is needed. When the thermostat calls for heat, the reversing valve will move into a different position. Often called a four-way valve, it sends the hot, compressed refrigerant vapour toward the indoor coil first. In this configuration, the roles of the coils are reversed.
The outdoor coil will now act as the evaporator, where the refrigerant absorbs thermal energy from the outdoor air. Heat energy remains in the atmosphere even during very cold conditions. After that, the heat is absorbed, and the refrigerant moves to the compressor. The refrigerant becomes hotter as pressure increases. There, the coil acts as a condenser, releasing that warmth into your living space.
Get More From Your Home Heating And Cooling with Sackett Services
Now that you know how a heat pump works, it’s time to consider installing this system in your house. We have a complete guide to choosing the right heat pump for your home, but Sackett Services can also recommend the best heating and cooling system for your home. We install heat pumps, ducted heating systems and more.
Contact us today for a personalised quote to keep your home comfort on track!