Anatomy Of A Heat Pump: How All Those Parts Work Together To Keep Your Home Comfortable And Energy Efficient

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Although it’s the middle of winter in the Yuma area, it’s not too soon to start thinking about how to lower your energy costs associated with heating and cooling your home. Heat pumps work well in this climate because winters are mild and summers are exceedingly hot. A heat pump uses heat from the air as the way to warm and cool your home, and electricity to extract it and blow it through your home.

Heat pumps have three main parts: the compressor, the air handler, and the thermostat. Each works together to provide energy-efficient comfort for your home.

  • The Compressor. This large unit sits outdoors. It contains coils through which the refrigerant circulates. The compressor either gets rid of or extracts heat, depending on the season. The coils are the conduit that supAnatomy Of A Heat Pump: How All Those Parts Work Together To Keep Your Home Comfortable And Energy Efficientplies the air handler with hot or cold refrigerant.
  • The Air Handler. This rests inside your home and contains a blower, evaporator and heat exchanger, as well as the filter. The filter removes dust and airborne particulates from the air, and the blower sends the air through ductwork. The evaporator and heat exchanger pick up the heated or cooled refrigerant and condition your air. A drainpipe directed outdoors removes the condensation from your air, which can be significant during the monsoon.
  • The Thermostat. The thermostat controls the operation of the air handler and compressor. Although the operation is straightforward in the summer, in cold-weather climates winter conditions can trigger the operation of a electrical heating element inside the air handler when temperatures reach freezing for extended periods (not something we need to worry about in Yuma where January lows average around 46 degrees).

Some heat pumps have advanced features that will help you save even more of your hard-earned energy dollars. If you’d like more information about heat pumps or other HVAC issues, contact Hansberger Refrigeration & Electric Company.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Hansberger Refrigeration & Electric Co services the Yuma area in Arizona. Visit our website to see our special offersand get started today!     

Heat Pump image via Shutterstock