SECTION8

AIRSOURCEHEATPUMPS
UNIT43
AIRSOURCEHEATPUMPS

UNITOBJECTIVES

Afterstudyingthisunit,thereadershouldbeableto

Describetheoperationofreversecyclerefrigeration(heatpumps)
Explainthefunctionandoperationofheatpumpsystemcomponents
Listheatsourcescommonlyusedinheatpumpsystems
Discusshowheatpumpefficiencyisdetermined
Explaintheconceptsofcoefficientofperformanceandauxiliaryheat
Describethecontrolsequenceofanairtoairheatpumpsystem
Explainhowheatpumpefficiencycanbeincreased
Discusspreventivemaintenanceonaheatpumpsystem

REVERSECYCLEREFRIGERATION
Airconditioningequipmentcanonlypump
heatinonedirection
Heatpumpscanpumpheattwoways
Heatpumpshaveafourwayreversingvalve
Fourwayreversingvalvescontrolthedirection
offlowoftheheatladenvaporbetweenthe
lowandhighpressuresidesofthesystem

Functionsastheevaporator
intheheatingmode

Functionsasthecondenserin
theheatingmode

Functionsasthecondenserin
thecoolingmode

Functionsastheevaporator
inthecoolingmode

HEATSOURCESFORWINTER
Airconditionerspumpheatfromlowtemperatureinside
thestructuretoahighertemperatureoutsidethehouse
Thereisheatinasubstanceuntilitiscooledto460F
At0Foutsideairtemperature,thereisstill85%usable
heatintheair
Heatpumpshavetheabilitytoabsorbheatfromthe
structureinthesummertimeanddischargeittotheoutside
Heatpumpsareabletoabsorbheatfromtheoutsideair
anddischargeittotheinsideofthestructure

THEFOURWAYVALVE
Allowstheheatpumptopumpheatintwodirections
Divertsthedischargegastoeitherheatorcoolthe
conditionedspace
Refrigerantisdirectedfromthecompressortotheindoor
coilintheheatingmode
Refrigerantisdirectedfromthecompressortothe
outdoorunitinthecoolingmode
Controlledbythespacetemperaturethermostat
Pilotoperatedvalve
Fourpipingconnectionsonthevalve

Directacting
reversingvalveis
controlleddirectly
byasolenoidcoil

Hotgasfromcompressor
Moveableslide
insidevalve

Connectedto
outdoorcoil

Connectedto
indoorcoil
Suctiongasto
compressor

Pilotoperated
reversingvalveis
controlledbythe
systempressures

Hotgasfromcompressor

COOLING

Systemhigh
pressurepushes
theslidetothe
right
Connectedto
outdoorcoil

Connectedto
indoorcoil

Suctiongas
tocompressor

Pilotoperated
reversingvalveis
controlledbythe
systempressures

Connectedto
outdoorcoil

Hotgasfromcompressor

HEATING

Connectedto
indoorcoil

Suctiongas
tocompressor

TYPESOFHEATPUMPS
Airisnottheonlysourcefromwhichaheat
pumpbanabsorbheat,butitisthemostpopular
Otherheatsourcesforheatpumpsincludewater
andEarth
Atypicalwatertoairheatpumpuses3gallons
ofwaterperminuteintheheatingcycleand1.5
gallonsofwaterperminuteinthecoolingmode
pertonofrefrigeration

SOLARASSISTEDHEATPUMPS
Thesepumpscaptureheatfromthesun
Theheatisthenbroughttousablelevelsfor
heatinghomes
Somesystemsarespeciallydesignedto
operateinconjunctionwithsolarheat

THEAIRTOAIRHEATPUMP
Mostpopulartype
Basicsealedsystemcomponentsofaheat
pumparethesameasanairconditioner,but
theterminologychanges
Inaheatpump,thetermsindoorcoiland
outdoorcoilareused
Thefunctionofeachcoilchangesasthe
operatingmodeoftheheatpumpchanges

THEAIRTOAIRHEATPUMP
Functionofcoilsinthecoolingmode
Indoorcoilabsorbsheatbyboilingrefrigerantatlow
temperatureandpressure(evaporator)
Outdoorcoilrejectsheatbycondensingahigh
temperatureandpressurevaportoahigh
temperatureandpressurevapor(condenser)
Refrigerantfromthecompressorisfirstpumpedto
theoutdoorcoil

