Frequently Asked Questions
How does air conditioning work?
Air conditioning is the process of transferring heat within a space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment. A chemical refrigerant in the system absorbs the unwanted heat, pumps it through a system of piping to the outside coil. The fan, located in the outside unit, blows outside air over the hot coil, transferring heat from the refrigerant to the outdoor air. The refrigerant then continues around the circuit again to repeat the process.
What is a heat pump?
Heat pumps work by taking natural warmth out of the surrounding environment to provide hot water and heating to your home. There are three main types of heat pump: ground source, air source and water source. The name of each one describes where the appliance takes its heat from, and, therefore, each one works in a slightly different way.
Absorption
Before anything else can happen, the heat must first be collected. Depending on the type of heat pump, the heat will be absorbed by a refrigerant either from the ground, air or water source. This takes place in the evaporator with the refrigerant changing from liquid to gas in the process.
Compression
The refrigerant is now a gas instead of a liquid and the gas is compressed to increase its temperature even more. It is this heat that can be used to warm up your radiators or underfloor heating.
Condenser
As the refrigerant transfers the heat that is to be used in your home’s heating system, it gradually cools down and condenses back into a liquid. This occurs in a second heat exchanger. One of the reasons why heat pumps are so efficient is because cooler water from the central heating can continue to absorb the heat from the liquid refrigerant within this second exchanger.
Repeat
Once the refrigerant has cooled right down, it passes through an expansion valve. In here, the liquid’s pressure is decreased and it returns to the evaporator to begin the whole cycle again.
A ground source heat pump takes its heat from the ground. Pipes are laid under the ground or via a borehole surrounding your home and a solution of water and antifreeze flows through them. It is this solution that transfers the heat from the ground and begins the process above.
What is a VRF or VRV system?
VRF – Variable Refrigerant Flow
VRV – Variable Refrigerant Volume
VRF/VRV technology provides the ability for multiple indoor units or zones to operate on the same system. These systems can either be a heat pump system or a heat recovery system, which provides simultaneous heating and cooling.
If the appropriate VRF system is selected, building occupants can customise the temperature settings to their personal preferences.
Unlike some older HVAC technologies, VRF/VRV systems are extremely quiet. Installing a VRF system has the added benefit of reducing ambient noise both inside and outside of a building.