How do air conditioners with heat pumps work?




Heat pumps are a special type of air conditioning system. Just like conventional air conditioners, heat pumps keep the interior cool by removing unwanted heat from your home and sending it outside.


However, unlike conventional air conditioners, heat pumps can be used not only to cool in warm weather but also to heat in cold weather. It's the same process, but in reverse: heat pumps can absorb heat from the outside (even when it's cold) and pump it into your home to keep it warm.


This magic happens thanks to the refrigerants that expand and contract within the heat pump system. Refrigerants are also used in conventional air conditioners and have an impact on the environment, so experts are working to replace them with more climate-friendly options. However, even considering these impacts, heat pumps have a significantly lower climate impact than traditional equipment. Models with even more environmentally friendly refrigerants will soon be available.

Why Heat Pumps Are More Efficient

Heat pumps provide heating in a much cleaner way than boilers that burn large amounts of fossil fuels. In fact, a study backed by the NRDC showed that gas boilers emit 45-70% more emissions than heat pumps.


The carbon emissions reduction of a heat pump is due to the fact that these devices do not generate heat by burning fuel; instead, they extract heat from the environment. Heat transfer using electricity is several times more efficient (two to five times, or even more, depending on the conditions) than its production by burning fuel. In most cases, this results in savings on heating costs.


Modern heat pumps are extremely efficient and can provide heating at temperatures as low as -26 degrees Celsius, and below this temperature, they can use electric backup heating, enabling them to operate in all weather conditions in Europe.

The best time to switch to a heat pump? When you need a new AC

A useful tip for getting the most out of a new heat pump: think about heating and cooling at the same time. A central heat pump, for example, takes the place of a central air conditioner; it's in the same location, uses the same air ducts and thermostats, and so on. The same applies to other types of air conditioners and heat pumps. Additionally, heat pumps cost only a few hundred euros more than air conditioners of the same size, so buying a heat pump instead of an air conditioner means getting a completely new and cost-effective heating system.


If you wait and only think about your next heating system when your gas boiler or air conditioner breaks down, you will have to replace the old gas boiler with a new one, or dismantle a fully functional air conditioner.

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