Hotgasfromcompressor

Connectedto
outdoorcoil

Connectedto
indoorcoil
Suctiongasto
compressor

THEAIRTOAIRHEATPUMP
Functionofcoilsintheheatingmode
Outdoorcoilabsorbsheatbyboilingrefrigerantat
lowtemperatureandpressure(evaporator)
Indoorcoilrejectsheatbycondensingahigh
temperatureandpressurevaportoahightemperature
andpressurevapor(condenser)
Hotgasfromthecompressorisfirstpumpedtothe
indoorcoil

Hotgasfromcompressor

Connectedto
outdoorcoil

Connectedto
indoorcoil
Suctiongasto
compressor

THEAIRTOAIRHEATPUMP
Modeofoperationisdeterminedbywhich
waythehotgasfromthecompressoris
flowing
Modeofoperationcanbedeterminedby
touchingthegaslinetotheindoorcoil
Inthecoolingmode,thegaslinewillfeelcool
Intheheatingmode,thegaslinewillfeelhot

REFRIGERANTLINEIDENTIFICATION
Thelargediameterlineiscalledthegaslinebecause
onlyrefrigerantvaporflowsthroughit
Thegaslineisacoldgaslineinthesummerandahot
gaslineinthewinter
Thesmallerdiameterlineiscalledtheliquidline
becauseonlyliquidrefrigeranttravelsthroughit
Duringthecoolingmode,theliquidtravelstothe
indoorcoil
Duringtheheatingmode,theliquidtravelstothe
outdoorcoil

HEATPUMPOPERATINGINTHEHEATINGMODE
IndoorUnit

OutdoorUnit

Hotgasfrom
compressor

Highpressureliquid
tometeringdevice
andevaporator

HEATPUMPOPERATINGINTHECOOLINGMODE
IndoorUnit

OutdoorUnit

Coolsuctiongasto
compressor

Highpressureliquid
tometeringdevice
andevaporator

METERINGDEVICES
Speciallydesignedforheatpumpapplications
Theremustbeameteringdeviceattheoutdoor
unitintheheatingmode
Theremustbeameteringdeviceattheindoor
coilinthecoolingmode

THERMOSTATICEXPANSION
VALVES(TEV,TXV)
MaintainsDesiredsuperheatintheevaporator
CheckvalvesarepipedparalleltotheTXVtoallow
refrigeranttobypassthecontrolwhenneeded
Heatingmode
TherefrigerantflowsthroughtheTXVattheoutdoorcoil
TherefrigerantbypassestheTXVattheindoorcoil

Coolingmode
TherefrigerantflowsthroughtheTXVattheindoorcoil
TherefrigerantbypassestheTXVattheoutdoorcoil

THECAPILLARYTUBE
Commonlyusedonheatpumps
Willallowrefrigeranttoflowinbothdirections
Sometimestwocapillarytubesareusedwith
checkvalves
Theremustbeadrier/strainerattheinletofthe
capillarytubetoensurethatthetubedoesnot
getclogged

BalltypeCheckValve

COMBINATIONSOFMETERING
DEVICES
Usesthecapillarytubeattheindoorcoil
Usedinthecoolingmode
Loadisrelativelyconstantinthewarmermonths

Usesathermostaticexpansionvalveatthe
outdoorcoil
Usedintheheatingmode
Allowssystemtoreachmaximumefficiencyquickly

ELECTRONICEXPANSION
DEVICES
Canmeterrefrigerantinbothdirections
Ifindoorandoutdoorcoilsareclosetogether,
onedevicecanbeused
Thecorrectsuperheatwillbemaintainedinboth
heatingandcoolingmodes

ORIFICEMETERINGDEVICES
Usedinconjunctionwithcheckvalves
Onedeviceislocatedateachcoil
Theboreattheindoorcoilislargerthanthe
boreattheoutdoorcoil
Normallyusedwithabiflowfilterdrier

LIQUIDLINEACCESSORIES
Twostandardfilterdrierscanbeusedon
systemswithcheckvalves
Onlyonedrierwillbeintherefrigerationcircuit
atatime
Theyareinstalledwiththearrowspointinginthe
samedirectionasthecheckvalves

