Learn How Reverse Cycle Air Conditioning Works and Its Different Advantages

As air conditioning options increase, it is becoming increasingly difficult to decide which one is best for your needs. That said, purchasing and installing the right equipment can make all the difference to the interior comfort of your home. When summer weather arrives, your air conditioning equipment will produce the cooling output necessary to beat the heat and keep you comfortable.

If you have heard about reverse cycle air conditioning and wonder if it is a good fit for your home, read this article and learn how it works and its various advantages.

Also known as a dual-output heat pump, a reverse cycle air conditioner has a reversing valve that allows it to operate in heating and cooling modes based on the fundamental principle of heat exchange.

To understand how this principle applies to reverse cycle air conditioning, consider the refrigeration cycle used for creating cooling in a standard air conditioner. Ever wondered why the backside or outdoor unit of the cooling system blows hot air?

During the cooling season, a reverse cycle system operates like its older cooling-only cousin. The system's indoor evaporator coil absorbs heat from the interior environment and transfers it to the outdoor condenser coil for dissipation outside. The refrigerant flowing through the coils acts as the heat transfer medium for the cooling system.

When you flip a switch on your air conditioner to initiate heating, the reversing valve activates a solenoid pilot valve to interrupt and reverse the direction of refrigerant flow within the system.

When this happens, the indoor and outdoor coils change how they operate. The indoor evaporator coil acts as the heating coil, releasing heated air into your home's interiors while the condenser coil pushes out the cold air from your indoor space.

Like other air conditioners used in homes, reverse cycle units offer many unique benefits that influence their suitability for use in your home.

These benefits include the following:

1. They are two-in-one home heating and cooling solutions – a reverse cycle air conditioner allows you to heat and cool your home using the same equipment.
2. They save precious space – since you will install one instead of two separate pieces of equipment, more space will be available for storing or accommodating other things that matter.
3. They save energy – reverse cycle AC systems do not strictly use electricity to produce heating and cooling output. As a result, they use less energy than other HVAC systems and save money on energy costs.
4. They come in all shapes and sizes – reverse cycle air conditioners are available as window units, mini-splits, ducted units and other similar units to match the HVAC design of different homes. For example, you can install a ducted reverse cycle system if your home has existing ductwork.

While regular air conditioning units are known for their cooling ability, reverse cycle versions provide heating and cooling functions to maintain comfort year-round. These dual-purpose air conditioners are a boon to people who live in climate zones that experience extreme hotness during the day and extreme coldness in the night time or those that have nearly the same number of cooling days and heating days across the year.

At Cool Air Conditioning Pty Ltd, we have served the Sunshine Coast and the broader southeast Queensland communities with commercial and residential air conditioning services for over two decades. During this period, we have helped many people and businesses choose the best air conditioning systems for their specific needs.

Contact us for expert assistance with all your residential air conditioning needs, from design and installation to maintenance and repairs.