Cranbury Comfort Systems Ask the Technician: How Does My Heat Pump Work?
Trying to diagnose a problem with your heat pump HVAC system?
Cranbury Comfort’s expert technicians explain the air-to-air heat pump system so you can know if you have a problem on your hands.
Q: What is a heat pump?
A: It is the part of your
heating/air conditioning system
located outside of your home. It looks like a large box about three feet high. If your system is air conditioning only, this box is called a condensing unit.
Q: How does the heat pump work?
A: Heat pumps are essentially air conditioners working backward. A heat pump uses electricity to move warm air. When you are using the heat pump as an air conditioner, the pump moves the warm air out of the house and to the outside leaving the cool air in the home.
When using the heat pump as a heater, the pump is taking warm air from the outside and moving it into the house to heat up the home, even though the air is cold to our body temperature there is still a lot of heat energy in “cold” outdoor air.
Q: What is the part of the system called that is inside the house?
A: The indoor portion of a heat pump system is called the air handler. It may be fitted with a backup or secondary heat source. This is mainly electric strip heat. In hybrid heating applications, this can be a high-efficiency gas or oil fired furnace.
Q: How can the heat pump take warmth out of the outside air when there are record-breaking cold temperatures outside?
A: When the outdoor ambient temperature is too low, the heat pump system will run auxiliary heat (a portion of the backup heat) in tandem with the heat pump. This will also happen if the set point in the thermostat is raised high enough (usually 2-3 degrees above room temperature).
Q: What should I do if my heat pump stops working?
A: If a heat pump fails, you can set your thermostat to Emergency Heat which will run only the backup heat. This is usually for emergencies only because electric strip heat is costly to run.
Q: My heat pump stopped working, but I’m so afraid that the repair will be expensive. I don’t have a lot of extra money!
A: The majority of heat pump service calls are relatively simple fixes that cost less than you imagine. In many cases, you can prevent the need for repairs by having annual heating
maintenance
performed by a qualified technician from Cranbury Comfort.
Q: What can I do to keep my pump in good working order?
A: There are several things you can do to take care of your heat pump system. You can:
- make sure filters are changed regularly
- be sure your intake air vents are not blocked
- have a technician perform thorough maintenance on the system
- pick a comfortable temperature for your home and leave the thermostat at that set point. Too much up and down will cause the system to run auxiliary heat more often causing exorbitant utility costs.
Note: High efficiency and fully communicating heat pump systems may vary slightly when it comes to these recommendations.