Biflowfilterdriers
Twodriersinone
Designedforheatpumpapplications

COOLINGMODE
Refrigeranttoindoorcoil
Checkvalve
closed

Refrigerantfromoutdoorcoil

HEATINGMODE

Checkvalve
closed

Refrigerantfromindoorcoil

Refrigeranttooutdoorcoil

APPLICATIONOFTHEAIRTOAIRHEATPUMP
Usuallyinstalledinmilderclimates(temperaturesaslow
as10)
Inthewinter,theoutdoorcoilabsorbsheat
Differencebetweenoutdoorandevaporatortemperature
isabout25
Ifoutsidetemperatureis10,therefrigerantboilsat
approximately15
Thecompressorandthesystemloseefficiencyasthe
evaporatortemperaturegoesdown
Thesystemlosescapacityastheoutsidetemperature
drops

AUXILIARYHEAT
Requiredwhentheheatpumpcannotprovide
alltheheatastructureneeds
Theheatpumpistheprimaryheatsource
Auxiliaryheatcouldbeelectric,oilorgas
Electricheatisthemostcommonauxiliaryheat
used
Astheoutsidetemperaturedrops,thestructure
requiresmoreheat

BALANCEPOINT
Balancepointoccurswhentheheatpumpcan
pumpinexactlyasmuchheatasthestructureis
leakingout
Abovethebalancepoint,theheatpumpwillcycle
onandoff
Belowthebalancepoint,theheatpumpwillrun
continuouslyandsecondstage(auxiliary)heat
willbeenergized

COEFFICIENTOFPERFORMANCE
Onewattofusableheatissuppliedforeach
wattofenergypurchased

Usingelectricresistanceheat
Thisiscalled100%efficient
Coefficientofperformance(COP)of1:1
Theoutputisthesameastheinput

AirtoairheatpumpscanhaveaCOPof3.5:1
When1wattofelectricalenergyisusedbythe
compressor,itcanfurnish3.5wattsofusableheat
(COPis3.5:1)

COEFFICIENTOFPERFORMANCE
HighCOPonlyoccursduringhigheroutdoorwinter
temperatures
AheatpumpsCOPfallsastheoutdoortemperaturefalls
AtypicalairtoairheatpumphasaCOPof1.5:1at0F
Somemanufacturershavecontrolstoshutoffthe
compressorattemperaturesof0to10F
Watertoairheatpumpsmightnotneedauxiliaryheat
sincetheheatsource(water)temperatureisconstant
WatertoairheatpumpshaveaCOPratingashighas4:1

SPLITSYSTEMAIRTOAIR
HEATPUMPS
Airtoairsystemscanbesplitorpackagetype
Bothheatpumpsandstraightcoolingunitslook
identical
Splitsystemsrequiretheinstallationofthegas
andliquidrefrigerantlinestoconnecttheindoor
andoutdoorunits

Fieldinstalled
refrigerantlines

Functionsastheevaporator
intheheatingmode

Functionsasthecondenserin
theheatingmode

THEINDOORUNIT
Thepartofthesystemthatcirculatestheair
withinthestructure
Itcontainsthefanandcoilandoftentheelectric
stripheaters
Therefrigerantcoilmustbelocatedinthe
airstreambeforetheauxiliaryheatingcoil
Theindoorunitmaybeagasoroilfiredfurnace

THEINDOORUNIT
Ifgasoroilfurnaceistheindoorunit,thecoil
mustbelocatedintheoutletairstreamofthe
furnace
Ifagasoroilfurnaceisused,theheatpump
willnotoperatewhentheyareoperating
Heatpumpsaddedtoelectricfurnacesshould
havethecoillocatedaftertheheatstrips

AIRTEMPERATUREOFTHE
CONDITIONEDAIR
Airtemperaturesofaheatpumparenotashot
aswithfossilfuelequipment
Maximumheatpumpairsupplytemperatures
arearound100F
Mostheatpumpsrequireaminimumof400
cfmpertonofrefrigeration
Supplyairtemperaturewillfallwhenoutside
airtemperaturesdrop

Returnairfromthe
occupiedspace(75F)

Heatedair
(100F)

Supplyduct

Airhandler(condenserinwinter)

