How does Heat Pumps Work in Summer
Perhaps because of the word “heat” in its name, many people are puzzled about whether a heat pump works in the summer.
However, many people are surprised to find that not only can heat pumps operate all year round, but they can also provide efficient and effective cooling in the summer.
This leaves many people wondering how heat pumps work in the summer.
In the summer, the working principle of a heat pump is to transfer heat from indoors to outdoors. Heat pumps use coils and fans, with the coils acting as condensers. They use refrigerant to absorb heat and discharge it outside, making your home cool.
Regardless of the model you have, your heat pump will go through a similar process to keep your home cooler.
Below, we delve into how heat pumps work in the summer and their many benefits:
Working Principle of Heat Pumps
In a sense, heat pumps are reversible air conditioners that can transfer heat inside or outside of a building. There are two types of heat pumps: air-source heat pumps and ground-source (or geothermal) heat pumps. Air-source heat pumps absorb heat from the air inside and outside the house, while ground-source heat pumps absorb heat from the ground outside and the air inside the house. When installing a heat pump system, you will need an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, similar to ductless mini-split air conditioning systems.
Unlike furnaces, heat pumps do not burn fuel to generate heat. As a result, they do not rely on natural gas or other fuel sources to operate. This makes them more energy-efficient than traditional heating systems. While they use electricity, their power requirements are still lower than those of traditional furnace or boiler systems.
Making the Most of Your Heat Pump this Summer
Although heat pumps are more commonly associated with winter heating, they are an excellent cooling choice for the summer as well. Even in humid climates like ours, heat pumps perform well and can keep your home comfortable throughout the season. In fact, due to their high energy efficiency, using your heat pump year-round may save you on monthly utility bills. You also won’t have to worry about heatwaves or sudden spikes in summer temperatures—heat pumps can continue to cool effectively even in high temperatures.
Tip #1: Don’t Rely on the “Auto” Mode
While the “Auto” mode is convenient and allows your heat pump to switch between heating and cooling automatically, it may cause your system to run more frequently. This will require more electricity and ultimately cost you money. Additionally, as the seasons change, your heat pump will try to work overtime to keep your home comfortable. This means it may cool during the day and switch to heating mode when the temperature drops at night. For most people, this constant switching between heating and cooling is unnecessary.
Instead, when you know you won’t need heating for the remainder of the season, switch your heat pump to cooling mode, and vice versa. Relatedly, you may find the auto fan function to be excessive, so you can manually set the fan to a lower setting to keep your home comfortable while using less electricity.
Tip #2: Keep Thermostat Settings Steady
With traditional HVAC systems, many people constantly adjust the thermostat throughout the day and frequently change the temperature setting when leaving. While this may benefit traditional systems, helping them run more efficiently and save money, you don’t need to do this with a heat pump. In fact, constantly changing the temperature on the thermostat may cause the heat pump to consume more energy in the long run. It’s best to set a comfortable temperature and then forget about it.
Tip #3: Schedule Yearly Maintenance for Your Heat Pump
Like all HVAC equipment, you must schedule annual maintenance with a professional heat pump specialist (such as our experts at Donmar Heating, Cooling & Plumbing). In addition to thoroughly inspecting your equipment, we will also replace filters, clean the indoor and outdoor units, and ensure your system is running at peak efficiency. If we discover any repair issues, we will provide repair options and help you restore and run your system promptly.
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