Heat pumps are a popular home heating and cooling alternative in many parts of the country where very cold winter temperatures are uncommon. A heat pump works just like a standard central air conditioner in warm weather. In cold weather, a heat pump operates in reverse and uses electricity to extract heat from the outside air and move it inside the home. Since heat pumps move heat rather than create heat like a gas or oil furnace, they are very energy efficient. However, they are not very effective in very cold weather and are not a good option in areas that regularly see temperatures below freezing unless they are paired with a backup furnace or other heating system.
If you have not had a heat pump before, you will find that they take a little getting used to. One of the first things you will notice is that the warm air coming out of the register is not as hot as you may be used to with a traditional gas or oil furnace. Heat pumps make up for the lower warm air temperature by running for longer periods than a gas or oil furnace. As a result, heating is more even throughout the day.
You may also notice that, from time to time, your heat pump will make “whooshing” noise and you may see what looks like steam coming out of the top of the outside unit. This behavior is part of the normal de-icing operation for a heat pump. In order to prevent ice from accumulating on the coils, the heat pump will periodically reverse operation to melt any accumulated ice and frost from the coils. The “whoosh” noise is the sound of the reversing valve and what looks like steam is water vapor from the melted ice and frost.
Posted on behalf of James Smith, ClimateSmith LLC
