You may have heard quite a lot recently about how heat pumps can transform the way we heat our homes. Curious about how they work? Here is an explanation:
Heat pumps use heat from the air around them or from the ground as their primary source of energy. Heat pumps use a tiny amount of electricity in order to extract this energy from the surrounding area and transfer it into a heat-exchanger, also known as an “evaporator”. In this heat exchanger the heat is absorbed and evaporated by a refrigerant. Heat pumps can work in cold climates because the refrigerant is able to absorb heat at temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius.
The temperature is increased by compressing the evaporated refrigerant. Gas can be used to transfer heat from your central heating system. The refrigerant cools until it becomes a liquid. The second heat exchanger is also known as the condenser. The condenser is where the cooler water from your central heating system continues to absorb heat. This then gets pumped throughout your home via radiators and underfloor heating. It can also be used to heat your water by using a cylinder. For more about Air Source Heat Pumps, visit a site like gsmlimited.com/services/air-source-heat-pumps/
The cooler refrigerant is then passed through a valve of expansion. The pressure drops and the refrigerant is returned to the evaporator to start the process again. As you can see, this is how the heat pump works and explains how it can still operate even in colder climates.