Heat Pump Basics

 February 1, 2014      Jeff Rosenblum

One of the often-overlooked aspects of installing a heat pump is the location. As a heat pump runs in heating mode it tends to build frost on the outside coil. When the frost gets too thick, the efficiency drops. Because of this, it is necessary to put the heat pump into defrost mode. We do this by reversing the flow of refrigerant. So in heating mode, hot refrigerant is sent to the indoor coil to provide heat. In defrost mode we send the hot refrigerant to the outdoor coil to melt the ice and frost that has built up. When the ice melts we must make sure that the water created can safely drain away. This means, be careful where the unit is located. If it is near a walkway, the water created can drain onto the walkway and refreeze. This poses a danger to the homeowner. Another thing to be aware of is to install the outdoor unit above the snow line for the area. This will help keep the coil clean and the heat pump operating efficiently. This is done through the use of pump-ups or stands. As always, if you need any technical assistance with a heat pump you are working on, feel free to contact the Famous Supply HVAC Tech Support Team.

Jeff Rosenblum 
Technical Support Manager 
15 Years Industry Experience
Cell (330) 962-2491
[email protected]