Heat Pumps Also Cool

Heat pumps are all the rage these days for heating your home through winter, but what help is pumping heat when it is already hot? Does a heat pump do anything to make the hot summer months more bearable? Is there a reason to run my heat pump when it’s hot outside?

Heat pumps transfer heat. Even in below zero temperatures, there is heat that can be transferred, so while not functioning as efficiently at extremely low temperatures, the heat pump is still able to “pull” the heat out of the cold outside and warm your home to a comfortable temperature.

Pump the heat out?

In hot weather there is even more heat that can be transferred, in this case, it’s just working in the other direction, with heat being removed from your home, rather than pumped in. The heat pump simply pumps the heat out of your home instead of pumping it in. Now this applies to the most common form of heat pump, an air source heat pump. There are a number of other heat pump types, including water source, ground source or geothermal, and even solar heat pumps. All these pumps move heat from one area to another area, and only requires some minimal amount of heat in both areas to function.

How does a heat pump work?

All you need to do to turn your heat pump into a summer air conditioner is adjust your thermostat. From there, refrigerant in the outside unit is compressed from a gas into a liquid. Changing from a gas to a liquid makes the refrigerant very cold. The liquid refrigerant can now be pumped into your home where it undergoes temperature exchange with the inside air, until your home is cooled to your desired temperature.

A heat pump can do a lot to make hot summer months and cold winter months more bearable. A heat pump is a quick installation and needs minimal service to work properly. Give Advanced Air Systems Inc a call today for both new installs and inspections. We’re here to make your summer more comfortable.