How Does a Heatpump WorkThis is a brief discussion on, how does a heatpump work. Heat pumps have become very efficient. They are very effective for cooling during the summer and work very well for heating during spring and fall. When the temperature drops below freezing there is very little warmth to be extracted from the air around the coils.
Cooling Season During the summer months, they function as an air-conditioner usually does. The coolant contained in the coils becomes hot under pressure. It is under pressure in the unit outside the home. The out-door air is forced passed the coils by a powerful fan. This draws the heat off the coils. The coolant is then allowed to enter the home, where it is not under pressure. The coolant is now very cold. The fan in the plenum of the furnace blows the air from the ducts across the extremely cold coils. This cooled air is then pushed through the ducts to cool the interior of your home.
Heating Season
During the heating season the process is reversed. Now the coolant is put under pressure inside the home in the plenum of the furnace. This causes it to become very hot. The furnace fan pushes the air past the hot coils which extracts the heat and then it is distributed throughout the home by the heating ducts. The pressure is then released as it goes outside the home to the exterior unit. It now becomes very cold. The fan blows the outside air past the extremely cold coils which disperses the cold air into the environment. When the difference between the coils and the outdoor temperature is not much different, the efficiency disappears. During these times it is necessary to have an additional source of heat such as electric heating coils or gas etc to provide the necessary heat for the home.
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