Heat pumps are an energy-efficient way to provide heating and air conditioning. They can use energy from the environment (air, water, soil) to transfer heat, making them efficient and inexpensive to use. If you are considering heat pump installation in Sacramento, this article about the features of heat pumps is for you.
What Is a Heat Pump?
Heat is everywhere: in the air, water and earth. A heat pump is a step-up heat transformer, a device that takes heat from the environment and transfers it to the heating and hot water supply system. When a heat pump operates, energy is spent not on direct heating of the coolant, but on pumping and converting heat from the environment into the house. This ensures high energy efficiency of the device: when 1 kilowatt of electricity is spent on compressor operation, 3-5 kW of thermal energy is generated.
What Types of Heat Pumps Are There?
Heat pumps are divided into three types:
- Aerothermal heat pumps (air), which receive thermal energy from the atmosphere.
- Geothermal heat pumps, extracting heat from the earth.
- Aquathermal heat pumps (water) - a class of equipment that uses the heat of the aquatic environment: rivers, lakes, seas, and underground aquifers.
The aerothermal pump takes heat through an air heat exchanger - an outdoor radiator. Geothermal pumps receive thermal energy from the earth through geothermal fields comprised of pipes laid horizontally under the surface of the earth, or wells where the pipes are installed vertically. Wells, or probes, can also be positioned at an angle since not all areas have the opportunity to drill to the correct depth. The collectors of an aquathermal pump are placed in a pond or water well.
Geothermal heat pumps operate more efficiently by maintaining stable ground temperatures year-round. For aerothermal pumps, the thermal coefficient drops at outside temperatures of -15 °C. Water heat pumps depend on the quality of the water: algae, limescale, and corrosion, all factors that significantly reduce the performance of the device.
How Does an Air Source Heat Pump Work?
The operation of any heat pump is divided into three stages:
- collecting heat from the environment;
- increasing the temperature of the collected heat;
- heat transfer to the heating and hot water system.
The only difference is the method of obtaining low-grade heat from the environment. For an air source heat pump this is done as follows:
A refrigerant, freon, circulates through the evaporator of an air heat pump. This is a non-freezing and easily evaporating liquid that boils at low temperatures. The freon temperature is always lower than the air temperature and, therefore, under its influence the refrigerant boils and is converted into steam. This is called heat transfer in a temperature differential.
Vaporous freon enters the compressor, where it is compressed. Under the influence of high pressure, the refrigerant vapor heats up: the temperature of the compressed freon vapor can reach 128 °C. This heat goes to the condenser.
In the condenser, hot freon steam transfers thermal energy to the heating and water heating circuit. When thermal energy is released, the steam cools and returns to a liquid state, but retains high pressure. The refrigerant temperature at this stage is still insufficient for a new cycle of heat absorption from the environment. Therefore, after the heat exchanger, freon passes through a throttle valve, where the pressure decreases and the temperature drops. After this, the refrigerant goes into the external circuit to undergo another cycle.
How Do Geothermal And Aquathermal Heat Pumps Work?
The operating principle of these heat pumps differs only in obtaining heat from the environment. Here, a circuit of pipes laid underground or immersed in water acts as a heat exchanger. It is not the refrigerant that circulates through the pipes, as with air pumps, but a mediator - propylene glycol, alcohol, or a water-glycol mixture. These liquids accumulate heat received from water or soil and transfer it to the evaporator of the installation.
The coolant enters the evaporator and heats the freon, turning it into steam. The vaporous freon passes through the compressor, where it is compressed and heated. After this, i enters the condenser, where it transfers heat to the heating and hot water supply.
In What Areas Are Heat Pumps Used?
Heat pumps are used for heating and air conditioning industrial facilities, municipal buildings, and multi-storey and private residential buildings. This technology can replace all traditional heating methods. An example of this is Sweden, where more than 90% of buildings for various purposes are heated using heat pumps. Geothermal and aerothermal pumps are widespread in Europe, the USA, and Japan. You can become a user of this effective solution by installing a heat pump in sunny Sacramento with the help of the Alpha Mechanical company.
How to Improve The Efficiency of a Heat Pump?
The heating system plays an important role in the performance of the heat pump. The equipment operates most efficiently with low-temperature heating systems: warm water floor; and fan coils. The fact is that the heat pump operates most productively at an outlet temperature of 35–40 °C, and this corresponds to the optimal temperature of the coolant in a water heated floor or air heating system.
Can a Heat Pump Cool?
Heat pumps can cool as well as heating. So, they can be used for conditioning. The system can take heat from the room and direct it outside using the same principle, but in reverse order. A refrigerator is also a heat pump. This household appliance does not produce cold, it simply removes all the heat from a sealed insulating chamber.
Final Thoughts
Heat pumps can be used for both heating during cold periods and air conditioning on hot days. This is a universal solution that provides indoor comfort all year round. Heat pumps are generally durable and reliable devices. With proper use and regular maintenance, they can last for many years, providing a stable indoor climate. If you are interested in heat pump installation in Sacramento city, we recommend contacting Alpha Mechanical. The company provides high-quality installation and replacement of heat pump systems.