THEOUTDOORUNITINSTALLATION

Muchlikearegularairconditioninginstallation
Musthavegoodaircirculationaroundit
Prevailingwindsaffectperformance
Inthewintertime,theoutdoorcoilwillcollectmoisture
andthemoisturewillfreezeonthecoil
Outdoorcoilshouldbeinstalledsoitisraisedabovethe
groundpadtoallowdefrostwatertoruntotheground
Adefrostsystemisprovidedtodefrosttheicefromthe
outdoorcoil

PACKAGEAIRTOAIRHEATPUMPS
Hasallthesealedsystemandelectrical
componentsinonehousing
Worksmuchthesamewayasapackagedair
conditioningunit
Onlyonepowersupplyrequired
Supplyandreturnductworkmustbefield
installed

Supplyandreturnducts
arefieldinstalled

Packageheatpumpsystem

CONTROLSFORAIRTOAIRHEATPUMPS
Controlsaredifferentthanotherheating/cooling
equipment
Inaheatpump,therearetwoheatingsystemsandone
coolingsystem
Auxiliaryheatingsystemmustbeoperatedasasystem
byitselfincasetheheatpumpfails
Auxiliaryheatisreferredtoasemergencyheatwhen
usedbecauseofheatpumpfailure
Thespacethermostatisthekeytocontrollingthe
system
Normally,atwostageheatingandtwostagecooling
thermostatisused

CONTROLSFORAIRTOAIRHEATPUMPS
Automaticchangeoverthermostatchangesautomatically
betweenheatingandcoolingmodes
Coolingcyclecontrols
Thermostatcontactscontroltheoperationofthecompressor,
outdoorfanmotor,andreversingvalvecoil
Whenthethermostatissatisfied,thecompressor,outdoorfan
motor,andindoorfanmotoraredeenergized
Thereversingvalvesolenoidcoilremainsenergized

FIRSTSTAGECOOLING(SIMPLIFIED)
Outdoorunit
H(Y)

Heat

Cool
1ST

1(W)

1ST

2ND

2ND

C(Y)

4wayreversingvalve
coilenergized

SECONDSTAGECOOLING(SIMPLIFIED)
Outdoorunit
H(Y)

Heat

Cool
1ST

1(W)

1ST

2ND

2ND

C(Y)

4wayreversingvalve
coilenergized

Compressorcontactor
coilenergized

CONTROLSFORAIRTOAIR
HEATPUMPS
Spaceheatingcontrol
Thermostatcontrolscompressor,outdoorfan
motor,andindoorfanmotoroperation
Excessivelycoldtemperaturesenergizesecond
stageheat
Secondstageheatcyclesonandofftoassist
theheatpump

FIRSTSTAGEHEATING(SIMPLIFIED)
Outdoorunit
H(Y)

Heat

1(W)

Cool
1ST

1ST

2ND

2ND

C(Y)

Compressorcontactor
coilenergized

SECONDSTAGEHEATING(SIMPLIFIED)
Outdoorunit
H(Y)

Heat

1(W)

Cool
1ST

1ST

2ND

2ND

C(Y)

Compressorcontactor
coilenergized

SECONDSTAGEHEATINGWITHOUTDOORTHERMOSTATS
(SIMPLIFIED)
Outdoorunit
H(Y)

Heat

1(W)

Cool
1ST

1ST

2ND

2ND

C(Y)

Compressorcontactor
coilenergized

Outdoorthermostatsforelectricheaters

CONTROLSFORAIRTOAIR
HEATPUMPS
Balancepoint
Pointatwhichtheheatpumpcansatisfytheloadwithout
shuttingdown
Maybemultiplebalancepoints

Electricheatersareenergizedatdifferenttemperatures
Onlytheminimumnumberofheatersisenergizedatatime
Conservesenergy
Auxiliaryheatoperationindicatedbysignallighton
thermostat

CONTROLSFORAIRTOAIRHEATPUMPS
Emergencyheatmode
Usedintheeventofheatpumpfailure
Allheatingelementsareenergized
Signallightonthermostat

Heatanticipators
Foundonheatpumpthermostatsandconventional
thermostats
Mostheatpumpthermostatsareequippedwithtwo

EMERGENCYHEATING(SIMPLIFIED)
H(Y)

1(W)

Heat

Cool
1ST

1ST

2ND

2ND

C(Y)

