How Does a Heat Pump Work?

In the Atlanta Air Conditioning business, we see a lot of heat pumps out there cranking out air conditioning and heating. Even though I’m an expert in Atlanta HVAC repair, I will try not to get too technical here.  First, the one fact that the heat pump exploits is the fact that there is always heat outside…even at 10 degrees Fahrenheit.  You see, the reason it is not colder outside say in Marietta than 10 degrees is the fact that there is some heat out there keeping the temperature up above absolute zero which is what outer space experiences.  (Have you ever seen the astronauts in the big suits with gloves?  They would freeze to death in seconds without it).  On the Fahrenheit scale, zero degrees is not the coldest it gets.  -459 degrees is the coldest it can possibly get.  On the Celsius scale, the coldest temperature is -273.  So, the heat pump has refrigerant that travels in copper tubes from inside the house to outside and allows the heat outside to warm up the refrigerant.  This warming process turns the refrigerant from a liquid to a gas where it travels back inside to have the inside air blown over it.  By blowing air over the copper tubes holding the gas, the heat in the gas transfers to the air through your vents and into your rooms.  The gas, without the heat, turns back into a liquid.  The heat pump will also compress the gas to aid the gas in releasing the heat.   When the summer comes and the air conditioner is needed, the system has a reversing valve that goes through the same process in reverse and thus, removes the hot air from inside the house to the outside.  At Mechanic’s Heating and Air Conditioning, we understand heat pumps whether they are manufactured by Carrier, Trane, Ruud, Rheem, Lennox or Bryant.  These principals are the same whether your unit is in Atlanta, Marietta or Roswell.  Call us at 770-425-0000 if you need help with your heating or air conditioner.