Wednesday, January 15, 2014

How Do Ductless Heat Pumps Work?

A Ductless Heat Pump.

A Ductless Heat Pump system consists of one outside compressor/condenser unit and indoor units mounted on the wall or ceilings of each room or area that you wish to heat and cool. Free-standing floor units are also available. The outside condenser unit is connected to the inside air-handling units by individual conduits which house power cables, refrigerant tubing, suction tubing, and a condensate drain. The indoor units essentially replace the ductwork.

How Does a Ductless Heat Pump Work?

Ductless Systems are reversible, two-way heat pumps that use electricity to transfer heat between outdoor and indoor air by compressing and expanding refrigerant. Using a refrigerant vapor compression cycle, like a common household refrigerator, ductless systems collect heat from outside the house and deliver it inside the house on the heating cycle, and vice versa on the cooling cycle. Ductless systems use variable speed compressors with inverter technology (AC to DC) in order to continuously match the heating/cooling load, avoiding the on/off cycling of conventional electric resistance and central heating systems commonly associated with uncomfortable temperature variations and high energy consumption.

A Ductless Heat Pump transfers heat by circulating a substance called a refrigerant through a cycle of evaporation and condensation. A compressor pumps the refrigerant between two heat exchanger coils. In one coil, the refrigerant is evaporated at low pressure and absorbs heat from its surroundings. The refrigerant is then compressed en route to the other coil, where it condenses at high pressure. At this point, it releases the heat it absorbed earlier in the cycle.

Ductless Systems consist of Several parts, including:

1. An outdoor unit that contains a condensing coil, an inverter-driven variable speed compressor, an expansion valve and a fan to cool the condenser coil.

2. An indoor unit that contains an evaporator and a quiet oscillating fan to distribute air throughout the living space.

3. A refrigerant line-set that is made of insulated copper tubing and is housed in a conduit alongside a power cable, and a condensation drain.

4. A remote control that can be used to set the desired temperature and program for nighttime settings.




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