If your air conditioner is on its last leg, or you’re undertaking new construction, you should explore the many benefits that heat pump air conditioning offers homeowners. You just might find your number-one contender for that upgrade or new install.
Basics of heat pump air conditioning
Heat pump systems are true to their name, pumping heat from one location to another. More specifically, heat pump systems pump refrigerant, which extracts heat under the right conditions, between two heat-exchanger coils – one coil located inside your home and the other coil outside your home.
While the word “heat” in heat pump suggests a dedicated home-comfort heating system, a component called a reversing valve makes heat pump air conditioning possible. These are the basics of a process that’s quite similar to regular air conditioning:
- Liquid refrigerant flows into the coil (evaporator) located inside your home.
- The refrigerant vaporizes with the help of warm airflow (return air) across the coil.
- As the refrigerant vaporizes, it extracts heat from the warm airflow, and also draws out moisture, which condenses on the coil.
- By extracting heat and moisture from warm household air, the air naturally becomes cooler and more comfortable.
- The vaporized refrigerant is directed to the compressor via the reversing valve.
- The compressor prepares the refrigerant for heat release, which enters the condenser as a extremely hot high-pressure gas.
- Hot refrigerant releases heat to the warm outside air. This is possible because the refrigerant is hotter than outside air, even during long and hot heat waves.
- The refrigerant, now cooler, flows from the condenser to the evaporator to repeat the cooling process.
Benefits of heat pump systems
When your HVAC professional installs a heat pump in your home, you get numerous benefits no other system can deliver.
- Heat pumps provide moisture control in Portland’s humid weather.
- Portland’s relatively moderate winter temperatures are perfect for energy-efficient heat pump heating.
- Or, combine your heat pump with a furnace for a dual-fuel system.
- For ultimate home comfort, keep your home within 1 degree of thermostat set point with heat pump advanced features.
Contact us at (503) 266-1249 to learn more about heat pump air conditioning, home preparation for installation, and more details about the long-term benefits and nice return on investment of a heat pump system.
