HVAC DIY Tips & Tricks
Unlock the mystery of home heating & cooling with our guide on How a Heat Pump Works. Learn about energy efficiency & cost savings in just a few clicks!
A heat pump works like an AC but has a reversing valve in the outdoor unit that reverses the refrigerant flow. This reversal turns the AC into a heating system.
A heat pump is a mechanical-compression cycle refrigeration system that can be used for cooling and heating. Unlike most heaters, they use electricity to transfer heat.
Heat pumps have the added capability of reversing refrigerant flow. The key components that enable this are the reversing valve and metering device.
The three types of heat pumps are air-source heat pumps, water-source heat pumps, and geothermal heat pumps. They all work the same in how they transfer heat.
As their names suggest, each type uses that medium to either pull heat from it or uses it to dump heat into it. Like your AC that pulls heat from your home and dumps into the outside air.
There are two options based on the climate where you live. In warmer areas, opt for a standard HP. In the north, you will need a low temp HP.