What is a heat pump and how does it work?

A heat pump is an electrical device that extracts heat from one place and transfers it to another. Heat pumps are not a new technology. They have been used for decades at home and around the world. Refrigerators and air conditioners are both common examples of this technology.

Heat pumps transfer heat by circulating a substance called a refrigerant through a cycle of evaporation and condensation. A compressor pumps the refrigerant between two heat exchanger coils. In one coil, the refrigerant evaporates at low pressure and absorbs heat from its surroundings. The refrigerant is then compressed on its way to the other coil, where it condenses at high pressure. At this point, it releases the heat it absorbed earlier in the cycle.

Both refrigerators and air conditioners are examples of heat pumps that operate in cooling mode only. A refrigerator is essentially an insulated box connected to a heat pump system. The evaporator coil is located inside the box, usually in the freezer compartment. Heat is absorbed from this location and transferred to the outside, usually after or below the unit where the condenser coil is located. Similarly, air conditioners transfer heat from inside a house to the outside.

The heat pump cycle is completely reversible, and a heat pump can provide year-round climate control for your home - heating in the winter, cooling and dehumidification in the summer. Because the ground and air outside always contain heat, a heat pump can provide heat to a home even in the cold winter. In fact, air at –18°C contains about 85% of the heat contained in air at 21°C.

Air source heat pumps absorb heat from the outdoor air in the winter and reject it to the outdoor air in the summer. This is the most common type of heat pump currently in domestic homes. However, ground source heat pumps (also called earth energy, geothermal, geothermal exchange), which absorb heat from groundwater or groundwater, are becoming more and more widespread, especially in our southern regions.

The market for air source heat pumps is increasingly promising. If you want to purchase equipment or join us, please send us an email: cindy@bluewayhp.com