You can consider heat pumps for cooling your home since the summers are getting hotter. Learn how a heat pump cooling system cools your home here.
In order to heat and cool your house, a heat pump is a particular kind of HVAC system. You might need a little time to get used to the name, but you’ll quickly get used to a heat pump’s cooling abilities.
The air cools down and the refrigerant heats up as it is drawn into your system and passes over those coils. The cool air is then forced through your home’s duct system by the heat pump, cooling it.
To learn more about heat pump cooling systems, read this blog.
How Does a Heat Pump Cool?
From a technical standpoint, a heat pump can cool by reversing the process of transferring heat from one place to another. Learn more about the working principle of the heat pump system.
By using the interior coils as evaporator coils in the summer, the heat pump cools your house. In winter, the heat pump actually works the other way. Using the cool refrigerant, the outdoor coil is converted to an evaporator coil. The condenser coil, which deals with the warm refrigerant, is created from the indoor coil.
It is colder than the outside air than the refrigerant. Despite the cold outside air, the refrigerant can still warm up by absorbing heat from it. Then, that warm refrigerant goes inside where your HVAC system passes air over it. That heat is absorbed by the air, which is then circulated throughout your house to warm the interior.
Before selecting a heat pump model, make sure to check to see if it has cooling capabilities on the website of the manufacturer you’ve chosen or by speaking with your installer.
Which emitters it is connected to is all that matters once the technical aspect has been resolved. While some emitters, for example, only function as heaters, radiators, others can offer more flexibility, such as heat pump convectors (aka. fan coil units) which are great for cooling and good for heating.
What Heat Pump Emitters Can Be Used for Cooling?
As was already mentioned, heat pumps work with a variety of heating and cooling emitters to keep your home at a comfortable temperature all year long. The heat pump is programmed to heat your house when it’s cold outside and to cool it when it’s warmer outside—possibly using the same emitters.
Fan Coil Units Or Heat Pump Convectors
A coil-shaped heat exchanger with a fan forms the core of a heat pump convector, also referred to as a fan coil unit. In terms of heat pumps, this emitter is typically regarded as being the most adaptable. The heat pump will circulate chilled water through the heat pump convector when it is set to cool.
The cold water inside the heat exchanger cools the air as it is drawn over by fans from the room. The temperature of the room is lowered by dispersing this cooled air back into it.
Underfloor Piping System
Everyone is familiar with the concept of underfloor heating, however, underfloor cooling is also possible. The floor area can be kept cool by setting a heat pump to circulate chilled water through the pipes under the floor. The cooler floor surface absorbs heat energy from the air as warm air from the room passes over it, bringing down the temperature in the space. See the Compressed Air Piping System.
Underfloor cooling is a desirable option due to the even distribution and constant temperature it produces. However, there are some restrictions when using underfloor piping for cooling. The most important thing to do is to stop condensation from building up on the floor. The other consideration is whether having a cold floor is comfortable in your home.
Air Conditioners
A few hybrid heat pumps, which combine gas boilers and air-to-water heat pumps, can also be connected to an outdoor multi-unit. By doing so, a system that combines indoor air conditioners with other, more conventional heating or hot water emitters is created.
Although their cooling capabilities are what air conditioners are most frequently used for, they can also be a good option for indoor heating.
Planning for a Heat Pump
Most people will think about a heat pump when their furnace and/or air conditioner are getting close to the end of their useful lives, but you should have a plan in place before your furnace or air conditioner breaks down. Steps you can take now to be ready for a heat pump installation in the future include:
- Get a certified home energy auditor to conduct an energy audit of your house. This process will identify key actions you can take now to make your home more energy efficient before determining the size of your heat pump.
- Decide which heat pump type would be best for your home after learning about the different types. Start looking for a contractor and start the conversation if a heat pump will soon be needed.
- You might need to upgrade your home’s electrical service to 200 amps if you intend to switch to a cold-climate heat pump system (which doesn’t use a conventional backup furnace). This can be done before the heat pump installation and should be discussed with an installing contractor.
Why Switch to a Heat Pump for Heating/cooling?
- Heat pumps are a much cleaner and more environmentally friendly option for home heating because they use electricity. Electricity is a cleaner fuel in Ontario, so heat pumps produce significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than natural gas furnaces.
- Heat pumps are much more efficient than furnaces and boilers. When compared to furnaces and boilers, heat pumps can occasionally produce more than three times as much heating energy for the same amount of energy use. Over the course of the system’s life, it can also lower operating costs.
- Due to carbon pricing, natural gas rates will continue to rise. You’ll benefit from new electricity pricing structures, such as anticipated drops in some time-of-use rates if you use a heat pump.
- In crowded urban areas, air-source heat pumps are the most popular option for existing homes. Another choice might be ground-source heat pumps.
- Low-interest financing and incentives to help homeowners install heat pumps and other home energy improvement measures are available through the City of Toronto’s Home Energy Loan Program.
- Over 180 million heat pumps are in use worldwide, so they are not a new invention. Heat pumps will play a bigger role in the climate solution as the climate crisis worsens and natural gas prices rise.
Conclusion: Heat Pump Cooling System
By removing heat from the air inside your house in the summer, a heat pump functions similarly to an air conditioner. The heat pump uses reversal to operate to heat the home in the winter. Similar to air conditioners or refrigerators, heat pumps share many basic components. They have recently been improved to support heating.
As you can see, a heat pump is a marvelous type of HVAC system because it will both heat and cool. Heat pumps are most effective in regions with mild winters.
FAQs
Can a Heat Pump Be Used for Cooling?
Not only great for cooling your home, but a heat pump is also an all-in-one year-round home comfort solution that can cool, heat, and provide hot water.
Does a Heat Pump Cool Better Than An Air Conditioner?
Since heat pumps produce more cool and warm air by volume than it takes to power them, they are more energy-efficient. Heat pumps only need to be maintained twice a year and require very little maintenance.
Can a Heat Pump Replace AC?
Absolutely! A heat pump, despite its name, can also be used to cool your house in the summer. Because it serves two purposes, a heat pump can also replace a furnace in addition to an air conditioner.
