What is a heat pump?
A heat pump is a device that transfers heat between two environments utilizing a refrigerant in a closed loop.
Heat pumps move thermal energy in the opposite direction of spontaneous heat transfer, by absorbing heat from one environment and releasing it to another. The most common type of heat pump is the air-source heat pump, which transfers heat between your house and the outside air.
Here’s a simplified technical explanation of how a heat pump works
- Evaporation: In the heating mode, a liquid refrigerant in the outdoor coil absorbs heat from the outdoor air and evaporates into a gas.
- Compression: The refrigerant gas is then compressed, which increases its temperature.
- Condensation: The hot gas is condensed back into a liquid in the indoor coil, releasing its heat into the indoor space.
- Expansion: The liquid refrigerant expands, cooling it down before it heads back to the outdoor coil to start the process again.
The process is reversible for cooling purposes. In the cooling mode, the heat pump absorbs heat from the indoor air and releases it outside, thus cooling the indoor space.
Heat pumps are known for their efficiency and are capable of providing both heating and cooling with a single unit. They are a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional heating and cooling systems.