Emergencyheatrelay
contacts

THEDEFROSTCYCLE

Defrostsicefromoutsidecoilduringwinteroperation
Outdoorcoiloperatesbelowfreezinganytimetheoutsideair
isbelow45F
Outdoorcoiloperates20to25Fbelowtheoutsideair
temperature
Theneedfordefrostvariesdependingonoutsideair
temperaturesandconditions
Themoremoistureintheair,themorefrostthatformson
theoutdoorcoil
Defrostaffectstheefficiencyofthesystems

HEATINGSEASONAL
PERFORMANCEFACTOR(HSPF)

Seasonalperformanceforparticularpieceofequipment
Breaksthecountryintosixzones
Usedtocalculateoperationcosts
Considersaveragenumberandlengthofdefrostcycles
peryear
Considerswhetherauxiliaryheatersareenergizedduring
defrost
SEERandHSPFareresultsoffederalenergypolicies

HEATPUMPDEFROST
Airtoairheatpumpsaccomplishdefrostbystopping
theoutdoorfanandcyclingunitintocoolingmode
Duringdefrost,onestageofstripheatisturnedon
Thesystemiscoolingandheatingatthesametime
duringdefrost
Demanddefrostmeansdefrostingonlywhenneeded
Combinationsoftime,temperature,andpressuredrop
acrosstheoutdoorcoilarealsousedinsomesystems
todeterminewhendefrostisneeded

INITIATINGTHEDEFROSTCYCLE
Manufacturersdesignthesystemstostartdefrostwhen
frostaffectsperformance
Someusetimeandtemperatureinitiateddefrostsystems
Bothconditionsmustbemetbeforedefrostwillbe
activated
Coiltemperaturesensingdeviceswillclosearound
outdoorcoiltemperatureof25
Typically,thetimerwillrunanytimethecompressor
runs

L1

TIMEANDTEMPERATUREINITIATEDDEFROST
Defrostrelay
Timermotor

4wayreversing
valvecoil

Outdoorfan

Outdoorcoilthermostat

L2

INITIATINGTHEDEFROSTCYCLE
Somesystemswillalsoincludeapressure
switchalongwiththetemperatureandtimer
function
Wheniceformsonthecoil,thepressureswitch
closes
Time,temperature,andpressuredefrostsystems
ensurethatthereisicebuildupontheoutdoor
coil

TIME,TEMPERATUREANDPRESSUREINITIATEDDEFROST
L2
L1
Defrostrelay
4wayreversing
valvecoil
Timermotor

Pressure

Outdoorfan

Outdoorcoilstat

TERMINATINGTHEDEFROSTCYLE
Stoppingthedefrostisasimportantasstartingthe
defrost
Time,temperature,andpressurecanallbeusedto
terminatethedefrostcycle
Temperaturesensorsusedforthedefrosting
functionwillopenat50F
10minutesisthenormalmaximumtimeallowed
fordefrostcycle

L1

TIMEORTEMPERATURETERMINATEDDEFROST
Defrostrelay
Timermotor

4wayreversing
valvecoil

Outdoorfan

Outdoorcoilthermostat

L2

ELECTRONICCONTROLOF
DEFROST
Electronictimersandthermistorsusedto
controldefrost
Moreaccuratecontrolthannonelectronic
methods
Canincorporatetimeandtemperature
featuresintoasingleunit

INDOORFANMOTORCONTROL
Inaheatpump,thefanmustbestartedatthe
beginningofeachmodeofoperation
Theindoorfanisstartedwiththethermostat
FanswitchterminalfunctionisnormallytheG
terminalonthethermostat
Theindoorfanmotoroftenoperatesduringdefrost
Circulatesairtopreventcoilfreezing
Airistemperedtopreventcoldairfrombeing
introducedtotheoccupiedspace

AUXILIARYHEAT
Usuallyaccomplishedwithelectricheat
Requiredtoassisttheheatpumpwhenit
cannotprovidealltheheatthestructureneeds
Alsousedasemergencyheatwhentheheat
pumpneedsservice
Heatersalsoenergizedduringdefrost

