Discount Air Conditioner Heat Pump Prices Reduced

A C Heat pump basics :: How a heat pump works

Heat pumps use a refrigerative system to move heat from one place to another, usually concentrating it (raising the temperature) in the process. Air-source heat pumps extract heat from the outside air and concentrate it into usable heat, which might be used to heat a room directly or to heat water in a hydronic system.

A variation is the ground-source heat pump, which instead extracts heat from the ground (or a body of water if available). It is important to review heat pumps to see which system is most practical for your year-round needs.

The advantage to this is that the ground is a more stable source of heat and is usually at a higher temperature than ambient air in winter, so system efficiency can be higher.

However, given the south's mild winters, the greater cost of installing a ground-source A C heat pump (due to the requirement of boring many deep holes or digging deep trenches) may be hard to justify considering AC heat pump prices. While in the north, this could be a viable long-term solution to your heating needs. Continued below...

Heat pumps use a closed system that contains a liquid with a low boiling point, called the refrigerant. A compressor adds energy to the refrigerant as well as increasing the pressure, forming a super heated vapor. This enters a set of coils known as the condenser where the vapor forms back into a liquid, giving up some of its heat energy in the process.

It then flows through an expansion valve where the pressure is abruptly reduced, causing some of the refrigerant to form a vapor. It then flows into another coil called the evaporator where it absorbs heat, flows back to the compressor and the cycle repeats.

In a cooling-only air conditioner, or a fridge or freezer, the evaporator is inside the house or fridge cabinet and the condenser is outside. This is why the back of the fridge gets warm. In a heating-only heat pump, such as some hydronic systems, the condenser is inside (in the storage tank) and the evaporator outside.

In a reverse-cycle system, the system uses a reversible expansion valve and so the inside cooling coils can be either evaporator for cooling or condenser for heating. The same applies for the outdoor coils. This applies not only to reverse-cycle air conditioners, but also to hydronic systems that can heat and cool.

A C Heat Pump Refrigerants :: CFC's :: HCFC's :: CH2F2 :: CHF2CF3 :: R32 :: R125

Hydronic/hot water heat pumps and reverse-cycle air conditioners use a refrigerant to do the work of moving heat from one place to another.

In the past, all sorts of environmentally damaging fluids were used, including CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons, the ozone destroyers), HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons-betterfor the ozone layer, but strong greenhouse gases) and many others. For a full list of the many different possible refrigerants, see en.wikipedia. org/wiki/List_of_refrigerants.

The most common refrigerant in domestic heat pump air conditioners seems to be R410a, which is a mixture of difluoromethane (CH2F2, called R32) and pentafluoroethane (CHF2CF3, called R125). While it is ozone-layer friendly, it has a high global warming potential (GWP) estimated at around 1430 times that of CO2. Some systems also use R32, with a GWP of 675. See en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/List_of_refrigerants for more.

Similarly, hydronic heat pumps tend towards refrigerants such as R134a, ozone-layer friendly but with high global warming potential-they are strong greenhouse gases.

Domestic hot water heat pump systems, sometimes used in hydronic systems as mentioned earlier, have progressed towards more environmentally sound refrigerants such asC02 (R744).

Top 5 Air Conditioner Tips :: Things you should know

1. Water can cause your condenser to rust and wear out more quickly. Avoid having your sprinkler spray on your unit in order to reduce the risk of corrosion.
2. Remove debris, trim grass and tear out any bushes that restrict airflow. This will improve the efficiency of your system and reduce the risk of it overheating.
3. A system with varying speed options can conserve energy. Reducing your system's output during milder weather will save you money on energy bills.
4. A programmable thermostat gives you better control over output. When your unit is only on when it has to be, you're going to see smaller energy bills.
5. Adding a de-humidistat could help to conserve energy. A de-humidistat will turn your unit on when the humidity rises above a certain level, giving you even more control over the operation of your system.

