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Heat Pumps

Arlington TX Heat Pump Technicians

When it comes to heat pump installation, service and repair, Metro Energy Savers aims to exceed your expectations. A heat pump moves heat from one location to another within the home using mechanical parts. The two common types of heat pumps are air-source heat pumps and ground-source heat pumps (also referred to as geothermal heat pumps). Both keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and the local Arlington heating and cooling professionals at Metro Energy Savers are experts in maintenance, repair and installation of both types of systems.

An air-source heat pump pulls heat from the outdoor air into the home during the winter and from the home to the outdoors in the summer. A geothermal heat pump extracts heat from the indoor air during the warm months but draws heat from the ground into the home during the cooler months.

Heat Pump Basics

The refrigeration system within the heat pump is made up of a compressor and two coils of copper tubing, surrounded by aluminum fins aiding in the transfer of heat. The coils resemble a car radiator. As with refrigerators or an air conditioner, the refrigerant flows through the pipes, back and forth from the outdoor coils. In heating mode, it extracts heat from the outside coils and moves it into the home as it evaporates into gas. The indoor coils transfer heat as it condenses back into a liquid. A reversing valve, located near the compressor, changes the direction in which the refrigerant flows for cooling in the summer or defrosting the outdoor coils in the winter.

Air-Source Heat Pumps

These provide efficient heating and cooling for the home in a warm climate, such as Texas. If properly installed, an air-source heat pump can deliver 1 ½ – 3 times more heat energy to a home compared to electrical energy consumed because a heat pump moves heat rather than converting it from fuel, exploiting the physical properties of refrigerant.

Absorption Heat Pumps

These are essentially air-source heat pumps driven by a heat source such as natural gas, propane, or solar or geothermal heated water instead of electricity. There are also absorption coolers available working on the same principal, but they are not reversible and cannot serve as a heat source.

Ground-Source Heat Pumps

A ground-source heat pump system is a central heating/air conditioning system pumping heat to or from shallow ground. It uses the earth as a source of heat in the winter and a coolant in the summer. This takes advantage of moderate temperatures in the shallow ground, boosting efficiency and reducing operational costs.

Unlike an air-source heat pump, it exchanges heat with the ground. This is typically more energy efficient because underground temperatures remain more stable throughout the year. Like caves, shallow ground temperatures are warmer than the above ground air in the winter and cooler in the summer. A ground source heat pump extracts ground heat in the winter and exhausts heat to the ground in the summer.

Refrigerants

A refrigerant is a compound used in a heat cycle that undergoes a phase change from gas to liquid and back, giving off heat or absorbing it. The main uses of refrigerants are refrigerators (or freezers) and air conditioners. The most widely used refrigerants were major causes of ozone depletion, but since the discovery of the detrimental effects of the pollutants within those refrigerants in the 1980s, these have been phased out worldwide, replaced with ozone-friendly refrigerants.

If you have questions about an existing heat pump and its efficiency or are considering replacing your current system or installing a brand new heat pump, call Metro Energy Savers for fast, reliable service from qualified, friendly technicians. We’d be happy to answer your questions and offer you an estimate or a home system inspection to learn more about your needs.