#pump

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Another follow-up article by Michael Housh… Enjoy! In this article, I thought I would show a pump curve and match it up with our system head-loss curve that we created in the last article, but before I do that, I thought I would talk a little bit more about the system head-loss curve and why […]

Simple Pump Selection Exercise

Here is another excellent article from Michael Housh, owner of Housh Home Energy and a regular contributor to HVAC School. Thanks, Michael! I thought I would go through a simple example of sizing a hydronic circulator for an application. This is a made-up scenario, but I sketched out a 20’ x 20’ square home with […]

Pumping vs. Compression – Short #218

In this short episode, Bryan clears up the confusion behind pumping vs. compression. Pumping is usually associated with liquid. Liquid, like vapor, is a fluid, but it's a lot denser and is essentially incompressible because the molecules are close together. Liquid volume varies based on temperature and density, but we can't squish the molecules […]

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HVAC School – For Techs, By Techs

Real training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.

In this informative episode, Josh Souders from Copeland joins Bryan to dive deep into heat pump technology, discussing everything from basic operations to advanced features in cold climate applications. The conversation begins with a fundamental explanation of how heat pumps work, describing them as essentially air conditioners with a reversing valve that allows them to provide both heating and cooling. Josh explains the thermodynamic principles that enable heat pumps to extract heat from cold outdoor air and transfer it indoors, achieving coefficients of performance (COP) ranging from 1.5 to 3, making them significantly more efficient than traditional electric resistance heating.

The discussion moves into the broader context of electrification and decarbonization, explaining how heat pumps fit into these environmental initiatives. Josh details how modern cold climate heat pumps have evolved significantly from earlier generations, particularly through the Department of Energy’s Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge program. This program pushed manufacturers to develop systems capable of maintaining full heating capacity at very low temperatures, addressing historical concerns about heat pump performance in cold regions.

Variable speed technology emerges as a key topic, with Josh explaining how modern inverter-driven compressors can operate across a wide range of speeds – from 900 to 7,000 RPM in their newest A2L products. This capability allows systems to maintain heating capacity in cold weather by increasing compressor speed when needed. The conversation also covers practical considerations for installation and troubleshooting, including the importance of proper defrost cycles, installation location, and the use of riser kits in snowy regions.

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