In Indianapolis, heat pumps can be a popular option for heating and cooling your home.
They seem almost like an air conditioner. In reality, they operate in the same way during hot weather. Due to a reversing valve, they can transfer warmth in the opposite direction as well as add comfort to your home when temperatures drop.
Not sure if you rely on a heat pump or an air conditioner? Just track down the model number on the outdoor unit and check it online. If you discover you have a heat pump, or you’re thinking over purchasing one, discover how this HVAC system keeps houses comfortable.
How Heat Pumps Run
Heat pumps use a refrigeration system much like an air conditioner. Most can run like a ductless mini-split, because they can heat and cool. Heat pumps use an indoor evaporator coil and an outdoor condensing coil. Refrigerant is pumped through these coils to move humidity. The outdoor unit also uses a compressor and is enclosed by metal fins that work as a heat sink to help move humidity efficiently.
Summertime Cooling
When your heat pump is set to cooling, the refrigerant starts in the evaporator coil. Air from indoors is set over the coil, and the refrigerant extracts humidity. Water in the air also condenses on the coil, dropping into the condensate pan below and flows away. The resulting cool air flows through the ductwork and back into your house.
Meanwhile, the refrigerant passes through a compressor on its way to the outdoor coil. This concentrates the refrigerant, leading it to warm up. As it goes through the condensing coil, the exterior fan and metal fins help to discharge heat to the outside. The refrigerant moves back inside, traveling through an expansion valve that cools it considerably, preparing it to go through the process all over again.
When your heat pump is put in and maintained appropriately, you’ll have efficient cooling equivalent to a high-performance air conditioner.
Wintertime Heating
When your heat pump is heating, the heat exchange process takes place the opposite way. By traveling in the opposite direction, refrigerant extracts heat from the outdoor air and vents it into your residence to warm the inside.
Heat pumps operating in heating mode are most effective when the temperature is warmer than freezing outside. If it gets too chilly, a backup electric resistance heater turns on to keep your residence cozy, but your heating bills rise as a result.
Heat pumps are on longer than furnaces because the air doesn’t turn as hot. This helps maintain a more balanced indoor temperature. Additionally, because heat pumps transfer heat rather than creating it from a fuel source, they can perform well above 100% efficiency. You should receive 30–40% savings on your heating bills by installing a heat pump.
Book Heat Pump Installation or Service Now
Heat pumps are good for the environment and economical. They replace the regular AC/furnace configuration and need the same amount of maintenance—one appointment in the spring and another in the fall.
If you want to install a heat pump, Broad Ripple Service Experts is the company to contact. We’ll size and install your system to fit your heating and cooling needs. And then we’ll support our installation with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee* for a year. To find out more, contact us at 317-527-0271 right away.