Considerations when buying and using air conditioners for heating & cooling

When purchasing an American standard heat pump:

• Aim for at least 4 Stars on an American standard heat pump, although Star rating does tend to decrease as size goes up; small to medium 6 or 7 Star units are now available
• Size appropriately for the area you are aiming to heat/cool-considerations include room size; your home's insulation and external wall materials; number and size of windows and their shading/ orientation; online calculators can help you estimate the capacity you need for cooling based on these parameters.
• Consider whether the whole house, or just individual rooms, need heating or cooling; central heating/cooling may waste a lot of energy heating/cooling rooms that aren't in use, so consider whether you really need it, or at least purchase a well-zoned system.
• Location, location-where you live in America (and therefore the climate) will determine both the best type of air conditioner for cooling (evaporative or air source heat pump) and also how well it will operate; in cooler climates, some units' capacity declines and smaller units may not be able to heat your home as effectively as in warmer regions; a regional label is currently being worked on to help with this.

Operating an American standard heat pump:

• Install external components on the shady side of the home (or create shade, while also ensuring adequate air flow)
• Clear the air filter regularly so the fan doesn't have to work too hard
• You can set the thermostat 2-3 °C higher in summer if you also run a ceiling fan, saving around 20% energy; in general, set the thermostat at 18-20 °C in winter, and 25-27 °C in summer
• If possible, improve the home's insulation and seal drafts to improve heating and cooling efficiency
• Only heat/cool the rooms being used, keep doors closed and turn off when the room is not in use for any length of time
• When heating, close curtains at night
• In winter, wear warm clothes so the thermostat can be set lower

Hydronic Heating and hot water in one!

Hydronic heating and hot water in one Heat pumps are the most efficient way to produce heat for your home, as well as producing domestic hot water.

The Siddons systems combine hydronic heating and domestic hot water production and, for the three-in-one units, even hydronic cooling for use in summer. All of the units only require single-phase power to produce hydronic heating or cooling.

The heat pumps can operate in ambient temperatures a slow as -15 °C, producing hot water for both hydronic space heating and domestic hot water up to 80 °C. The three-in-one units can operate in reverse-cycle and provide cold water at 8°C for efficient air conditioning through fan coil units.

The three models are the Home 2 in 1 High Temperature heat pump, which is designed to replace regular gas heaters, the Home 3 in 1 Mono block EVI designed to boost performance in sub-zero temperatures, and the Home 3 in 1 DC Inverter Mono block heat pump, which is ideally suited to PV power generating systems and for off-grid homes.

All models are designed to work with in-floor coils, radiant skirting boards, fan coils and conventional hydronic radiators, making them ideal for replacing existing gas heaters.

AIR TO AIR HEAT PUMPS

WHY CONVERT TO A MODERN HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM

Why convert to a modern heat pump heating and cooling system?

• Efficiency
• Safety
• Eco-friendly
• Reliability
• Lower maintenance than a comparable gas furnace/ air conditioning system
• More savings with available rebates

Air To Air Heat Pump Efficiency

A heat pump heating and air conditioning system (HVAC) is very efficient. It works differently than a gas or electric furnace since, as the name implies, it works by moving heat instead of creating heat. Consider that heating and cooling typically account for at least half of energy bills. Depending on your current system, at optimal operations, a heat pump could save you up to 30% of your energy costs.

A reliable indicator of efficiency is COP or Coefficient of Performance, which in easier to understand terms means "how much do I get for my money?" To illustrate this, a common resistance electric heater has a COP of I while a heat pump that is installed and running correctly has a COP of between 3 and 4, In other words, for every dollar of energy you get put into the heating system, you get 3-4 times as much heating power out of it with an efficient heat pump system.

Since air source heat pumps work by moving heat into your home in the winter and out of your home in the summer, they don't work as efficiently in extremely cold climates. There is simply not enough heat in the outside air to efficiently heat the inside of a home - even with the best heat pump on the market.

