Most people, have heard of a heat pump - but few of us REALLY understand how they operate. In this brief article let us provide some simple explanations and illustrations of the technological principles common to most heat pumps.
First of all: The name - heat pump. Why are these things called a heat [...]
Here are methods for troubleshooting common heat pump problems:
No heat
Most heating system failures are caused by thermostat malfunctions, a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse, or–in the case of combustion furnaces–a pilot light that has gone out. If the heat doesn’t come on even when you adjust the thermostat to a setting above room temperature:
1) [...]
Did you know you can extract heat from chilly outside air and use it to heat your house? This feat is performed by the magic of a heat pump–an appliance that uses refrigeration technology rather than fuel combustion to provide warmth and cooling.
Heat pumps are not new– they’ve been in use for more than thirty [...]
A heat pump uses air conditioning principles to extract heat from one place and deliver it to another, with one big difference: the system is reversible.
In addition to expelling heat from indoors, the system can be reversed to warm rooms in the winter.
Split air-source systems have a compressor, coil, fan and reversing valve unit [...]
The most common heat pump efficiency measurement is called the Coefficient of Performance, or COP. COP is the ratio of the heat pump’s BTU heat output to the BTU electrical input, as shown in this equation:
COP = Heat Delivered (BTU/Hour) Divided By Electrical Input(Watt)x3.413 BTU/Watt-Hour
Conventional [...]
Air-to-air heat pumps are basically air conditioners with the capability of reversing their cycle to provide heating in the wintertime. During the summer, air conditioners remove heat from your house, and shunt it outside. Air source heat pumps have a switching system that allows them to operate in reverse in the winter, removing heat from [...]
A decision about whether to reinstall a heat pump depends on what is causing the poor performance of your current heat pump. It could be because the heat pump is really not meeting your heating needs, or because you have expectations based on previous experience with other types of furnaces.
There can be several causes of [...]
Heat pump systems are known as one of the most efficient methods of heating and cooling. Using an ETS unit to provide the supplemental heat needed with a heat pump at low outdoor temperatures instead of the more commonly used direct electric strip heat allows the heat pump’s high efficiency to be combined with the [...]
Electricity can be used for heating in two ways:
Resistance Heaters
Heat Pumps
[...]
Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) are a relatively new technology that can save homeowners money. These ground-source heat pumps use the natural heat storage capacity of the earth or ground water to provide energy efficient heating and cooling. GHPs should not be confused with air-source heat pumps that rely on heated air.
Geothermal heat pumps use the [...]
Heat Pumps are based on the thermodynamic principles that move low pressure cold air into higher pressure hot air. The advantage of heat pumps are they work very effectively in heating very cold air in a short amount of time. Most commercial heat pumps are based on the same thermodynamic principles; however, the main differences [...]