7 Heat Pump Components and What They Do in Arcadia, FL

Heat pumps are one of the most efficient HVAC options in Arcadia, FL, because of their ability to heat and cool. However, if you’re unfamiliar with them, you may not understand what they are and how they work. To remedy that, let’s review seven important parts of a heat pump system and what they do.

Compressor

A heat pump manipulates the pressure of refrigerant to move heat into and out of your home. It uses a compressor to increase the pressure and temperature of its refrigerant. A compressor is a type of pump that works within a heat pump’s closed refrigerant loop.

A heat pump has its compressor inside its outdoor unit. In heating mode, the compressor amplifies heat collected from the outdoor air to warm your home. In cooling mode, it amplifies the heat collected inside your home to make expelling it outdoors possible.

Expansion Valve

An expansion valve has the opposite function of a compressor. It allows the refrigerant to expand, lowering its pressure and temperature. You’ll also find the expansion valve inside a heat pump’s outdoor unit.

Reversing Valve

A reversing valve allows a heat pump to operate in either heating or cooling mode. It’s what makes the heat pump capable of reversing its refrigerant flow. In the summer, it sends refrigerant to your indoor coil first and to the outdoor coil first in the winter.

The reversing valve features a solenoid that moves a sliding U-shaped pipe inside its housing. The heat pump activates the solenoid to switch between heating and cooling modes.

Outdoor Coil

The largest part inside a heat pump’s outdoor unit is its coil. In heating mode, the coil functions as an evaporator, allowing the refrigerant to collect heat from the air. In cooling mode, it operates as a condenser coil, letting the refrigerant release heat and condense into a liquid.

The outdoor coil works in conjunction with a large fan. Its job is to circulate outdoor air across the coil to facilitate heat transfer.

Indoor Coil

Heat pumps also have another multipurpose coil. You’ll find it in the system’s indoor unit, and it works similarly to the outdoor coil. The difference is that it operates as an evaporator for cooling and a condenser in heating mode.

The indoor unit also features a large fan to support heat transfer for its coil. It’s called a blower fan, and it draws air in through your return air ducts to circulate over the coil. Then, it pushes the conditioned air out to your rooms via your home’s supply ducts.

Accumulator

An accumulator is a liquid refrigerant storage tank found in a heat pump’s outdoor unit. Its job is to collect refrigerant that hasn’t evaporated to keep it from entering the compressor. Compressors can only work with refrigerant in a gaseous state.

The accumulator is also necessary because different refrigerant pressures are necessary at various operating temperatures. The accumulator gives excess refrigerant somewhere to go, keeping the closed refrigerant cycle at optimal pressure.

Heat Strips

Almost all heat pumps come with auxiliary heaters called heat strips. They’re inside the heat pump’s indoor unit and provide supplemental heat on frigid days. They use electric resistance to create heat.

Depending on the type of heat pump you own, you may never need your system’s heat strips to activate. Standard heat pumps work fine without them down to approximately 32 degrees. Low-temperature heat pumps work well without heat strips to as low as -15 degrees.

Heat pumps are a solid HVAC solution for homes in climates like ours, proving efficient and durable. Our team has decades of working hard for our community, and we’re ready to assist you in ensuring you have year-round comfort in your home. Call Miller’s Central Air, Inc. to ask about our professional heat pump system installation services offered in Arcadia, FL, today.

Image provided by iStock