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Why Does the Outside Unit of My Heat Pump Run in Heating Mode?

When a technician installs a new heat pump in your home, you’re usually told that it’s an efficient heating and cooling system. However, you may not be too sure as to how this unit functions. How can a single system provide both heating and cooling for a home? And why, unlike with other heating systems, is the outside unit running when you switch it into heating mode?

Here at Bartels Heating & Cooling, we can answer all of your questions about our comprehensive heat pump installation service in Fairfield. Call us today for maintenance, repairs, or installation. We provide quality service from HVAC technicians who care about the caliber of the work they perform.

Heat Pump Operation

When a technician installs a heating and cooling system in a new home, these units are usually entirely separate from one another. Often, a forced-air heating system like a furnace is installed inside of the home and a split system air conditioning system goes both inside and out. The air conditioning coils may sit atop of the furnace, and they likely share a blower fan, but otherwise the units operate independently of one another. Therefore, when you run the furnace in the winter, the outside unit should not run as it only functions as part of your air conditioning system.

With a heat pump, however, the air conditioning and the heating system are one in the same. Just as with a normal AC unit, refrigerant absorbs heat from one area to another. Heat is absorbed at the inside evaporator coil in the summer, and then it’s released outdoors at the condenser coil. With a heat pump, the process reverses in the cooler months. Refrigerant absorbs heat from the outside air and moves it indoors with the help of a reversing valve and multiple check valves. This is highly efficient because it takes less energy to move heat than generate it.

Call the professional technicians at Bartels Heating & Cooling for heat pump installation, repair, or maintenance in Fairfield today. These are some of the most efficient systems on the market, helping you to save money over time while offering the performance you need.

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