SERVICINGTHEAIRTOAIRHEATPUMP
Muchlikeservicingarefrigerationsystem
Duringthecoolingmode,systemisoperatingasahigh
temperaturerefrigerationsystem
Duringtheheatingmode,systemisoperatingasalow
temperaturerefrigerationsystem
Servicingofthesystemisdividedintoelectricaland
mechanical
Theheatpumpmayrunfordaysandnotstopwhen
outdoortemperaturesarebelowthebalancepoint

TROUBLESHOOTING
MECHANICALPROBLEMS
Canbehardtoidentifyinaheatpump,
particularlyinwinteroperation
Summeroperationofaheatpumpissimilar
toanairconditioningunit
Mechanicalproblemsaresolvedwithgage
manifolds,wetbulbanddrybulb
thermometers,andairmeasuringinstruments

TROUBLESHOOTINGTHE
FOURWAYVALVE
Commonproblems:stuckvalve,defectioncoil
andinternalleaks
Checktoseeifcoilisenergized
Awarmcoilindicatespowerisbeingsuppliedto
thecoil
Placeascrewdriveronthesurfaceofthecoilto
sensemagneticfield
Checkforvoltagesuppliedtothecoil
Defectivecoilscanbereplacedwithoutchanging
theentirevalve

TROUBLESHOOTINGTHE
FOURWAYVALVE

Fourwayvalvesleakingthroughcanbeconfusedwitha
compressorthatisnotpumpingtocapacity
Capacityofthesystemwillnotbenormalinsummeror
wintercycles
Checkthetemperatureofthelowsideline,thesuction
linefromtheevaporator,andthepermanentsuctionline
betweenthefourwayvalveandthecompressor
Inthischeck,thetemperaturedifferenceshouldnotbe
morethanabout3F

Leakingreversing
valveinthecooling
mode

Hotgasfromcompressor

50F

Connectedto
outdoorcoil

Connectedto
indoorcoil

60F
Suctiongasto
compressor

Leakingreversing
valveintheheating
mode

Hotgasfromcompressor

Connectedto
outdoorcoil

40F

Connectedto
indoorcoil

30F
Suctiongasto
compressor

CHECKINGTHECHARGE
Mostheatpumpshaveacriticalrefrigerantcharge
Ifsystemsarelowoncharge,techniciansmust
locateandrepairleaks
Cautionshouldbetakenwhenchargingsystems
withsuctionaccumulators
Suctionaccumulatorsstorepartofthechargein
thewintermodeandwillboiloutlater

CHECKINGTHECHARGE
Sweatingsuctionlineaccumulator
Whencheckingorchargingasystem,heatthe
accumulatorbyrunningwateroverittodrivethe
refrigerantoutofit
Oftentheaccumulatorwillfrostorsweatata
particularlevelifliquidrefrigerantiscontainedinit

SPECIALAPPLICATIONFOR
HEATPUMPS
Useofoilorgasfurnacesforauxiliaryheat
Moreefficientapplicationsthanauxiliaryelectricheat
Theheatpumpcoilmustbeinstalleddownstreamofthe
oilorgasheatexchanger
Theairmustflowthroughthefurnaceheatexchanger
beforetheheatpumpcoil
Theoilorgasfurnacemustnotoperateatthesametime
thattheheatpumpisoperating

HEATPUMPSUSINGSCROLL
COMPRESSORS
Ideallysuitedforheatpumpapplicationbecause
ofitspumpingcharacteristics
Scrollsdonotloseasmuchcapacityas
reciprocatingcompressors
Scrollcompressorpressuresareaboutthesame
asreciprocatingcompressors
Scrollcompressorsaredischargegascooled,

HEATPUMPSUSINGSCROLL
COMPRESSORS
Scrollcompressorshaveacheckvalveinthe
dischargeleavingthecompressortoprevent
pressuresfromequalizingthroughthe
compressorduringtheoffcycle
Scrollcompressorsnormallydonotrequirea
suctionlineaccumulatorbecausetheyarenotas
sensitivetoliquidfloodback

HEATPUMPSYSTEMSWITH
VARIABLESPEEDMOTORS
Useofvariablespeedmotorsforthecompressorand
bothfanmotorsisthemethodusedtoimprovesystem
efficiencyinheatpumpsystems
Sizedclosertotheheatingrequirementsofthestructure
atfullloadandwillrunatpartloadandreducedpower
inwarmermonths
Lessauxiliaryheatisrequiredforthesesystems
Variablespeedisaccomplishedwithelectronically
controlledmotors

