How Does A Heat Pump Work In Winter?

Most people are familiar with heat pumps when it comes to using them as air conditioners. A unique feature about a heat pump is that it can be used during the winter to heat your home and not just during the summer to cool it. But how can a split system like a heat pump perform both of these functions?

Heat pumps have the ability to reverse the flow of their refrigerant. Reversing the flow supercools the refrigerant and makes it colder than the outside air. The refrigerant then absorbs the heat from the air and transports it inside your home where it’s dispersed through your duct system.

A heat pump’s ability to perform in both winter and summer makes it a desirable option for homeowners. However, there are a few things that you should know before jumping the gun and purchasing a heat pump. In this article, we’ll look at how a heat pump works and what its best application is.

A heat pump consists of an outside unit, an inside unit, and a series of pipes that connect the two. There is refrigerant running through the pipes and either unit that forms a closed loop. This allows the refrigerant to travel from the outside unit, through the pipes, and into the inside unit consisting of an air handler and an A-coil.

The outside heat pump unit absorbs heat out of the cold, winter air and transfers only the heat to the inside unit. It absorbs heat out of cold air by making so that the refrigerant inside of it has a lower temperature than the air itself. This allows heat to be absorbed and transferred via the pipes connecting the inside unit to the outside unit.

Your heat pump adjusts the temperature of the refrigerant according to what your needs are. When you turn the thermostat up and down, your heat pump will alter the refrigerant temperature accordingly. Simply put, the goal of your heat pump is to give you the desired temperature no matter what time of day it is or what part of the year it is.

It should be noted, however, that heat pumps do have their limitations. Once the ambient temperature drops below a certain point, the heat pump can no longer lower the refrigerant enough to absorb heat out of the air. When that happens, you’ll need a backup source of heat or emergency heating.

For those who are used to a furnace and switch to a heat pump, they’re often worried about how much it runs in winter.

However, because of how heat pumps are designed to operate, it’s not unusual for them to run constantly in winter. The heat pump is constantly running in order to constantly absorb heat from the outside air. For that reason, you shouldn’t be worried if your heat pump runs frequently or constantly when it gets to be 30 degrees and below.

However, if it’s not overly cold outside and your heat pump is constantly running, there might be a problem. Here are a few possible reasons that your heat pump is constantly running when it’s over 40 degrees outside.

As previously mentioned, heat pumps have limitations in regards to how much heat they can generate during the winter. R-410 refrigerant is an incredible gas, but your heat pump can only lower its temperature so much. The only way a heat pump can do its job is by lowering the refrigerant temperature enough to make it colder than the ambient temperature.

However, once it gets to be around 25 to 40 degrees, a heat pump starts to struggle and gets overworked. It can no longer lower the refrigerant temperature enough to get it colder than the ambient temperature while still being able to compress it to 100+ degrees. For that reason, it’s not advisable to have a heat pump in extremely cold-weather areas with harsh winters.

With outside temperatures of 25-40 degrees Farhenheit, your heat pump will lose efficiency and will be insufficient to heat your home.

Related Questions

Is it ok to run a heat pump all night?

If the outside temperature is cold enough, your heat pump will run all night and there’s nothing wrong with that.

How often should a heat pump cycle on and off?

Your heat pump will cycle on and off according to how hot or cold it is. The more extreme the ambient temperature is, the more often your heat pump will cycle on and off. This isn’t a cause for concern unless temperatures outside are relatively mild.

What’s the best temperature for a heat pump in winter?

The ideal temperature setting for your heat pump is right around 68 degrees, give or take a degree. This setting allows for comfort during the winter months without overworking your heat pump.