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Heat pump help?
I think I know what a heat pump does, but should I have one where I live? First, from what I think, a heat pump works as both a heater and an AC with backup coils for heat on colder days. I live in North Dakota, where it regularly gets below 0 in winter. I was told by the previous homeowner to turn off the breaker for the heat pump in winter. I can see where the heat pump unit (is it all outside) is hooked up to electricity, but inside near the furnace it looks like the heat used to be gas. My question is this- am I right in what I think a heat pump does, and how would I determine if I should replace my existing unit w/ an A/C and gas heat? --- the outside unit is old and LOUD
2 Answers
- CountryLadyLv 41 decade agoFavorite Answer
Heat pumps draw what warm air they can from the outside air and transfer it into your dwelling. Yes, they can also work as air conditioners in warm weather. They are usually most efficient at outside temps of 50 F or higher. Below that they have to work harder and are not as efficient. There are two kinds, above ground and geothermal. In warmer parts of the country, they are very efficient. In North Dakota, I would question how often you would have to switch to the emergency heat to stay warm and that could prove expensive.
Here is a link that may help you decide:
- Anonymous1 decade ago
A heat pump is nothing but a regular air conditioner with a valve added that changes the direction of flow of the freon.. It will cost you from 1/3 to 1/2 more to use the heat pump.You have two sets of coils, an electric motor with a fan on each end of the motor shaft. The inside fan is a squirrel cage, the outside is a regular fan blade. The fans are separated by a partition. The inside fan blows air in and the outside fan pushes air out. When running the A/C the inside coil gets cold and the outside coil get hot. The valve changes the freon flow, now the outside coil gets cold and the inside coil gets hot.
Source(s): Licensed in A/C & Heating.