Do Heat Pumps Work in Northern California?
Posted by Moore Home Services
HVAC Basics
Is it time for an upgrade for your HVAC system? More homeowners are investing in heat pumps for its efficiency. Have you considered one?
However, you may be concerned that a heat pump won’t be effective in Northern California. Fortunately, heat pumps are popular in California. So popular, in fact, that the state prefers them over other HVAC systems, such as furnaces, for their low emissions.
Northern California has a mild climate that’s ideal for the benefits of heat pumps. Here’s why.
What is a Heat Pump?
Heat pumps are an energy-efficient alternative to other types of HVAC systems, such as furnaces. They simply move or pump heat from one area to another, so they don’t require a lot of energy.
Though the name suggests that heat pumps actually pump heat into your home, that’s not really what they do. Heat pumps transfer heat, so they can be used for both heating and cooling. This is only effective in mild or moderate climates, however, rather than climates with extreme cold and hot seasons.
Electric heaters work by converting electricity into heat directly, but heat pumps work by pulling heat from the air around your home and transferring it inside. In warm weather, it pulls the warm air from the inside of your home to the outdoors to cool it down.
How Does a Heat Pump Work?
A heat pump has a simple design that works with the natural flow of thermal energy. Its components include an outdoor unit and an indoor air handler unit, each with their own sub-components.
The outdoor unit has a coil and fan. When in cooling mode, the coil acts like a condenser. In heating mode, the coil acts as an evaporator. The fan transfers the air across the coil to exchange heat.
The indoor unit has a similar setup and uses a coil and a fan. The coil is a condenser in heating mode and an evaporator in cooling mode. The fan transfers the air across the coil.
The refrigerant is required to absorb or reject heat as it circulates through the pump. The compressor pressurizes the refrigerant.
The reversing valve is the key to a heat pump’s heating and cooling. The valve reverses the flow of refrigerant to allow the system to operate in heating and cooling modes, or switch between them. This is how a heat pump is able to offer indoor to outdoor heating or outdoor to indoor heating.
The expansion valve regulates the flow of the refrigerant to ensure it’s kept at optimal pressure and temperature ranges.
The natural process behind heat pumps is that thermal energy inherently wants to move from an area with high heat and pressure to an area with low heat and pressure. The heat pump puts the heat in contact with a cooler, low-pressure environment so it can find its way out.
That’s how a heat pump cools, but the process is reversed for heating mode. The reversing valve switches the flow of the refrigerant, which makes the heating source the outside air instead of the indoor air.
Advantages of a Heat Pump in Northern California
Northern California has an ideal climate for heat pumps. They’re similar to air conditioners and circulate refrigerant to pump heat from one area to another, so they’re ideally suited to moderate climates.
Where they differ is that a heat pump can pump heat from the indoor area to the outdoor area to cool a room, as well as from the outdoor area to the indoor area to heat a room. The air conditioning system can only pump the heat from indoors to outdoors.
Installing a heat pump can maintain comfort in all seasons without adding a lot to energy bills, which is why it’s a preferred choice for areas with mild climates like Northern California. If the temperatures drop too much, the heat pump may struggle to pull heat inside and become inefficient.
Fortunately, Northern California has a mild to moderate climate that offers plenty of outdoor warmth to keep the house cozy in winter.
Disadvantages of Heat Pump in Northern California
Even though a heat pump has numerous advantages, it’s not ideal for every home or homeowner. If you already have a gas-powered furnace that heats your home, you’re better off choosing an air conditioner and furnace unit instead of opting for a heat pump. The heat pump has benefits for both heating and cooling, so if you’re only using one, you’re not getting the full value.
Heat pumps cost a lot to buy and install as well. This is worth the energy savings and lifespan, but if you’re not replacing the entire system, it may not be a cost-effective investment. In this case, consider buying an air conditioner instead.
If you want to upgrade your Northern California home’s heating and air conditioning, contact the pros at Moore Home Services!
