Split System Heat Pumps: How Do They Work?

30, Sep. 2024

 

Split System Heat Pumps: How Do They Work?

These days, efficiency is the primary focus of innovation. Time and money are precious commodities, so home and business owners in Maryland are constantly on the hunt for whatever will bring greater efficiency to their lives. In the world of HVAC, efficiency has been given a name: the split system heat pump, a system that promises maximum efficiency. So how do they work?

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from OUTES.

Conventional HVAC System

The easiest way to begin understanding the inner workings of the split heat pump system is to first understand how a conventional HVAC system operates. The common HVAC system cools your home pretty similar to how a refrigerator keeps your food cold. Air generated by fans is blown across a refrigerant-filled coil, and the refrigerant is cycled through a compressor to begin the process again. Warm air absorbed by the refrigerant is sent outside your home while the cool air is circulated through your duct system.

A conventional HVAC system heats your home by blowing combustion gases generated by burners through a heat exchanger and then spread to the rest of your home through a duct system. Usually, both the heating and cooling parts of an HVAC unit are contained in the same system. Of course, there are some more technical, scientific things that happen in the whole process, but these are the basics. So what makes a heat pump different?

The Heat Pump

The heat pump system operates a little differently. Rather than using fans and burners to produce its own air, the heat pump system maximizes the air cycling principle that the HVAC system does only in part.

Heat pumps cycle air like a refrigerator, which cycles the warm air inside the refrigerator to the outside while bringing in cooler air from the outside at the same time. Heat pumps have this capability as well, but what makes them unique is their reverse function. If you want your house warm, the heat pump draws the cool air out of your house and cycles it outside while it pulls in the warm air at the same time. The cool air gets cooler and the warmer air gets warmer, and it all happens in one packaged system.

In a packaged heat pump system, the unit sits outside and air is distributed through a duct system, which is one of the main differences between a packaged and split system heat pump.

The Split System Heat Pump

Similar to a split HVAC system, the split system heat pump has indoor and outdoor components that work together. On the exterior of the home is the compressor/condenser, which maintains the optimum rate of the refrigerant's flow as well as increases the pressure of the refrigerant gas through compression. On the interior of the home is the air handler, which cycles and distributes the air. The two split components are connected by a protected conduit.

Split system heat pumps, unlike most conventional heat pump systems, are generally ductless. This allows for one of the split system's great advantages. Many models of these systems allow for multiple indoor air handlers to be attached to a single outdoor condenser. Each of these indoor air handlers can be programmed by individual thermostats, thus keeping individual rooms at their own specific temperature. Being able to control specific rooms saves both money and energy.

Without a duct system, the heat pump makes up for the 30% of energy often lost among the duct work. Instead, the air is distributed directly from the air handler and into the room. Without the restrictions of a duct system, air handlers can be placed anywhere from the ceiling, the floor, or even on the wall, making them much more flexible in terms of design.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Split System Water Heater Supplier.

The split system heat pump redefines efficiency by getting rid of the duct system necessary in packaged heat pumps and conventional HVAC systems. If you have more questions about heat pumps or would like one installed, contact Griffith Energy Services online or give us a call at 888-474-. We also handle ac repairs.

Image provided by Shutterstock

How Does a Split HVAC System Work?

How Does a Split HVAC System Work?

The HVAC industry is absolutely rife with terminology that isn't really found in common vernacular. This can make shopping for, or understanding, air conditioning systems quite the challenge for a homeowner!

Thankfully, though, the truth is that most terms are actually quite simple once you have a basic understanding. Follow along while the experts at Jack Lehr Heating, Cooling & Electric answer one of our most common AC questions'what is a split air conditioning system, and how does it work?

The Difference Between a Split AC and a Packaged Air Conditioner

Split cooling systems and packaged ACs are the two most commonly used cooling systems, and they do not necessarily dictate any specific cooling type. For example, both can be central air conditioners. Where the difference actually lies is in how the units are laid out.
In most common home air conditioning systems, you will have a unit located outdoors, which houses the condenser and compressor. There will also be a unit located indoors, often (though not always) attached to your furnace. The two systems are connected by a refrigerant line. This is a split air conditioning system!
A packaged air conditioner, on the other hand, tends to have all of the components related to the refrigeration process located in one package. These systems are occasionally used in homes but are more commonly found in commercial applications in the form of a rooftop packaged unit.
In short, your split system is called a split HVAC system because it has an indoor unit and an outdoor unit.

What Is a Mini-Split AC?

Mini- and multi-split air conditioning systems, also called ductless heat pumps, are a newer subset of split air conditioners. These units still feature the outdoor unit. However, the indoor unit is small, wall-mounted, and does not utilize ducts at all, as there is a simple fan assembly in the indoor wall unit. These units are ideal for cooling specific areas of a home or office, or multiple units can be installed throughout your space for precise zone cooling.

How Do Split HVAC Systems Operate?

Split air conditioning systems operate using the refrigeration cycle to pull hot air out of your home and replace it with cool air. Air from your home is pulled into the system using return vents. This air is circulated through the system and will eventually blow over the evaporator coil'housed in the indoor unit of a split system'where it will rapidly cool before being put back into your home via the supply vents.
The refrigeration cycle, another common HVAC term, refers to the compressor, condenser, and evaporator coils located in your HVAC system. The compressor and condenser are located outdoors and are responsible for expelling heat (this is why the large fan on your outdoor unit is always blowing hot air). Once heat has been expelled, the refrigerant returns to the indoor unit where it will rapidly expand, which creates a strong cooling effect that runs through the evaporator coils, which is where your circulated air is being pushed through before it returns to your home.

Split HVAC System Services in Allentown, PA

With over 50 years of experience in the HVAC and electrical industries, Jack Lehr is your single source for comprehensive split AC and packaged HVAC services. If you're looking for new AC installation, repair, or routine service, our NATE-certified technicians are ready to help.
Contact us online any time to schedule HVAC services!

Want more information on Commercial Air Source Heat Pump? Feel free to contact us.