Whether you already have a heat pump or you are just planning to buy one, knowing how it works and what it does is invaluable.
If your heat pump works in cooling mode, your room dehumidifies automatically. When in heating mode, the heat pump doesn’t need to dehumidify. Warm air circulating around the room is going to remove the moisture.
Don’t sit in sweat amidst unbearable humidity. Read on to discover how you can be comfortable with the help of a heat pump.
How Does Humidity Affect Room Temperature?
Humidity is the amount of moisture present in the air. Humidity changes with temperature and atmospheric pressure. When the temperature is higher, the air will carry more moisture and vice versa.
Humidity is important to a home cooled and heated efficiently than most of you think. High levels of humidity can cause real issues in cooling a house and low relative humidity can reduce your heating bills as cooling the air is made easier.
Lower humidity is perceived as a lower temperature that makes it more comfortable when relative temperatures are higher, reducing the need for pricey cooling that is sometimes damaging to the environment as well.
Humans prefer 30% to 40% relative humidity and a heat pump can help maintain it very efficiently. This way, you can be more comfortable while protecting your belongings at the same time. Objects made from wood can warp and dry out when the air gets too dry.
Excessively dry air can also have negative effects on your eyes and skin. Sleeping, working, and watching movies at home with your eyes not drying out can all be improved with the right level of humidity.
But, Do Heat Pumps Really Dehumidify?
Let’s go back to the question if a heat pump dehumidifies. When the humidity is high, it is harder to remove the heat from the air since some of this is contained in water vapor and should be condensed to remove the heat.
It is the reason why bigger condenser coils in the heat pump can work much better in dehumidifying and treating air compared to regular air conditioners, with more space for condensing in heat pump dehumidifier.
The condenser coil is where gas in the heat pump gets forced under an amount of pressure to turn into liquid, removing heat during the process. Once it cools, the air’s moisture gives heat to the coil, turning into the liquid itself.
The process is known as dehumidification. If you want to know if a heat pump dehumidifies and offers the same benefits as a dehumidifier, the answer is a big YES.
Working Principle of Heat Pumps
A heat pump takes warmth from a cold space and pumps it somewhere warm or vice versa to cool. A heat pump works efficiently to cool or heat a space if there is a difference or gradient in temperature.
However, the clever part is that it works against heat energy’s natural movement. Instead of moving to balance or equilibrium of heat, heat pumps force the energy in the air to be concentrated, either if it is too cold or outside the house if it is too hot inside.
This is a similar principle that allows the refrigerator to stay cool. You can thank this process for your delicious chilled beverages.
How Does a Heat Pump Reduce a Room’s Humidity?
There are two primary modes a heat pump dehumidifier can work in:
Drying mode
The heat pump alternates between cooling and heating, maintaining the preferred humidity or lowering it as moisture is absorbed from the air or released back to it by heat or cool cycle while maintaining the same temperature. This is like a heater and dehumidifier in one.
Cooling mode
Condenser coil in a heat pump is wherein the heat energy gets taken from the air and with the moisture, this collects on coil, similar to the beading on soda cans taken from a fridge. The coil acts as a heat pump dehumidifier.
Other Benefits of Using a Heat Pump
1. Less maintenance
A heat pump is very simple, making it easy to maintain. It reduces maintenance costs significantly unlike dehumidifiers.
2. Lower running costs
Maintaining the right humidity is only among the benefits of a heat pump system. It also happens to be as much as four times as efficient as similar forms of heating options for homes. Even though installing them tend to be a bit expensive, it should give you great savings in less than 5 years. This is much better compared to other savings account right now.
While there is a need for a substantial capital outlay, a lot of governments are now subsidizing heat pumps. There is also cheap finance available for offsetting the cost. This can be a great investment as savings are going to continue for more years to come.
3. Longer lifespan
The ease of maintenance and simplicity also means that a heat pump lasts for quite a long time. There are several users who have been using heat pumps for years with little to no output from the owners. These units can efficiently and quietly get on with the job.
4. Lower carbon emissions
In the ever-changing world filled with environmental concerns, it has become more and more crucial to save energy. A heat pump combined with efficient insulation is among the easiest and most economically sensible ways of doing it.
A lower electricity bill translates to reduced carbon footprint and this will benefit not just your pocket but the whole planet as well. This makes it a very sensible investment. While there are climates where heat pumps are not suitable, most places can make the most out of heat pumps.
A heat pump can make a big difference in the lives of many people all over the world and it seems that this trend will continue in the next years. Being the most efficient way of heating and even dehumidifying homes or businesses, this is a technology you can expect to see for a long time.