Air Source Heat Pump Safety

Heat pumps are safe because since they move heat, not create it, there are no flames, hot surfaces and they do not need oxygen to burn, as with gas. Since no flame is produced, no exhaust flue is required and that reduces dangers of carbon monoxide fumes entering your home from the air conditioner/heat pump although proper venting will still be required for any other gas fired appliances.

Air Source Heat Pump Eco-friendly

There are no fume s or smoke added to the air, and air is filtered, which helps removed odors and dust, which can benefit people with allergies or asthma.

Air Source Heat Pump Reliability

Heat pumps have been in common use for over 100 years. You thought they were a new invention? A refrigerator is one example of a heat pump, although it operates in only one direction.

Air conditioner/heat pump units offer lower maintenance - fewer parts Typical heat pumps installed are all in one units', no need for two systems, a furnace and a separate air conditioning unit. Rebates Brandy wine Valley Heating & Air Conditioning can help find manufacturers' rebates that may apply.

When to consider a conversion to an American-standard heat pump:

• Current system is more than 10 years old
• Frequent repairs or noisy units
• Higher energy bills
• Rooms that are too cold or too hot
• Humidity problems
• Excessive dust

Are you interested in saving money? Don't wait until there is a repair or replacement needed. Begin the dialogue, ask questions including the cost to install a heat pump and become educated about the benefits of a air source heat pump HVAC system. Learn about the available rebates and savings before an emergency arises and a decision has to be made.

Take advantage of the current rebates and lower the overall cost of heating and cooling. Brandy wine Valley Heating & Air Conditioning can assess needs, provide options and pricing, determine eligibility for rebates, and provide a plan to make the switch when the time comes to replace, repair or upgrade.

RADIANT REVERSE CYCLE

Reverse-cycle air conditioners heat by circulating warm air, but the Daikin Nexura adds another heating method-a radiant panel on the front of the air-handling (indoor) unit.

The Nexura uses a floor-mounted air handling unit with an integrated radiant panel that can warm to 55 °C to provide some low-level radiant warmth.

It also has a warm start feature, where it won't start blowing air until the system has warmed up, so it isn't blowing cold air and causing a draught.

There are three models, with rated outputs of 3.4 kW, 4.5 kW and 5.8 kW of heating capacity (and 2.5,3.5 and 4.8 kW cooling respectively).

All units also have a boost mode, where they can produce more than their rated output for up to 20 minutes, for more rapid heating or cooling.

Rated EER and COP for the 2.5 kW unit are a respectable 4.63/4.67 respectively, with the larger units having lower ratings, so the smaller unit is the best buy for maximizing efficiency.

The indoor unit measures 600 x 950 x 215 mm and the systems use R410A refrigerant,surprising considering Dailan's other units use the more environmentally friendly R32.

RADIANT HEAT PUMP

Finding a Daikin Nexura 'in the wild' in Northern America is rare at present, but one has recently been installed in a home in the south-western reigion of the USA.

The Nexura is a variant on the standard split system air conditioner that includes a radiant panel, powered by the heat pump.

The 2.5/3.4 kW unit was installed in April in a 16 m² bedroom (for a cost of $2900 installed), and owner Dalys has been using it for about a month, heading into winter.

The house has a five-year-old split system in the living area, but Dalys wanted a smaller, quieter option for the bedroom to replace a convection panel heater.

Compared to the panel heater, Dalys finds the Nexura to be "way superior." She says, "It properly heats the whole room and you don't need to be near the source to feel warm." It's also very quiet, particularly in radiant mode, when you can "barely hear it." Even with the fan on, she finds it quieter than her unit in the living area and likes the way it circulates air quite gently.

She tends to turn it on to boost with the fan in the morning for about 10 minutes, then switch back to radiant-only mode once it's up to temperature; and similarly in the evening. With the door open, it also heats the hallway and. in conjunction with the living area heater, balances out the home's warmth.

Dalys has found it very responsive and accurate: "when it says 21 °C, that's what it seems to be in the room." She also likes the look of it: "it's slim, unobstrusive and blends in." It's fair to say she's a fan!