Conventional heat pumps are energy efficient but not energy free. A large proportion of electricity is utilized by the compressor to pressurize the refrigerant that’s the lifeblood of the heat pump system. The absorption heat pump, a new technology that requires no compressor and has been previously used in large commercial installations, is now finding its way into some residential applications. Absorption heat pumps deliver efficiencies in the range of 140 percent. Only the first stage of the absorption process, where a water/ammonia mixture is heated, requires an energy source such as natural gas or propane. Solar heating can also be utilized to heat the solution, as well as energy transfer from underground geothermal sources.The solution of water and ammonia is boiled into a vapor that duplicates the heat-exchange properties of refrigerant. As the ammonia vapor passes through the condenser coil, it condenses back to liquid, rapidly shedding heat into the air. When the heat pump’s in heating mode, the indoor coil is the condenser and heat shed by the coil warms the interior of the home. In cooling mode, the ammonia solution reverses and the outdoor coil disperses heat extracted from the interior into outside air.The pressurized liquid passes through an expansion valve that rapidly drops the pressure, converting the liquid into a frigid vapor as it enters the evaporator coil. In the evaporator, the vapor absorbs heat from air passing over the coil. In heating mode, the outside coil extracts heat from outdoor air; in cooling mode, the indoor coil takes the heat out of room air. The heat-loaded ammonia vapor then begins a re-absorption process where it is dissolved back into a weak solution of ammonia and water, then conveyed to the generator for heating, and the process repeats.With 27 years in the community and the largest full-service HVAC fleet in Tulsa, Air Assurance is your premier source for heating and cooling products and service. For more information on the latest in cutting-edge HVAC technology, contact us today.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our websiteto see our current promotionsand get started today!