How do heat pumps work and why are the energy efficient?
Edit: the question is sufficiently answered. Thanks guys!
In: 50
Heat pumps are not energy effecient, just like any pump they require an input of energy.
There are several types of heat pumps, but an air conditioner is an example of a heat pump most people are familiar with. The purpose of a heat pump is to move heat against the concentration gradient. This means taking heat from your house and pumping it outside, even though the outside is hotter than your house. This is accomplished by using a condenser, which takes a gas and compresses it into a liquid (in this case its a special chemical called a coolant). After the coolant is liquified, it is allowed to expand. The expansion of a gas results in its temperature dropping significantly, so now we have cold coolant. The coolant is pushed through a long thin tube, and air from your house is blown across the tube. The warmer house air gives heat to the coolant, and the house air is cooled off. Repeat the cycle, and you have a heat pump!
Latest Answers