Heat Pumps in Atlanta
Heat
pumps are located outside of your Atlanta home. The system pulls warm air out of the
house in the summer and forces warm air inside during the winter. Heat pumps
also are excellent in controlling the level of humidity in the home. This allows
you to keep the thermostat a little higher in the summer with no detectable
difference in the temperature of your home.
Please contact us,
if you would like to speak to an expert technician, in regards to repair or
installation of a heat pump in your Atlanta home.
By definition, a heat pump is a machine which moves heat. Heat exists in all air at all temperatures down to "absolute zero" (-460º F). In the winter, a heat pump draws heat from the outdoor air and circulates it through ducts into your Atlanta home. During the summer, it reverses the process and draws heat from your interior air and releases it outdoors. It also dehumidifies the indoor air as it cools it.
Benefits of a Heat Pump System
Because a heat pump does not burn fuel, it is safer and cleaner to run than a
gas powered furnace.
A heat
pump provides a more uniform temperature throughout a building. It does not
produce a sudden blast of hot air as traditional furnaces do each time they kick
on.
In the
heat mode, heat pumps do not dry out the air the way traditional heaters do.
The
higher humidity maintained by heat pumps during cold weather provides for a
healthier environment.
Heat
pumps are more efficient and cost less to run than electric furnaces.
Because
heat pumps are used year round (for cooling as well as heating needs), they cost
less per hour of use (cost of purchase and installation divided by total number
of hours used per year) than do individual heating and cooling systems, which
each sit idle for a good part of the year.
The Heat Pump as an Air Conditioner
The heat pump serves as an air conditioner by absorbing heat from indoor air and pumping it outdoors. The heat pump contains an indoor coil which, in turn, contains a very cold liquid refrigerant. As indoor air passes over the indoor coil, the refrigerant-cooled coil absorbs heat from the air and so quickly cools that air. The cooled air cannot hold as much moisture as it did at a higher temperature. The excess moisture condenses on the outside of the coil, resulting in the dehumidification of the air. The cooled, dehumidified air is then forced (by a fan) into the duct system which, in turn, circulates it throughout the building.
At the same time, the absorption of heat by the refrigerant turns the
refrigerant from a liquid into a vapor. A compressor pumps the heat laden vapor
through a vapor line to an outdoor coil which discharges the heat extracted from
the indoor air. As the heat is discharged, the vapor is cooled and changes back
into a liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant is then pumped back through a liquid
line to the indoor coil and the cycle is repeated.
In addition to serving as an air conditioner, the heat pump contains a reversal
valve which reverses the flow of refrigerant and thus allows the heat pump to
serve as a heater during cold weather.
"Our furnace was not working and several other companies were unable to come
out for 2-4 weeks. Betts came out the next day, and had to get a part to fix
the furnace, but were back the very next day with everything working like a
charm." -- Penny N, Woodstock, GA