Air conditioning is a major point of consideration here in South Carolina, where the heat and humidity of the summer season is practically the stuff of legend. If you are serious about cooling your home effectively and efficiently, it is important that you have a great air conditioner in place and that you have that system routinely serviced by skilled, trained professionals. However, it is also important that you choose your air conditioner with care if and when the time comes to invest in a new system.
Many homeowners that take the time to really review their home cooling options wind up going with a heat pump in Irmo, SC. Upon review, you may find yourself following suit. We’d like to share some information with you regarding the benefits of using a heat pump, and the way in which they operate. If you do decide that a heat pump is right for your home, be sure to schedule your heat pump services with the professionals on our team.
What Sets the Heat Pump Apart?
If you are not familiar with the process that a central air conditioner uses in order to cool your home, we should probably start there. Unlike a furnace that generates new heat by combusting fuel, for example, an air conditioner does not “generate” coolness. What it does is remove heat that is already present in the air, and then simply transfer that heat to another location.
When you are cooling your home, a heat pump acts just like a central air conditioner. A heat transfer fluid called refrigerant, which is capable of changing phases easily, is evaporated in the evaporator coil. This is the coil located in the house. As refrigerant evaporates, it removes heat from the air surrounding and passing over it. The warm refrigerant then continues its cycle by traveling to the outdoor condenser unit, while the cooled air is distributed throughout the house. There, the refrigerant is condensed. Its heat is released and vented out into the air via the condenser coils.
Now, the major factor setting the heat pump apart from the traditional air conditioner is the fact that it can reverse its operation. A component called, appropriately, the reversing valve allows the refrigerant to flow in the opposite direction. Now, the coil outside acts as the evporator coil, drawing heat out of the air surrounding the unit. The refrigerant is compressed in order to boost its thermal energy, and is then brought indoors to the indoor coil. This coil now functions as the condenser coil, and the heat from the refrigerant is used to heat the house!
It’s an amazing technology, and has many benefits to offer. Obviously, using just one system to both heat and cool your home is a major benefit to begin with. However, also keep in mind that heat pumps are particularly ideal in climates with relatively warm winters, such as ours, and that they operate with incredible efficiency when heating homes. If you are ready to replace your AC or install one in a new property, why not invest in a heat pump?
Fulmer Heating & Cooling is here for all of your HVAC service needs.