Heat Pump Basics for Easton, MD Residents

Heat pumps have long been used in warm-weather climates to provide heating and cooling. Thanks to new innovative technology, they’re also becoming increasingly popular in Easton, MD, and the surrounding area. In fact, more Americans are buying heat pumps today than traditional furnaces. A basic understanding of how heat pumps work will explain their growing acceptance.

The Nuts and Bolts of Heat Pump Technology

Despite the name, heat pumps are best known for cooling. Like conventional air conditioning systems, they work by extracting heat from indoor air and essentially “pumping” it into the great outdoors. Here are the heat pump basics that explain how they accomplish this remarkable feat.

• Located in the outdoor unit, the system’s compressor transforms refrigerant into a hot, high-pressure gas.
• Operating like a car’s radiator, the condenser in the outdoor unit dissipates the heat, turning it into a cool liquid.
• Delivered under pressure into the evaporator, the refrigerant turns back into a gas, pulling heat from the surrounding air.

All-Season Solutions

During the winter, heat pumps equipped with what’s known as a reversing valve let you switch the system to heating mode. This causes the cycle of refrigeration to work in the opposite direction. Heat extracted from the outdoor air gets pulled indoors and condensed so that it’s warm enough to keep everyone comfortably toasty.

Cold-Weather Comfort

In the past, heat pumps couldn’t generate enough heat to work well in northern regions where the temperatures dip pretty low. The introduction of variable-speed compressors changed the equation. By recovering the wasted heat generated by the motor, they keep you warm without needing a backup heater. Variable-speed operation offers financial benefits too. Altering speeds according to your comfort requirements means you never pay more than necessary for cooling and heating expenses.

Compass Energy offers a variety of long-lasting heat pump systems. Is an all-season heat pump right for you? For more information, explore our HVAC services or contact us today!

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