SUMMARY1
Heatpumpscanpumpheattwowaystoprovideboth
heatingandcooling
Fourwayreversingvalvescontrolthedirectionofflow
oftheheatladenvaporbetweenthelowandhigh
pressuresidesofthesystem
Inthecoolingmode,theoutdoorcoilfunctionsasthe
condenserandtheindoorcoilfunctionsastheevaporator
Intheheatingmode,theoutdoorcoilfunctionsasthe
evaporatorandtheindoorcoilfunctionsasthecondenser

SUMMARY2
Meteringdevicesarelocatedattheinletofboththeindoor
andoutdoorcoils
Checkvalvesareusedtobypassthemeteringdevicethat
shouldnotbeintheactiverefrigerantcircuit
Bidirectionalorbiflowfilterdriersaretwodriersina
singleshellandaredesignedforheatpumpapplications
Intheheatingmode,heatpumpsloseefficiencyasthe
outsideambienttemperaturedrops
Auxiliaryheatisrequiredwhentheheatpumpcannot
providealltheheatastructureneeds

SUMMARY3
Balancepointoccurswhentheheatpumpcanpumpin
exactlyasmuchheatasthestructureisleakingout
Coefficientofperformanceistheratioofusableheat(in
watts)producedfromeachwattofenergypurchased
Inwinteroperation,theCOPincreasesastheoutside
ambienttemperatureincreases
Splitheatpumpsystemsrequiretheinstallationofgas
andliquidlinestoconnecttheindoorandoutdoorunits
Theindoorunitcontainsthefanandcoilandoftenthe
electricstripheaters

SUMMARY4
Maximumairsupplytemperaturesarearound100F
Outdoorcoilshouldbeinstalledsoitisraisedabovethe
groundpadtoallowdefrostwatertoruntotheground
Adefrostsystemisprovidedtodefrosttheicefromthe
outdoorcoil
Packageheatpumpsystemshaveallsystemandelectrical
componentsinonehousing
Therearetwoheatingsystemsandonecoolingsystem
Auxiliaryheatingsystemmustbeoperatedasasystemby
itselfincasetheheatpumpfails

SUMMARY5
Automaticchangeoverthermostatchangesautomatically
betweenheatingandcoolingmodes
Emergencyheatmodeisusedintheeventofheatpump
failure
Theneedfordefrostvariesdependingonoutsideair
temperaturesandconditions
Themoremoistureintheair,themorefrostthatforms
ontheoutdoorcoil
Defrostaffectstheefficiencyofthesystems
Airtoairheatpumpsaccomplishdefrostbystoppingthe
outdoorfanandcyclingunitintocoolingmode

SUMMARY6

Combinationsoftime,temperature,andpressure
dropacrosstheoutdoorcoilarealsousedinsome
systemstodeterminewhendefrostisneededand
whendefrostisterminated
Defrostcanalsobecontrolledelectronically
Inaheatpump,thefanmustbestartedatthe
beginningofeachmodeofoperation
Theindoorfanmotoroftenoperatesduringdefrost
Duringthecoolingmode,systemisoperatingasa
hightemperaturerefrigerationsystem

SUMMARY7
Duringtheheatingmode,systemisoperatingasalow
temperaturerefrigerationsystem
Commonreversingvalveproblemsinclude:stuck
valve,defectioncoilandinternalleaks
Temperaturereadingsofthereversingvalve
connectionscanbetakentoevaluatethevalve
Mostheatpumpsarecriticallychargedsystems
Ifthesystemoperatedcorrectlyinatleastonemode,
therefrigerantchargeiscorrect

SUMMARY8
Oilorgasfurnacescanbeusedforauxiliaryheat
Theheatpumpcoilmustbeinstalleddownstreamofthe
oilorgasheatexchanger
Scrollcompressorisideallysuitedforheatpump
applicationsbecauseofitspumpingcharacteristics
Scrollcompressorsnormallydonotrequireasuctionline
accumulatorbecausetheyarenotassensitivetoliquid
floodback
Useofvariablespeedmotorsforthecompressorandboth
fanmotorsisthemethodusedtoimprovesystem
efficiencyinheatpumpsystems