Heat pump HVAC systems come in a couple of different styles and are completely different from any other HVAC units on the market today. Keep reading to learn how a heat pump can help you save energy costs, boost overall comfort, and potentially increase the temperature customization of your home.
Then when you’re ready to schedule a heat pump installation in Sacramento, CA, give us a call to schedule your in-home assessment. We can help you choose the model and design that is perfect for your family and home so you can enjoy it for many years to come.
Reversing Valve
The reversing valve is one of the single most important components that sets a heat pump apart from a central air conditioner. With a central AC, refrigerant only moves in one direction. It absorbs heat from the inside and channels it outside.
The reversing valve is what allows refrigerant in a heat pump to move in the opposite direction. When you change the settings on your thermostat from cooling to heating, the reversing valve moves over to heating mode.
The refrigerant in the lines then moves in the opposite direction to absorb heat from outside your home and transfer it inside to increase the temperature. A heat pump can switch between heating and cooling modes as often as you need it to during the spring and fall seasons when temperatures fluctuate more.
Second Expansion Valve
All central air conditioners include a single expansion valve that helps to lower the pressure of the refrigerant after it releases heat outside. When the refrigerant channels back into your house, it’s compressed enough to absorb the maximum amount of heat as it cools down the air.
A heat pump includes one additional expansion valve because the refrigerant moves in both directions and thus needs to be compressed down at different points in a heating or cooling cycle. This extra expansion valve compresses the refrigerant down during a heating cycle so the liquid refrigerant can exit your home and expand to absorb heat and bring it back in.
Defrosting Controls
We often need to use our central air conditioners and heat pumps during the winter since our temperatures are milder. This means that there is a risk of the outdoor coils freezing and developing ice buildup. As a precaution, your heat pump includes sensors that detect ice buildup on the outdoor unit.
The defrosting controls can adjust how your heat pump is operating and boost heat outside so that the ice will melt. Then the defrosting mechanism turns off again and your heat pump resumes normal operation.
Suction Accumulator
Refrigerant moving in both directions does create some additional risks for your heat pump that a central AC doesn’t face. There’s a risk that the refrigerant could enter the air compressor and mix in with oil in the system during a heating cycle.
To offset this risk, your heat pump includes a suction accumulator that absorbs any refrigerant entering the compressor to prevent it from interfering with normal operation. If refrigerant does enter the compressor, it results in slugging that negatively impacts how well your heat pump is able to warm up your home.
Contact Sierra Pacific Home & Comfort, Inc. today to schedule your heat pump installation as soon as possible. You can always trust The Guys in the Big Red Trucks.