Heat Pumps
Heat pumps are an interesting way to provide heat for a home or business. They are also being used extensively in the world of geothermal technologies.
All of these are innovative ways of providing an inexpensive alternative to the high priced heating methods available today.
When one thinks of a heat pump they should be associating this type of system with a conventional air conditioning system, as they function quite similar and even incorporate the same hardware. A regular home air conditioner is combined with a reversing valve and the action it takes are exactly the opposite to create heat.
In certain climates that are not unreasonably cold this can be a very efficient way to heat a home during cool winter months. Technologies however have not yet reached a level where this kind of heating will work in colder climates.
There are two distinct kinds of heat pumps. One is an air heat pump and one is a ground heat pump. The difference lies in the names. Geothermal pumps will pull the available heat right out of the ground and transfer it to the area to be heated. An air heat pump will in the same way, pull the heat from the air.
Both of these types will use a refrigerant to convert the heat through a heat exchanger. Two highly specialized coils are used to condense and evaporate the gas along with the aide of a compressor.
Moving the gas in one direction will take heat from one place and deposit it in the other. If you reverse the system it will do exactly the opposite. This is done by adding a reversing valve and reversing the flow of gas.
Whether or not you can get some benefit out of an energy saving heat pump will require a little research. You'll need to know the ultimate low temperature your region may reach and how close to this you would like to be able to produce enough heat to keep your home warm. This will be a formula of variables that you will have to assemble and then analyze.
Take your situation and a few notes like the size of your home and the location. Jot down the directions on a small sketch and note where north is. Measure and note all of your windows and doors and the glass sizes in the doors. Count the exterior walls in each room. Then take all of this information to the local plumbing and heating supply house and ask them if a heat pump will work for your specific installation.
Most supply houses will be happy to calculate your heat loss because they would like to sell you the equipment you need. They make a profit and you get some free advice.
Typical Residential Heat Pump System
Once you know if this type of system will work for your application it is still recommended that you shop around for price and always look on line for new advances right up until the day you purchase your system.
Things are happening very fast in the field of heating research and technology. Advancements in design and efficiency are bombarding the industry and even installers are having trouble keeping up. Schools are opening every where and some manufacturers are aware of this and offer their own training courses.
Heat pumps still have a long way to go. Entering the geothermal area has brought them ahead leaps and bounds relatively speaking with other technologies. They are definitely here to stay and most are waiting to see the next advance.
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